Liability

Chapter 41 - Rhys

WARNING! Heavy angst, cruel accusations, a teenage boy having not fully explicit thoughts about an adult who is also his teacher.

Sunday
September 16, 2018

Most people would give not only an arm and leg but probably offer their entire family on silver platter for the chance to walk through the opulent revolving doors of Yarkost Tower and get access to even one level in the building, let alone the personal floors set up for the members of Yuriev Group. A childish, less smarting part of Rhys' mind does appreciate the ease with which they pass through the entrance lounge and the polite lack of reaction from the receptionists and the security guards. The rest of his brain, however, is filled to the brim with crashing waves of doubt, anger and flimsy froth of regret to care about the speed they get into the elevator or where it takes them.

He can't get Armand's last words out of his head the same way all the man's promises keep echoing in his ears, whispering sweet, poisonous lies right into his heart, coaxing him to believe in those flimsy, empty words instead of the proof laid out before his eyes.

He hates how much he wants to do just that. To give Armand the benefit of the doubt, to shrug all the deception off and take the jackass' words and actions at face value.

To believe he and Thommy aren't just burdens Armand got saddled with as a side effect of whatever mission Alenyka Yurieva gave him.

Lips curling down, he stares at Armand's rigid posture as the floors pass by. His spine is straight and shoulders pulled back, oozing confidence he pretended to lack back in the classroom. There is no jovial meekness left in him, as if he is a completely different person...

No.

He's the gleaming eyed stranger that peeked out from behind the sunny smiles and lightning fast quips from time to time. The same beast that first made Rhys realize that Armand was hiding something big.

His subconscious scoff earns a sharp glance from Hina, who is standing on his right but Rhys ignores her, more than fed up with her bitching and snide comments. If she had been so against helping them, she could have just left them to die. Surprisingly, she doesn't comment, which makes Rhys wonder if she's really Armand's subordinate despite her constant back-talking but, in the end, it doesn't matter.

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open to a modern, luxurious apartment probably copied from some high end interior design magazine or a Pinterest set. Armand walks out without hesitation, followed by Ash, while Thommy leans against Rhys as they shuffle out slowly, Thommy's hand pressing against his still healing wound. Their frankly pitiful entry is closed by the loud clicking sound Hina's sky-high heels make on the black marble flooring, drumming on the last of Rhys' nerves probably just for the hell of it.

They round the corner of the foyer, designed to separate the entrance of the apartment from the main areas, and only take about a step into the spacious living room when Thommy's body is racked by a sharp flinch, causing his friend to groan and try to move behind Rhys at the same time.

"Omigod, I'm gonna die," Thommy whines, high-pitched and hunching as far behind Rhys as he can with his injury and considerable size.

Rhys cannot really blame him for that comment after seeing the thunderous expression sitting on Mr. Prescott's face as he heads toward them, and all he can do is stand right in front of Thommy to shield him from the anger of the man closing in on them. Except, just like every other time before when they got into some deep shit, Thommy's father doesn't get violent upon reaching them. His darkened gaze is scanning his son and when his large hand reaches out it is to place it on Thommy's curly mane, the touch careful.