All I Need

Chapter 56 - Over

Elias

"You're so stupid that it actually makes me feel better about myself."

"I'm so glad.'' I rolled my eyes at my brother. "Thanks for your support."

"You're welcome." he teased, nudging my shoulder through the bars. "At least you're not a virgin anymore, because that was sad."

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. "I was never a virgin?"

"Rachel doesn't count," Daniel said. "Everyone knows this but you apparently."

Apparently.

"I need a drink." I rubbed my eyes and thought hard, attempting to cook up another escape plan that also included a stop at the liquor store. "And what I mean by a drink is two bottles of whisky to myself."

"So...you love her?"

His tone was serious this time, curious to hear my answer.

Daniel knew I loved Rachel, but not the real kind of love you have for someone special. It was a projection of my past with my mother, and I was terribly self-aware about it. One thing I learned about love was that it wasn't always good. My mother loving my father wasn't good. My love for Rachel wasn't good. My love for Kaia wasn't good.

"Unfortunately." It was unfortunate that I was obsessed with her and couldn't fit anything else into my mind. Important things that I should have been thinking about and rationally deciding to get my brother and me out of here. She was the center of attention in my life. "I wish I didn't."

He laughed. "You know she saved me, right? I'm only alive because of her."

My head shot towards him, my eyes wide from shock. "What?"

"The day that asshole shot me in the office, she dragged my body back to this house." he paused for a moment, sadness on his face recalling that day. "She forced the doctors to help me. She convinced her dad to keep me alive as a bargaining chip for when they came after you, I guess he never mentioned it."

No way.

No fucking way.

"Alright, kids.'' The door to the dungeon flew open, revealing three guards with more chains in their hands. The first one opened my cell and the second one opened Daniel's. "Time to see the boss."

The chains were wrapped around my wrists tightly, tighter than Kaia had. The sting bothered me but I had to ignore it. I had been through worse pain. I could handle it. I wasn't weak, despite all the names my father used to call me. I wouldn't let them become true.

They cuffed my ankles and chained my brother's wrists as well. We exchanged glances, but I could see that he was hopeful. This was probably the first time he'd left the cell in weeks. "Les damos el infierno, ¿de acuerdo?"

(we give them hell, alright?)

The guard guiding Daniel through the winding hallways hit him on the side of the head with his gun. "No Spanish. We don't need you two plotting anything."

"Estoy matando a este primero." he smiled, wincing a little when the man kicked in the back of his leg and he dropped to his knees. "Estúpido."

(i'm killing this one first, idiot)

I smiled back as they dragged him the rest of the way, up three flights of stairs and more long hallways. I did my best to memorize the inside of the house in case it became useful later. We were taken to a huge dining room. Most likely bigger than three of the rooms at my hotel put together.