Let Go

42: Parties

Harken:

“Demetri,” Dad called out to his head of security, who stood tall a good distance from us. Though, not far enough for him not to hear his name being called. “Bring me the guns,”

Demetri nodded and brought forth dad's guns.

We were standing outside behind the Manor’s eastside, where dad had a makeshift shooting range. It wasn’t too spacious, but it served its purpose. It made me uneasy seeing a gun in Scarlet's hands.

Scarlet alone worried me. Scarlet wielding a gun worried me more.

Dad spared no time and started teaching us the basics. How to load up a gun. How to reload, aim, and shoot.

“But remember, these targets are still. If push comes to shove and you have to shoot, you won’t be shooting at someone who’s standing and waiting for you to shoot them,”

I felt the weight of the gun in my hand. Was I going to shoot someone? Kill someone? Was I ready to kill for Aiden? Take an innocent soul? Were they even innocent?

Was I innocent?

Dad’s hand squeezed my shoulder. “Can we talk?” He asked warily. I didn’t want to talk to him. I didn’t want closure with dad. I didn’t feel the need to do it. But I said yes, anyway.

We walked shoulder to shoulder away from everyone. “I know that you probably hate me for it. Switching you and Scarlet at birth,”

“You’re right. I do,” I didn’t have any space for lies or sympathy.

“I don’t have anything to say that could make up for it except that I did it to save Scarlet,”

“But what about me, huh? Who saves me?” I yelled. His words did nothing but confirm my distaste to this family.

“You’re here right now, aren’t you?”

“No thanks to you,”

“Exactly. You didn’t need me, but she did,”

“It’s whatever,” I crossed my arms as a chill passed through us. I was still wearing my hospital garments.

“What I want to tell you is that I’m here for you now and always. We’ll get you Thomas back. We’ll get you Aiden back, and I promise you I’ll hang Blake by his balls,”

I smiled a little at the reassurance. I needed it.

I was finally free of everything. I was free of drugs. Free of mental facilities. Free of alcohol. I could go anywhere I wanted. Yet Aiden wasn’t within my reach, and that was life’s irony.

We spread out. Dad told us to go rest as he developed a plan with his team. Scarlet and I didn’t have anything much to do. I had a room at the Manor, which I headed to for a change of clothes and a warm shower.

When I emerged out of my room, it was around one a.m. I went outside for a smoke. I found some cigarettes in a bowl in the kitchen. I found dad and Raiden outside as well. They were talking. Scarlet was standing a few meters away from them, too.

I approached them. “I’m guessing no one sleeps in this family,”

“My husband, son, and twin are kidnapped,” Raiden said, and it dawned on me that it was him who must be hurting the most. “You can’t expect me to sleep not knowing their whereabouts,”

I’d known Blake the most when we were kids, and if there was a word to describe him it was vengeful. Blake was so used to having things his way. Thomas took Raiden away from him. He saved Raiden from Blake’s hands that cursed night and took him under his wing. Then Raiden shot Blake in the arm and got him imprisoned for many years. And now that he’s out, he wanted revenge.

So, he was exacting revenge on everyone around Raiden. He was eliminating every piece to reach the king. He wanted to get rid of us, one by one.

We all betrayed him in a way.

Thomas took Raiden.

I took Aiden.

Scarlet took our side.

He wanted us to suffer, and he was watching us do so from the shadows.

“What do we do now?” I asked.

“There’s only one reasonable thing to do in a situation like this,” Dad smiled mischievously, “we throw a party.”

A/N: around 10 chapters left of let go but trust me they're good.

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