Off-limits

Chapter 13

"Kayla."

"Kayla please wake up."

"J-Justin? Is that you?" I whispered as I pried my puffy red eyes open.

"Kayla thank god you're okay. How are you feeling? I came home as soon as I heard." I could see the worry etched into his face as he spoke.

"I'm fine Justin, I thought you worked until ten tonight?" I questioned looking into his big green eyes.

"I was, but you're more important than some stupid assassin." he brushed off my question before starting to ramble off about how he was going to kill whoever did this to me.

"What the hell are you talking about Justin? Assassin? What assassin?" I looked at him with confusion expecting a good explanation.

His face visibly paled, his eyes glazing over as he gazed at my face. He quickly snapped out of his trance before forcing a quick chuckle to escape his lips.

"I meant those damn tax collectors, they're like total crazy assassins." he laughed before Ryan came strolling into the room.

"Justin, come help me in the kitchen real quick." Ryan demanded, his face void of all emotion as he turned back into the kitchen and left the door open after him.

"Well, someone's got their panties in a twist." Justin joked as he reluctantly stood up from where he was kneeling next to the couch, following Ryan into the kitchen.

Curiosity flooded through my mind as I struggled to sit up on the couch, taking the blanket that was covering my exposed torso with me as I walked to the kitchen door.

I carefully laid my ear against the wooden door and focused my hearing on the conversation that was going on between them.

"His name is Tyler Owens, age 19, and he lives on 4758 Park Avenue. He doesn't have a criminal record but, that's an easy fix." Ryan recited before there was a long pause.

"Who does he live with? I'll call Brandon and inform him of the supplies we need. The main office won't mind, as long as we forge a few charges for homicidal actions. He'll be gone by the morning. The chief of police will be notified to put up a missing persons report but not to actually search for the body." I could barely recognize Justin's voice, all trace of humor was gone replaced with a dangerous tone.

"He lives with his great Aunt, a woman named Margret Willson. She shouldn't be an issue, she is said to be senile. You should stay with Kayla while I handle this Justin. She'll get suspicious if both of us suddenly have something to do." I clasped my hand to my mouth, biting down on my tongue to stop a gasp from escaping my lips.

What the fuck is going on?!

I heard footsteps coming towards the door and I froze in my place.

"I want it the other way around Ryan. She's my sister and he hurt her, I will see the light leave his eyes myself. You will stay here with Kayla, tell her I had to go back to work, I assume she's already fallen back to sleep."

I quickly snapped out of my trance at the dangerously close footsteps and ran to the couch, ignoring the burning feeling on my stomach. I quickly lied down and shut my eyes, praying that this was all some kind of sick joke.

The kitchen door opened and I heard their steps heading in the direction of where I was.

I felt a light kiss to my forehead, before Justin lightly whispered,

"You're so strong Kay, don't worry he will never hurt you again." I stirred slightly to keep up my act before rolling over so my back was to him.

"I love you Kayla." he stated before I heard him walk away and whisper a few words to Ryan.

The front door opened and closed before Ryan started to walk towards me.

He waited until the sound of Justin's car pulling out of the driveway could be heard before he gently shook my shoulder.

"Kayla wake up, I know you're not asleep."

I rolled over and looked Into his dark eyes.

"How much of that conversation were you able to hear through the door?" He pressed, his eyes piercing through mine.

"Enough." I replied before I stood up from the couch, forgetting my temporary cover and looking down to see I was in only my white lace bra and jeans.

The gashes that Tyler had inflicted were bandaged, but I could tell that they had stitched them together. Scars littered the skin that was still uncovered and I frowned at the sight of the ugly skin.

"Kayla. How long has this been going on? There are scars covering your entire torso." Ryan asked as I turned my back to him, which had also been bandaged and scarred.

"I could ask you the same thing Ryan. How long have you and Justin been lying to me?" I snapped before letting the tears that had collected fall from my eyes.

"Kayla we only kept the truth from you to protect you. You shouldn't have kept this from us, this kid has been abusing you for who knows how long and you never thought it would've be a good idea to tell us?!" He shouted causing more tears to rush down my cheeks.

"Why would I? So you could scold me and tell me how dumb it was to just take the abuse? I deserve this. I deserve all of this." I cried as I slowly stared to lose all sense of dignity that I had left.

"Scold you? Kayla, I would never had done that. None of this is your fault, that kid is messed up. He cut you, he tormented you and you just took it. You didn't deserve any of the things he did to you. Kayla you are a beautiful and kind girl, whatever he said and did to you had no excuse behind it. He was just messed up."

"Ryan, tell me the truth. Is Justin going to kill Tyler." I strongly asked as I turned to face him.

"Kayla I shouldn't be the one to tell-"

"Shut up Ryan. I want -no I need, to know the truth. And I need it right now. Be honest for once In your damn life, is Justin going to kill him?" I refused to back down as I glared at him.

"Yes."

A sob escaped my lips as I registered his reply. Justin. My goofy, clumsy, mess of an older brother, was going to kill someone.

"Has he killed anyone before? Have you taken anyone's life?" I pressed as I looked up to him with tear filled eyes.

"Yes. Kayla there is a lot of things you don't know about Justin and me that I can't be completely honest about but I promise you that anyone we have killed has been with reason. It's our job, our duty to wipe out anyone that we are told to." he calmly stated, his voice even and completely remote, as if he had rehearsed what he was saying.

"Kayla I'm so so sorry, someday you will understand. Unfortunately this is not how you were supposed to find out, but I promise someday I will tell you the truth, and you will be allowed to remember." he informed before pulling a strange looking device out of his back pocket before walking towards me.

"R-ryan w-what is that?" I shakily questioned slowly backing away from his approaching figure.

"I'm so sorry Kayla. Don't worry about all of this, it's all just been a bad dream I promise. I'll be there when you wake up." he grabbed my wrist before pulling me to him and wrapping his arms around me. I cried into his shoulder as he reassuringly rubbed my back over the bandages.

"I'm scared Ryan." I whispered feeling a slight pinch on the back of my neck as I pulled away from his shoulder to look into his dark hooded eyes.

"Shh it's all a bad dream, there's nothing to be afraid of Kayla." he placed a light kiss to my forehead as I started to feel my eyelids getting heavy, begging to close.

"Yeah it's all just.. just a dream." I mumbled believing his words completely. He placed a chaste kiss to my lips as a small tear escaped from the corner of his eye.

"I love you Kayla." He whispered before, for the second time that day darkness overtook my mind.