The Four Brothers ~ Completed

Capítulo Três: A Irmãzinha

Gemma's POV:

We waited in silence for a few more minutes for the test to get back. I took that time to study him. There were a few similarities between us, but nothing serious.

He had raven black hair, emerald green eyes, olive skin, a height of about 6'4", muscles coating his entire frame, and an intense glare. 

At that moment, he was glaring at his phone. Maybe he was having work trouble? He didn't seem like the type who would work an office job. Perhaps he owned his own business? It wouldn't surprise me.

"I suppose you're right. My lab just contacted me. You're mine. My irmãzinha (sister)." He said, not looking up from his phone. A part of me was overjoyed about the news. The other part of me was terrified of moving into a house with a man this cold and distant and just plain scary.

Call it a gut instinct, but I got the feeling that Tobias wasn't a non-violent person.

"That's a good thing, right?" I asked, feeling vulnerable for the first time in forever. Tobias looked at me, his emerald green eyes as cold as ice. 

I curled into myself, suddenly afraid.

"Depends on how you look at it." He muttered, looking back down at his phone. I didn't say anything in fear of his hard gaze landing on me again.

The female officers left after I told them I didn't know anything about any guns or drugs that George handled and that he locked me in my room for most days. They were going to talk to my guardian about having me testify against him for child negligence.

Doctor Brad walked back into the room, his hands trembling. 

I feel you dude, I feel you.

"Mr. Perigoso, the authorities are waiting to take Ms. Perigoso's statement. They didn't want to do it without her guardian here." Doctor Brad mumbled, twisting his hands. Tobias nodded, standing to his imposing height slowly.

"Come." Was all Tobias said to me, then he left the room. I blinked, shocked.

I hadn't been expecting the warmest of welcomes, but I didn't think I would be treated like this. Honestly, I couldn't even imagine how I would be treated. But this was the last way that I thought I would be treated.

"Sir, yes sir." I mumbled sarcastically, slipping my birth certificate back into my back pocket. My hand stayed in that pocket so that I wouldn't lose the one part of myself that I knew. 

Tobias turned around and looked at me with a look that resembled amusement. I smiled a little at the thought of making him amused. 

When did I start to need validation from someone else?

We walked into the lobby of the clinic and there stood the two officers from earlier. They'd already come in to question me. What the heck?

"Gemma, it's good to see that your brother got here so quickly." The nice officer said, smiling down at me fondly. The mean officer snorted, which made me take a step back. 

Normally, I don't back down easily, but I was tired and didn't feel like fighting this lady. 

I didn't mean to step back into Tobias's side, but I did. His hand came up to rest on my shoulder in an oddly comforting way. 

"It is. I thought that you'd already decided what you were going to charge George with. Why do you need to question me again?" I asked, cocking my head. I didn't know where I'd picked the habit up at, but I knew that I'd done it for as long as I could remember. 

"True, but we were wondering-" The mean officer started before Tobias interrupted her with a growl.

"You mean you spoke to my little sister without me here to supervise this conversation?" Tobias asked, sounding perfectly amicable. I didn't know what to make of his sudden change in moods. First he was cold and then he was protective and now he's happy?

Was this guy off his meds or something?

"Uh, well, yes." The nice officer said, sounding awkward. She shuffled from foot to foot under Tobias's charming smile. I had my head tilted back, looking between the two. 

"You knew her guardian was on the way and yet you continued with your questioning? Expect a call from my lawyers." Tobias said, snapping the last bit as his grip on my shoulder tightened. The hold wasn't painful, but it wasn't the comforting hold it once was. 

"Alright. Well, we're charging George Williams with kidnapping and negligence of a minor." The mean officer said with a glare in my direction. 

I didn't know what I did to piss her off, but she seemed to have some sort of prejudice against me. I looked up again to see Tobias's reaction, since he was being oddly quiet, and saw that his jaw was clenched and his eyes were closed.

Was he reacting that way because the officer seemed so nonchalant about him pressing charges or was he reacting like that because of what I'd been through?

It didn't seem like he cared all that much about me, so I was going with reason one.

"And is she testifying?" Tobias asked, not even gesturing at me. 

Okay, people, I'm right here. Please stop talking about me like I'm not.

"Depends, are you ready for that?" The nice officer asked, looking down at me. I went to say something, but hesitated. Images of what I hadn't told the officers flashed across my vision.

His belt lashing across my back. Boiling water being poured down my stomach. His boot connecting with my face. The crunching of my knee the first time he took a hammer to it. The glass shattering on my head. The nail I pulled from my foot. 

Blood. Everywhere. My blood. Everywhere. 

"I don't know." I whispered, looking at my feet. The officers looked at me in confusion. 

"You said you would testify." The mean officer snapped, but this time Tobias looked like he could care less. His intense gaze was focused solely on me. 

"I said I don't know. I didn't say I wouldn't." I snapped right back. I arched an eyebrow, begging her to say something else when she opened her mouth. She closed her mouth with a 'humph' and went back to glaring at me silently.

In all honesty, I liked it better that way.

Tobias finished signing what he needed to sign and we headed for the car. Once George had been picked up and couldn't get out on bail, the police would contact me so I could grab my stuff. 

I looked out the tinted window for most of the drive, watching the scenery pass. 

I could only wonder what my new life was going to look like.