Absolute

18

It was now or never. Mom had gone to sleep for her nap. She knew I'd been gone, but that was more due to the fact that she'd tried to make me do things for her while I was gone than anything else. The audio chips throughout the house let the boys know that Dad had told her I was away at an obedience camp.

I think it was the obedience thing that kept Mom from saying too much on the subject, especially when Dad said he'd found a charity slot for me, and he hadn't had to pay. She didn't bother asking when I'd be home, so it worked out for me.

But now I stood with a small backpack on my shoulders in front of a house that gave me anxiety to just look at. But I forced myself to step forward until I was climbing the steps. Inside my bag, I felt a small buzz. I knew it was the teddy bear, as Gabriel and Victor worked together on it to give it a sensor they could trigger with their phones.

Basically, it was a way for them to let me know they were here for me. It vibrated whenever one of them triggered the button on their phones.

I made my legs move across the porch until my hand could reach the front door. Then I was opening it and stepping inside. When it fell shut behind me, it felt like I'd sealed my doom. But Marie was at school, Dad was at work, and Mom was asleep.

The house was deceptively silent.

I ran up to my room, hyper aware of the cameras and mics that bugged the entire house. In my room, I dropped the backpack on the bed and fished out the cellphone, bringing it over to my bookcase and tucking it between some books on the bottom shelf. They'd never notice it, I was sure.

Then I put the bear under the covers, near the pillows of my bed. Next, I unloaded my new clothes and put them into the dresser. Then I was unpacked, and I'd never felt worse. Dad would be home in a few hours, but I knew Marie would be here even sooner.

I wondered if the boys were watching the cameras. I looked over at one of the hall cameras and squinted at it as if there would be a blinking light or something to indicate their activity. But I knew better. I could barely see the camera, and there were no activity lights on it.

By the time the front door slammed shut, shaking the house, I had settled my nerves enough to restart an old book while laying on my bed. I closed the book, letting it fall to the floor as I sat up and listened hard.

Marie went to the kitchen first. I knew because I could hear the microwave beeping a few minutes later. Then her footsteps started up the stairs, and I made myself act quickly as I rolled off of my bed and onto the floor. I ran over to my bedroom door and stood just outside of it as I waited for Marie to finish ascending the stairs.

She made it two steps away from the stairs before noticing that someone else was upstairs with her. She blinked, a plate it one hand and her backpack in the other.

"Sang," her voice sounded disbelieving, but then it was gone, and anger replaced surprised, "the fuck are you doing back here?"

I ignored her words and crossed my arms. I was unsure what to say to her exactly, but I remembered what Gabriel had been saying right before I left. She needed to know that I wasn't something she could run over.

"I live here, I guess."

Marie laughed, "Dad's going to kill you, you know? He lied to Mom about where you were. I know you were with those idiots who wear those suits to school. They were all gone today."

I blinked. Maire went to school with the guys? Why did they wear what looked like uniforms if she didn't? But those weren't important thoughts, and I tried to sort through all of them to figure out what was important.

"Dad lies about a lot of things," I settled on.

Another scoff from her, "No shit."

This made me pause, apparently longer than Marie had the patience to deal with.

"Look, you're a dumbass for even coming back. But I don't give a shit. Stay out of my way and I won't have to teach you a fucking lesson on the concept. Get it?"

I couldn't help my words, "as I recall, I knocked you out. Not the other way around."

Marie's eyes flashed dangerously, "don't test me, little sis. I'll rip your doe eyes out and serve them to Mom on a platter. We both know nothing would make her happier."

I swallowed back, taking a step away from her as she'd gotten in my face during her speech. She took it as submission and smirked at me, shoulder checking me as she made her way past to her room. She slammed the door loudly.

I took a steadying breath. If it had gone that horrible with Marie, how would it be with father? I was still waiting on Mr. Blackbourne to tell me why it was so important that I remain unknown to the world. Why my father would allow the power shift to me on that idea alone.

I decided that I needed to know for myself, too. Under my parents' bed, I knew Mom kept important paperwork and other things she didn't want to lose in totes and shoe boxes. I didn't know how she organized them, but it was worth trying to find out.

The guys weren't the only ones who could take risks.

My mother was snoring when I approached her door. She'd had to have been deeply asleep to have not been bothered by Marie's slamming doors. I was careful as I opened the door. It squeaked once and then was silent the rest of the way.

Mom didn't stir.

I got down on all fours and crawled slowly across the carpet. Under her bed was a mess. Some of the shoe boxes still had shoes in them, shoes that looked as if they'd never been worn before. I had to be quick, I knew. Dad would be home soon.

I was nearly ready to give up when I noticed an older looking shoe box. Nothing was special about it, other than the small bit of scotch tape with an S in black sharpie. I grabbed out the box, and only then did I realize Mom's snoring had subsided.

I poked my head up. She was still asleep, but just barely. Her meds had worn off, I knew. Dad would be coming home any second. I needed to get out of here. But the S box was too good of a find, so while returning the rest of the boxes, I kept that one out.

I made it safely out of my parents' room and had enough time to stash the S box in the small attic space in the back of the closet. While I got the door back in place, I could hear the front door closing downstairs.

Marie hadn't come out of her room yet.

I took a shaky breath before making my way down the stairs with silent steps. I used the places Luke had walked the other night, making my descent without being noticed. Then I saw him, dropping a brief case on the ground and undoing his tie while he muttered about something I couldn't make out.

Show time.