Chapter 13 - Trigger

19.8K 491 149
                                    

"What the fuck is that?" Her defiant words masked her fear. 

Exactly seven days after someone said those word's to Addie, she was now saying it to someone else.

Elijah ever so slightly turned around to face her, she could easily see the panic fresh in his unbridled eyes. 

She was weighed down by dread that twisted deep within her gut. He didn't use that thing right? It was fake. Her brother didn't hurt people. 

Right?

Thomas and Riley noticed what she was looking at.

Harlan and Joseph had entered the hall the second the word's came out of her mouth. Any reprimand was forgotten when they saw what she was looking at. The way Elijah looked uneasy and panicked. 

Addie's head spun, how where they not shocked. Terror thundered down on her as she allowed each imaginary bullet hit her in her mind. 

It wasn't the first time she had seen one. She had had guns and knives pointed at her head. From bad men. 

Not her brother.

To see her brother holding a weapon of such mass destruction sickened her. Her sweet, silly big brother. Why did he have one. 

What was a gun doing at Elijah's waist. 

What was a gun doing near her charming brother. They lied, all of them. They said she was safe, no-one was safe with a gun. 

"Addie." A hand reached out to touch her but she lurched back. She could see the hand's were cold and clammy. Nervous. 

"Don't touch me." She bit, not caring about the hurt that swam across his feature's or the tense in his shoulder's. 

"It's just a toy. A stupid toy. Elijah shouldn't have it." Slowly Harlan reached around his brother, grasping the gun. 

He pulled it out. And pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. 

"See it's a stupid children's toy. Your brother shouldn't even have it."  

Elijah rested a hand on her arm. 

"I would never hurt you sweetheart. Ever" Elijah said as Addie stiffened under his touch. She didn't flinch. 

She watched as he ever so slowly drew her to him. Her eyes didn't close like they would have normally done. Her arm's didn't wrap around him, but stayed stuff. Her nose didn't reach out for his familiar and comforting scent. 

Her eye's were wide and shoulder's stiff as Elijah gently released her. She was silent as Harry guided her to the living room in silence.

Something was being kept from her.  

Guard's, watch post's, CCTV everywhere. 

Bodyguard's, forbidden area's, gun's. 

Addie had sensed something before, but it was now that her suspicions were confirmed. Why would Elijah have a gun and why would Harlan lie about it. 

She wasn't stupid. 

She heard Harlan switch the safety on.

She was aware of the slight clunk it made as the trigger was pulled on safety. 

He lied to her. 

It was real.


*******


Something was not right. They were definitely keeping things from her, and Addie and desperate to determine what. 

kindredWhere stories live. Discover now