Redemption ||Bucky Barnes||

26. Jessabelle

I'm not thrilled about this sisterly reunion.

"Now I know I wasn't imagining things," she whispers. "You survived."

"I did, but no thanks to you," I say sourly.

She cringes slightly. "They got to you before we could." She glares at Bucky.

"How did you find us?"

"We've been searching every state," she pants. "We haven't found any of your friends yet. They must've relocated to other countries."

"You can't have enough people to spread out that far."

She chuckles. "I think you forget just how massive we are, Dani."

"Don't call me that."

"I have every right to, you're my sister." She pouts tauntingly. She takes note of my stony expression. "Ah, so you have been told. That's one less thing to deal with, then. Who told you?"

"That's none of your business."

"Wrong. You are my business, Danielle. You're my baby sister, you're Hydra."

"Was," I correct her heatedly. "No more."

She tsks. "What have they done to you, to the both of you?"

This time, Bucky has to keep me at bay. He grabs my arms, preventing me from trying to strike at Jessabelle. I had a feeling I would run into her again someday once I was told about her. I just didn't expect it to be here of all places.

"You seem awfully calm for being in this situation," I state.

"It's because I'm not worried about either of you." She shrugs. "I know you won't let me go, and I'm too valuable to be killed. You'll just house me down here like an animal. Maybe if I'm lucky you'll at least let me use the bathroom when I have to."

"How long have you been in Washington?" Bucky asks, jumping into conversation.

"A while, but we were looking in the wrong places." She sighs dramatically. "By the way, I didn't appreciate the blow to my head."

"Oh, but I enjoyed it." He smiles evilly. I swallow, seeing this dark side to Bucky.

"I bet you did." Jessabelle smiles thinly. "The instinct to kill, to maim, it's still inside you."

"I liked you a lot better when you were unconscious." Bucky grabs the bag, thins it out to make a gag. Jessabelle doesn't fight him, she accepts the gag into her mouth, watching him with fiery blue eyes. He turns to me, gesturing for me to head upstairs. He has to move me himself, I don't take my eyes off my sister. My only living sister. The one I don't want to be near.

Jessabelle and I lose eye contact when I'm halfway up the stairs. Bucky closes the door, flicks off the lights. My heart gallops in my chest, I lean against the hallway. Of all the Hydra agents to search Washington, and Jessabelle happens to be the one to find us.

My head begins to spin, I close my eyes.

"Dani?"

"I'll be okay, Buck," I assure him through shallow breaths. "I've just got to let it take some time."

"Hey." I open my eyes at his contact with my face. "We'll get through this. It had to happen sometime, right?"

"But we're not wardens, Bucky! We don't know the first thing about holding someone hostage!"