I'm Not Broken - TH

•20•

This can't be right.. David has been dead for five years. Someone must be using his name, pretending to be him. I know it's not really David.. it couldn't be him.
Tom and Haz both watch quietly as I pace the room, trying to come up with some reasonable explanation for this. There has to be one.
"Did you see his body?" Haz asks.
"Dude, not cool." Tom mutters.
"I'm just saying! If you didn't see the body.. how do you know if he's dead?" Haz questions.
I stop in my tracks, turning to the boys. He made a good point..
"My dad told us that the cops said he was practically roadkill. There wasn't a body to salvage." I say.
Both of them get wide eyed, coming to the realization that maybe, just maybe, my brother could be alive. He could be out there, living, and looking for me.
"I have to find him." I say.
"I don't think it's possible." Tom shakes his head. "We have no way to trace him."
"Well.. we have one way." I state.
Tom catches on, instantly shaking his head frantically.
"No. Absolutely not. You're not going to expose yourself." He says.
"It's the only way to know Tom!" I exclaim.
"Chloe you're not thinking straight. Your dad could very well be experiencing an extreme psychotic break right now and the last thing you need is him finding you and attacking you." He says firmly.
Haz stands up, pulling out his phone, typing in a number.
"I'm gonna call the police station, and I'm going to tell them I have information that has to go directly to David and that I won't speak with anyone but him." He says.
"Mate you could get in trouble for that." Tom says.
"Better than Chloes dad finding her isn't it? It'll be fine, and even if it's not, you've broken me out of jail before." He shrugs, putting the phone to his ear and walking out.
"Haz has been to jail?!" I whisper yell.
"Only once." He answers.
"Jesus Christ what have I gotten myself into." I mutter.
"Hey, you're the one with the brother coming back from the dead." He jokes and I feel so bad for laughing. We are terrible people.
"I'm not getting my hopes up.. it's probably just someone using his name." I sigh.
"Imagine if it is him though.. you'll have your brother back." He encourages, and a small smile creeps on my face.
I'd give anything to see David one more time. He was my best friend growing up. The day he died? It was easily the worst day of my life. I loved him so much and I thought I would have him around forever. Until I didn't.
"No matter what happens, we've got this." Tom assures me.
I might just get my brother back...
_____
Haz left to go meet up with some connections that could help him contact my brother, or whoever is using his name. Tom left for his office about an hour ago to get some work done, and I've just been sitting here all alone, bored as hell.
Tom made a point to tell me that even knowing what he does now, I shouldn't be going over to the other side of the building by myself. That's not all that fair though because he lets the guy who literally shot him over there. Besides, it's boring sitting here alone.
I debate with myself of whether or not I want to break the rules and possibly get Tom mad at me, but honestly? Mad Tom is kind of fun. He doesn't get mad at me often, but when he does it's pretty funny.
So being the annoying, immature, bratty person I am, I walk straight through the doors, and down the hallway to the center of the house. As I explore the much larger rooms and hallways, I reach what seems to be a bar area, men in suits sitting around drinking beers and chatting, while some are looking at files and obviously plotting. This looks to be straight out of a movie. They truly do fit their stereotype.
My eyes connect with Ben, who is the only guy I know in this room. He excuses himself from the table where they're playing cards, and walks over to me.
"You'd be in deep trouble if the boss saw you in here." He warns.
"Please Tom couldn't be mad at me even if he tried." I roll my eyes.
More men around the room start to take notice of my presence, and normally I'd feel intimidated and terrified to be in a situation like this, but there's some kind of high that comes from knowing that not a single person in this room will touch me because if they do, Tom will beat their ass.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't condone violence, and I don't love that my best friend turned out to be a mafia boss, but gotta make the best of what you have right? And for me that's finally knowing that I don't have to live my life fearing men because the most powerful man in this little world I'm living in is, and always will be on my side.
"I'll let you stay if you put in a good word for me." He says.
"You'll let me stay?" I laugh. "I don't need your permission. You don't own me."
Ben's eyes look past me, and he's quick to turn around and walk away. I feel two hands rest on my hips, pulling me back slightly.
"No need to get an attitude with my employees, love." Tom mumbles in my ear.
I can feel peoples attitudes change very quickly with Tom being in the room, yet the act like they don't even notice he's here.
"You know you're not suppose to be over here." He says.
"Yeah I know." I nod.
"So why are you?" He questions.
"Because I'm bored and going crazy and everyone's over here having fun." I frown.
He lets out a light laugh, shaking his head.
"Believe me darling, they're having no fun." He says. "Come on, let's go do something fun."
"Ugh finally." I say, and he laughs, pulling me out of the room.
He opens a door that leads to another huge part of the house, and my mouth drops in shock.
"How?!" I exclaim.
"Perks of being rich I guess." He shrugs like it's nothing.
"You're spoiled." I mutter.
"Spoiled huh? Well let me just..." he trails off, pulling out his phone. I watch as he puts it to his ear, and looks to me with a smirk.
"Yeah hi Jeanette, I need you to order a few Balenciaga bags, hoodies, whatever you think Chloe would like. No price limit. Thank you."
He hangs up the phone, a proud smile displayed on his face.
"Now you're spoiled too." He says.
"You are ridiculous but thank you." I giggle.
"If I get a smile like that every time I spend money on you I'm gonna go broke." He teases.
He continues to lead me into a dark room, and when the lights flick on I realize just how huge it really is. Different kinds of guns line the wall to my left, and there's places to shoot to my right.
"Absolutely not." I say.
"C'mon, it's fun!" He encourages.
"Thomas I am not going to participate in your violent activities." I state sternly and he laughs.
If Tom thinks I'm gonna shoot his guns, he's crazy. I've never shot a gun, and I don't plan on it. Maybe watching him shoot a couple times wouldn't hurt though.