One Last Time (COMPLETED)

Suspect the Unexpected

"If Park or Tanner kill me for this, just know my blood will be on your hands."

Given our current circumstances, I was a hundred percent sure that Chandler wasn't trying at a joke. He was in the parking lot of Moonlight Bar and Grill, one of his eyebrows quirked as he stared me down. It'd been easier than I thought to convince Shae to drive up and watch the kids for a couple hours; especially since I'd begged her not to tell her brother my whereabouts. Being that they were siblings, she jumped with joy at the thought of knowing something her brother didn't. Chandler looked as anxious and nervous as I felt, but I was sure it was for different reasons. I'd showed him the video, and though his first idea had been to run to the police or call Detective Thatcher, once he'd heard me out about needing answers, he'd trudged to his car and mocked me half the ride here.

"Come on. It's only a matter of time before Tan's back from the hospital with Park and they notice neither of us are there." he climbed out, and though I hadn't really taken him for a gentlemen, he opened my door and stepped aside so I could get out. Nodding in gratitude, I followed close behind him into the building. As soon as we stepped through the doors, an electric guitar broke through the thundering rhythm of my heart and my head whipped up. Nixon sat on the edge of the stage, a guitar pick between his teeth, eyes on me. I tore my eyes from my niece and nephews deadbeat father and scanned the crowded bar for my brother, but he was nowhere to be seen. He must not be here yet.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nixon approached with such a fire in his eyes that I took a step back and Chandler a step forward. "You need to go. Now."

"Why?" I asked, confused. I wanted desperately to ask him why the hell he hadn't called the police when he'd found that video, or if he'd been the one that uploaded it on to the flashdrive, but my mouth grew dry when he grabbed my wrist and all words and thoughts died as quick as they conjured themselves up.

"You need to take your happy ass back home and wait this out." Nixon said, eyes shooting over my shoulder. "I've done everything I can to try and help you, Foster, but this is as far as I go."

I stared blankly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you need to leave before your psycho fucking brother kills you too."

"He wouldn't do that." Chandler defended quietly, reminding both of us he was still here. "He stated in the video how much better off Mia and Parker would be without that bitch here. Why would he kill her?"

Nixon snorted. "Let me see, spend my life in prison because my nosy ass little sister figured out I murdered her twin, or kill her too and leave the country?"

"Parker and Tanner would kill him." Chandler stated the obvious.

"Not if they can't find him." Nixon argued with a shrug. "You've seen the video, Foster. He fucking snapped. Didn't even realize what he was doing until she was gone. What makes you think he wouldn't do the same to you? To keep you quiet?"

I looked to Chandler, feeling the air slowly slipping from my lungs as if I were under my brother's hands.

"The flashdrive was you." I stated what he'd already admitted. "But everything else? The threats, the cameras, all of it, was it you?"

Nixon buried his hand in his long black hair and shook his head. "Yeah, I was the one sending the texts and the photos were me too. I don't know about any cameras, but I thought maybe if I scared you enough, you'd back the hell off and keep those kids safe."

"You mean your kids." I whispered, surprised there was any sort of emotion toward them in him. "You care about them."

"I don't know what I care about right now outside of staying alive. So get out of here." he made a gesture between the three of us. "And this stays between us. I don't need to be killed before I finally get a recording contract."