Retrieving Love (Sequel to TBGATGB)

Chapter Thirteen

*Annalisa*

He wanted to sell me.

Physically and mentally sell me.

They'd been searching for me.

Tara Reyes had something to hide from me.

"Are you ready?" Tara Reyes's voice interrupts my thoughts as I slowly turn to face her.

Something in my face must've changed or been harsher because the older blonde haired women took a step away from me. "What are you hiding from me?" I say coldly.

Brandon stiffened from where he stood nearby, Mr Rios watching with amusement.

"Annalisa you don't need to know this." Tara pleads with me, stretching a hand towards me.

Instinctively I take a step back. "Tell me."

I kept the secrets, secrets where never kept from me.

Tara's blue eyes drop to the ground, silence filled the room. "Well do tell the girl Tara." Mr Rios speaks up, "In fact why don't we all just share secrets, it'd be rather fun." The grin on his face, there was nothing happy in it, he was going in to hurt. "Let's go down the hall to the sitting room, I believe we should let Brandon begin."

Brandon's face pales at the suggestion, looking younger and more vulnerable than I had ever seen him, this man knew what he wanted us all to stay and we weren't about to escape out of it.

Brandon clears his throat before extending a hand out to me, "Annalisa." He says lightly.

I was to be escorted to whatever room I was wanted in, like usual, except this time I would accept willingly.
I slip my small hand into his larger one, as he hooks it around his arm before we lead the way, Tara following closely behind and Mr Rios.

"Have I screwed up?" I whisper under my breath as we walk down corridors that were forbidden to me.

Brandon stops in front of a door and opens it, allowing my mother and Mr Rios in before he leans down to my ear, "I repeat my earlier words, some may be tolerant of your attitude and even be amused by it, but others are not," He quotes himself quietly, "Mr Rios sees challenge, now we all will pay for it, and things that should be buried will come to surface."

Brandon pulls back and Mr Rios lets out a loud cough, "Shall you like to enter?"

Brandon releases my arm and allows me to enter for the first time on my own.

We sit in silence, all waiting for Mr Rios to speak from his spot on the double couch on his own, Tara sat perched on the edge of a single seater, as though waiting to jump up and run and Brandon and I were seated at opposite ends of the three seater. Mr Rios is the one to break the silence.

"I believe that Brandon is to start with our honesty truth thing we're doing, I believe he was going to tell us about his parents."

I told myself that I wasn't going to look at any of the others, but at the mention of parents I glance at him, his hands were clenched.

"To what could you wish to know?" Brandon grits out, staring at Mr Rios, "You already know all."

Mr Rios lets out a chuckle, "Why yes I do, but both Reyes girls do not, I believe they should learn as to how you came to power, and I mean the true one, not that little fake cover story."