There’s a minute or so of silence as we’re walking towards wherever Aiden wants to go, and we’re both supposedly mad with one another. I knew that I hated him. His behavior towards me at least. How it seemed like before meant nothing. Not that it did, but you would think maybe since we’d been so intimate with one another, and we’d shared our bodies in not one – but two fits of passion – that maybe, just maybe… He might be able to treat me like a normal human being.
I wondered what it would be like. To be his girlfriend. I’d never really known Aiden to have a girlfriend, although he’d certainly been around with a few of the girls at a school. But I wondered – what would it be like to be his girlfriend? Had he ever even had one? And if not – maybe he didn’t know how he was supposed to behave.
“What are you doing?” he challenged.
We were stuck waiting at another intersection.
“Huh?” I said, waking up from my thoughts. “What did you say?”
“You were smiling,” he said. “A really … like weird smile.”
“I was not,” I said crossly.
“Yes, you were,” he continued. “I’m just curious what would make you smile at a time like this.”
“I wasn’t smiling. So just drop it – okay?”
“You were thinking about me, weren’t you? Thinking about us?”
The crossing sign turned green. I abruptly continued ahead.
“Just where are we going now, exactly?” I asked. “And why did we leave the bike back there?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“I’m sorry,” I replied sarcastically. “What were we talking about?”
“Us,” he said. “I can see it’s on your mind.”
“Ew. No way. Gross.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” he chuckled. “I must really be inside your head now.”
“Is this your way of getting rid of me?” I shot back. “Because it’s not going to work.”
I walked a few paces before I realized he had stopped.
I turned back and saw him playing about with his phone.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He held up his finger for me to hold on.
I tried to stay still but couldn’t help chewing on my lip.
“Shit,” Aiden muttered.
“What is it?”
Aiden sighed. “Are you sure you can handle it?”
“Yes, I can fucking handle it. What?”
He handed me his phone. On the screen there was a photo of a van with its doors at the back open, revealing a bunch of people lying on the inside, bound and gagged. I could see Lara and both our parents were among the group.
“What the fuck?” I gasped. “Who sent you that?”
“It came with a message,” Aiden explained. “It said if we don’t turn ourselves in, they’re going to kill them.”
CHAPTER SIX
Aiden reached into his jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He calmly selected one, plucked it out and proceeded to offer me one from the packet.
“No thanks,” I heard the words come out of me.
He put the pack away and proceeded to like his smoke. We stood still together as he took a few drags.
“What are you…?” I murmured. “What are you doing –?”
“At least they’re still alive,” Aiden said.
“Alive? But for how much longer?”
Aiden nodded and pursed his lips. “As long as they’re alive in this moment, then that’s what we have to focus on.”
“So what are we going to do?”
He looked at me sideways.
“Or … what are you going to do?” I stammered.
Aiden flicked the cigarette away. “The plan hasn’t changed. We’re going to the research facility.”
“What about them? What happens if we –?”
Aiden shook his head and put his hands in his pockets. “There isn’t anything we can do.”
“And why is that exactly?”
“If we allow them to capture us, they’ll kill us, kill them, and then no one will get through this.”
“Oh and you just know this for a fact.”
“It makes logical sense, doesn’t it?”
“Uh… Uh…”
“Uh… Uh-huh. Sinking in yet?” he rolled his eyes. “Come on let’s get out of here.”
He started walking again.
“Where the hell are we going?” I demanded. “We’ve been walking around here forever.”
“There’s a taxi bay up the road. If you want to go somewhere else we can arrange that.”
“And why did we abandon the motorcycle? Seems like it would have been much easier if we kept on going with it.”
“I don’t trust vehicles that belong to my enemies,” Aiden said. “You ever heard of a tracking device?”
“Tracking device? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“There’d be cops anyway looking for the vehicle most likely. It wasn’t safe to drive around. Now, if you’re done with all the questions, maybe we can just have a little peace and quiet for two seconds.”
I fell silent. There was still a lot to say. A lot of questions to ask and answers to be given.
But he wasn’t working with me. He was just going off on his own and doing his thing, and I could be a part of it, or I could go my own way.
I didn’t know what to do.
And the worst part about it, was that my family was counting on me.
Or should I say our family.
Counting on us.
“What?” Aiden said seething through his teeth. “What now?”
He’d spotted the tears in my eyes. Saw I was on the verge of breaking down. And I wasn’t even trying to use it as a tactic to get through to him, but…
“Bianca,” he whispered as I fell into his arms.
“Do the right thing,” I said between breaths. “Tell me it’s all going to be okay.”
“I’m sorry,” Aiden replied. “That isn’t the right thing.”
I touched his cheek.
He touched mine.
“Do it,” I said. “Don’t joke around. They need us now.”
There was a buzzing coming from Aiden’s pocket. I knew it wasn’t the cigarettes.
Still holding me, he took out his phone and looked at the number.
“Who is it?” I asked.
Aiden swallowed. “It’s them.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Aiden slowly unhanded me and raised the phone to his ear. He stared at me for a brief moment and then turned away.
“Hello…?” he muttered.
My fingers scratched underneath my wrists.
“I can’t say … Yes … Yes … Where are you…? Just tell me where you are and I’ll come to you… Yes… I will… Uh-huh… No, I’ll talk to her… Right… Okay…”
He hung up.
“Well?” I demanded.
He handed me the phone. “They’re calling back.”
“What? Why?”
“They want to talk to you.”
“Okay…” I looked down at the phone. “When are they calling?”
Aiden shrugged. “Soon.”
“What did they say to you?”
“I know where they are. They … just asked us to come in.”
“And why do they want to talk to me?”
“Probably want to make sure you’re coming too.”
“But…” I shook my head. “What should I tell them?”
“Whatever you like.” Aiden turned his back to me.
I stared down at the phone. “Why didn’t they just talk to me when you were talking to them?”
“I don’t know,” Aiden sighed. “They just said they’d call back.”
And he was getting frustrated with me. I suppose I should be grateful he didn’t tell them to go fuck themselves.
I turned and looked down the other end of the road. Cars were still passing along. Their headlights poured out in front of them.
So many other people.
Just walking along the footpath. Living their lives. Oblivious to the tragedies of tonight.
I could hear music coming from somewhere. I could hear laughter.
It was almost as though I could be back there at the wedding. All I had to do was lie to myself. Close my eyes. And a part of me would be there…
Buzz-buzz. Buzz-buzz.
I flipped open the phone and put it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Hello?” a woman’s voice responded. “This is Bianca Phillips?”
“Speaking.”
“It’s so good to finally talk with you. Aiden’s already told me a lot about you.”
“He did? When?”
“That’s not important,” the woman said quickly. “The most important thing is that you answer my questions to the best of your ability. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now, are you and Aiden planning on coming to see us now?”
“We’re at a taxi bay,” I said. “So we’re just figuring it out.”
“Let me guess. He doesn’t want to come in. He thinks we’ll kill your family anyway.”
I turned back to Aiden.
He’d already moved away to talk with one of the taxi drivers. He may not have even been aware that I was on the phone.
“Uh. I don’t really know,” I said. “We haven’t discussed it.”
“But I just gave you a chance to discuss it. What did he say to you when I got off the phone with him?”
“Not much.”
“Not much…” the woman trailed off.
I waited for her response. “Hello?”
Still nothing.
After a moment there was some rustling in the background. I pressed my ear into the receiver.
“What’s going on?” I whispered.
Suddenly – screaming.
I recognized the voice.
It was Lara.
“Stop it!” I shouted. “Don’t do that to her!”
More rustling on the phone line. Footsteps.
“Hello?” I tried again.
“If you don’t want your family to be hurt then you will answer my questions truthfully and in full,” the woman scolded.
“What did you do to her? Why was she screaming?”
“There are … certain devices I have at my disposal here. Have you ever heard of shock therapy?”
“What?” I spluttered. “Just … Just don’t –”
“Now, are you ready to answer my questions?”
There was a tap on my shoulder.
Aiden.
I pulled away from him and continued down the footpath. “Yes, I’ll answer them. But … he’s right here.”
“I don’t care where he is,” the woman said. “Now – are you going to come in to see us?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Then tell me where you are. Exactly.”
I looked back to Aiden.
“What’s she saying to you?” he asked.
I covered the mouthpiece. “She wants to know where we are. She’s torturing –”
Before I could act, Aiden ripped the phone out of my fingers and smashed it on the ground in front of us.
“What?” I cried. “No! You didn’t!”
I stooped over, trying to piece it back together.
Aiden grabbed a hold of my shoulders and pushed me to the ground.
“You think this is a game?” he cried. “You think you can just fuck us for no Goddamn reason?”
“She’s fucking torturing them,” I squealed. “What are we supposed to do if –?”
Aiden’s expression changed. He wasn’t looking at me anymore. “Oh no,” he said.
“Oh no, what?” I mumbled, climbing back to my feet.
He grabbed me again. “What did you tell her?”
“Nothing,” I cried.
“You told her where we are!”
“I didn’t,” I protested.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing,” I stammered. “Just – I mentioned we were at a taxi bay…”
Aiden let go of me. He started backing away. “You fucking fool. Stupid fucking bitch fool.”
My mouth dropped in shock.
Then I heard it. The sound of grinding engines and speeding tires.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw the lights of the motorcycle gang were upon us.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Aiden rushed to the nearest taxi and climbed in slamming the door behind him. I hurried quickly to jump in the backseat, with Aiden already yelling at the driver to put his foot on it.
The driver however, had other ideas. By the time he’d moved the folder in front of him to the back of the car, and indicated to pull out into the road, the bikers had already raced ahead to create a barricade to stop us.
“What are they doing?” the driver asked, trying to make out the road ahead. “I’m not going to get past them.”
More bikers were driving along the side of the footpath towards us, from either direction.
“Fuck!” Aiden shouted.
He kicked open his door just as the biker’s arrived.
I remained where I was, simply crouching to the floor of the car. But it wasn’t going anywhere.
Outside, I could hear Aiden having words with the bikers.
Swear words.
But he was soon silenced. I literally heard his choking scream before the thud on the pavement.
“Aiden,” I whispered.
The backseat door immediately opened soon after. I was scooped up into the heavy chest of one of the bikers. I did my best to fight him off, but even with all my vicious flailing about, I still tripped over my own feet once I’d broken free.
I put my hands up, to shield myself from my oncoming attackers, even though I knew it would be useless.
Aiden was lying on the ground, a few feet away from me, snuffed out. Unconscious.
He was the last thing I saw before the rag came down and pulled me into the darkness.
CHAPTER NINE
Aiden was already awake when my eyes opened. I could tell because I could feel his arms around me, holding me. Other than that, it was pitch black. We were in the trunk of a car that was presently being driven.
After a few more moments of consciousness, I let out a startled cry.
“It’s okay,” Aiden said, running his hands through my hair. “It’s only me here.”
His cheek pressed against mine.
“Where are we?” I asked, even though I doubted he knew more than I.
“I just came out of it,” he said. “They drugged us with chloroform I think.”
“I remember,” I said.
“Are you okay? Can you breathe properly?”
“Yeah. I think so. How long do you think we’ve got in here? Can the air run out?”
“They wouldn’t do that to us,” Aiden said. “I think they still want me alive.”
“What about me?”
He fell silent.
I shuffled out of his embrace, and squinted, trying to make his face out.
“I said, what about me, Aiden?”
“You know I don’t have all the answers,” he said.
“Well, we need to come up with a plan or something,” I insisted. “You have to figure out a way to save us.”
“I’ll try talking to them,” Aiden said. “But I don’t like our chances from here.”
“Aw you prick,” I scolded.
“What?”
“You don’t even give a shit about us, do you?”
“That’s not fair,” Aiden protested. “I’m just being honest with you.”
“Not good enough. You need to figure something out.”
“Alright, alright,” Aiden muttered. “I will.”
Silence.
The seconds passed.
“Are you thinking of something?” I asked.
“I would if you just shut up for half a minute,” he barked back.
The car went over a bump of some kind. On the way back, my b
ody collided with Aiden’s.
“Hello…” he whispered in my ear.
I went to slap him in the face, but instead hit his shoulder.
“What’s that for?” he cried.
“Just stop it,” I said. “I’m freaking pissed at you right now.”
“Pfft. Nuh-uh. I’m pissed at you.”
Without even realizing why I was so angry, I lashed out wildly into the dark at him, punching and kicking and clawing.
“Stop,” he said.
I didn’t. I just kept going.
I didn’t care if it was hurting him or not.
I was the one who was hurting.
“STOP IT,” he growled in an unearthly voice that scared me half to death.
“Aiden?” I said after a moment.
“What?” he replied in his normal voice.
“What the hell was that?”
He paused. Enough time. Enough road. Enough thought passed before he responded.
Enough for me to already know the answer.
“My bear,” Aiden said.
CHAPTER TEN
Eventually the car slowed down, the sound of the tires crunching gravel filling our ears as it swung round searching for a park. Soon enough the trunk lid popped open with three of the bikers standing around pointing their guns at us.
“Get out,” came the order. “Slowly.”
I went first.
As soon as my feet hit the ground I was grabbed by the wrist and pulled into the chest of the nearest biker. He wrapped his hairy arm around my throat as Aiden made his way out of the trunk.
I could see now we’d been in the taxi cab the entire time.
But no sign of the original driver.
“Okay then,” came the next order. “On you go.”
The implication was to walk around the side of the cab and keep going until we reached the towering building in front of us. There were motorcycles lined up in perfect order outside it.
I turned around briefly and started to realize where we were.
Fort Pacific…?
“Eyes ahead,” the man who had previously grabbed me said, nudging me further.
Aiden didn’t look back at me. His vision was solely focused on the building in front.
Stepbrother Bear: The Complete Set Page 8
