Viscious 2: Cult of Kellan

Choices.

*Kellan's POV*

The door opened abruptly, causing us both to sit up and look ahead. Raymond leads the pack, and a distraught Chelle nips his heels. I want to look to Alina, but I don't with them present. I'm afraid I'm going to put a target on her if I give her much attention. I already regret the bandaging and asking for her to be moved, but it is what it is now. I cannot change it, and I do feel more settled with her near where I can guard her.

The air is tense between us. I feel raw and vulnerable having said such things to her, but I feel somewhat lighter too. Even if I only meant part of it. I am sorry. I hate myself that I got us into this situation, and now I am terrified that this will be my end. I don't want to be murdered by fools, or busted by police when these idiots inevitably are caught. The only thing worse than death would be an embarrassing one, and I do not want to die. So I did what had to be done. I tried to play back into Alina's head. Surely if Dallas could get back into her good graces, I could too. I just needed to protect her for a bit, lay it on thick with the vulnerability and soft words.

She's even more vulnerable than myself, and if she bought any of what I concocted, she's desperate for an alliance of any sort. It's unlikely she's going to get out of here alone, and her erratic behavior and smart mouth tells me she still uses the same coping mechanisms. She's not as prepared to die as she always believes she is. She still holds onto some hope she can make it. Perhaps she sees me as her savior now. I can still taste her dirty little hand trembling against my lips. What choice has she but to rely on me now? I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment.

It's going to be hard, but I will do what I came here for. I have to. All this can't be in vain. I do not want to kill Alina, but I know that it has to be done eventually. Only one of us can be. I can't live looking over my shoulder in paranoia that eventually she will be able to pinpoint me. I will not be imprisoned. If they ever catch me, it'll be my carcass they bring in. And I cannot live knowing that she's going to run back to Dallas and live out her white picket fence dreams with him. I'd rather her die than see their faces together everywhere. I would never be able to let her go that way.

I narrow my eyes at Chelle, and her demeanor is unsettling to me. I bore a hole in her with my stare, and she squirms much like Alina once did under my gaze. What do you know, you vile little copycat? She seems to know something we do not, and I'd like to split her head open and find out. I grin. Her little air head would bust like a melon if I could slam it off the wall hard enough. I wish she'd lean closer,  I'd be almost tempted. She doesn't though, she still follows so close to Raymond's heel that if he stops short she may very well go up his ass where she belongs. She refuses to meet my eyes, and I am no Alina. I have little patience to play along.

"Have you had your discussion?" I break the silence.

"We have. You're going to like this." Raymond gestures to the floor for me to sit as he lowers himself feet from me. He crosses his legs and watches me arrogantly, and I follow suit in spite of wanting to remain standing to make him uncomfortable.

"Really?"

"Yes. We believe you. We believe you are exactly who you say, and we believe in your cause. We know why you came here. You came for her. You came to take her from us and to finish her off yourself. That's selfish though. We did all this for you. You did kill two, maybe three of us, as some are unaccounted for. I guess what I'm saying is, we did all this for you. We planned this event, brought the numbers together, funded Alina's nabbing and killed a woman to take out the perfect location." He gestured around him to signify the house.

"But you've given us nothing in return. A few tidbits of information. You haven't tried to be a unit with us. Or gotten to know any of us. You want to come in here and take over, and you can. The floor is yours." What's the catch?