Taken Captive

Chapter 72

if you don't comment, I won't post for a whole year.

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As I stared out of my bedroom window, dressed in a classy black suit with my hair gelled back and my mind racing about what could happen this weekend, only my father's voice would respond to each question I had. But it was different this time. His voice wasn't yelling, he wasn't insulting me, degrading me, pressuring me to be the best to impress my brother.

He was reassuring me. Telling me everything would be okay. Why now? Why after all that's happened, all that he's done, is he starting to act like a real father?

Because he's dead and you're creating the perfect image of him in your head to try and make yourself feel better.

Right. That explains it, thank you so much for your input.

It's not like it was helping much. I still dug up my best suit and put in the effort to look as good as I could just so my brother would think I had my life together. Like him, I wanted to keep my head held high and act as if nothing could break through my walls.

But the walls I had were like a fence compared to his. As long as I've been alive, he's kept cool, never broken down or shown emotion in any way. That's what dad loved about him. He could shoot someone, get a job done, do what was asked of him with no trouble.

Me? I cried, during my first kill, job, first day of kindergarten while Seth did it with a neutral expression on his face.

"Why can't you be more like him?" Dad would ask me.

"How embarrassed your father must feel when his firstborn turned out like Seth only for his second to be you." William laughed in front of all their friends when they'd sit and have drinks, forcing me to be there just so they could use me as the butt of their terrible jokes and mockery.

But Seth? He didn't say anything. When nobody was watching, he'd kill for me, do jobs for me, do my homework when it got too hard. He'd reassure me that everything would be okay, that when he had more power and could leave home to take over, I'd be right by his side.

He promised me. Only to leave and stay away as if nothing had happened. Then when I saw him again, he was different. Cold, angry, heartless, just like dad.

My eyes flickered to Jordan's approaching figure. He stopped at the door and gave me a look, knowing I was watching him through the glass, "you ready?"

"No," I replied, fiddling with the button on my blazer, "I'm not."

"We're doing this for Axel, not him," he reminded me. I closed my eyes and nodded, imagining the bright smile that would be on my nephew's face if he were to see Nia again.

He met her just after losing his mother. It wasn't a surprise when he immediately loved her and didn't want to leave the same way I grew attached to Mary after mom died.

And Rocko after shooting dad in the back of the head.

"I need to talk to Mary before we leave," I told him, "you can take everyone and head to the airport. I'll ride alone."

"Nia's not gonna be happy about that," He reminded me. Ever since I told her about going there for Christmas, she's been a nervous wreck. Seth was intimidating enough before everything happened. I can't imagine how she'll act now, spending three nights in his house, properly meeting for the first time.

It's not like she admitted it though. She's been more worried about me, how I'm feeling and asking how I am every chance she got. Again, she's putting my feelings first. I wish I could've done the same for her and had the power to not let this happen.