Strong For Too Long Trilogy ✔️

24. Blood Is Thicker Than Water

CHAPTER 24: Blood Is Thicker Than Water

An engagement party planner sits on the couch when Aaron and I finally step out of the room and take a seat with the others on the couch too, Harrison smiling with her as he hands her a cup of tea, "Ah, there's our couple." The planner says, smiling wide as she stands up, her velvet red curls are curled to one side while she stands and reaches over to shake my hand.

"It's an honour to be a part of this transition, Ms Crane, Mr Westlake. My name is Annette Laurence, I'm happy to begin talking of engagement party location as well as the enticing ceremony." She says, smiling wide while Aaron slides an arm around my back, rubbing my side warmly as we both take a seat on the flat seats. Reynolds and Samsara sit together next to Madison and Branson. Tobias and Thirteen in the solo seat and Harrison closest to the wedding planner, it seems.

"Thank you, Ms Laurence. We appreciate all your hard work." Aaron says politely.

I study the woman, "May I ask you a few questions before we get into planning?" I ask her, leaning forward, fingers intertwined.

"Of course." She says, smiling at me, waiting.

Everyone's quiet.

"Where were you born?" I ask her, softly.

Her smile doesn't waver, "Philadelphia, America. My parents and I, we grew up on a farm. She was a florist, my Dad was an intricate farmer. I got into wedding planning when my sister had her wedding, that was my first and I've been employed ever since." She says to me, lowering the tea down, I watch her every move.

"You have a foreign accent. Canadian?" I ask her.

Thirteen leans forward watching me closely.

Annette smiles, "I worked there for a few years, bigger market before I went global. I must still have an accent." She says to me, crossing one leg over the other.

"What made you come to London?" I wonder, leaning back, gliding my hand on Aaron's jean-covered thigh, he runs his fingers along my ribcage over the beige dress I chose to wear.

She smiles, "I came here on holiday, but alas...here we are." She giggles.

I slide out my phone, "Your real name is Lynette Bagel, not Annette Laurence. You were an orphan from the age of two till you were sixteen, where you were trafficked and sold to high bidders. You killed your last bidder with a knife to his heart right after you castrated him and made him feel that pain that you as well, felt. You went to prison for manslaughter and would have stayed there if you were put into the programme, after going missing three years ago and the Continuum hired you merely to observe me, not attack, Candidate Fifty-three." I say to her.

She stares at me.

Thirteen stands with me as Lynette stills.

"Give me one good reason why we shouldn't snap your neck right now?" I ask her. Slowly.

She purses her lips, "Because if I fail this mission, she sends me back and I'm sold, yet again, to the highest bidder. I don't have any comms on me, I swear." She says.

I gesture to Thirteen whilst glaring at Branson, "You. Idiot."

He swallows and looks to Aaron, who pinches the bridge of his brow, "I'm sorry, I saw the number on an ad and I just thought, why not be helpful?" Branson says to him.

Thirteen scoffs, "That's what they do, Bran the man. Send out ads, figure out ways to hack into the system because Eleven's firewalls are obviously un-hackable." She says to him, dryly.

Thirteen holds a silencer to Lynette's head, "Start talking, red." She says to the wedding planner behind me. I move move and shove her back, she flinches as she looks up at me.