Belladonna

8.5 ] Change Of Plans

••●••

SASHA JUST GOT off the phone with Elliot. They're alive. They're fine. They had no idea the cameras weren't working - but they're going through with it anyway. They have faith despite it. Of course Sasha is worried. But I don't think we should pull out now. Not with one of our last opportunities presented. 

"Call Margeux." I sigh and put my own phone down, "Tell her to come back - tell Heather and Keagen she couldn't help with technical stuff anyway."

"Right." Sasha nods, dialing a number on her phone again. She memorieses phone numbers. She's been doing that since The Victors. I think she thinks it's a good skill to have. That if you're out alone without your own phone - you'll want to know exactly who to call. 

I listen as the phone rings and rings and eventually rings out. Sasha curses and dials it again. I have a weird feeling in my stomach because of it, one deep and twisted and solid in my gut. It's an odd happening. Not a concerning one...just odd. 

"Not picking up." Sasha sighs, "Maybe they're just freaking out because of the cameras."

"Wouldn't put it past Keagen." I scoff. 

"Yeah." Sasha smiles fondly before coming over to the couch I was sitting on before. The Rubik's Cube I was giving a go sits solved on one of the cushions, and Sasha makes a comment about it as she sits down. I don't really listen though. I'm thinking. Trying to think like Margeux. In the moment, not calculative, just with pure adrenaline and...well Margeux-Infused-Chaos. 

"I'm sorry by the way." Sasha finally brings me back in.

"What?"

"About...your mom. And Jeremiah, and your brother." She shuffles in her seating position. 

"You don't have to be." I shrug, "My parents aren't the best people on Earth. My dad is dead, my mum is probably married into a new family or a druggie and my brother..." 

Sasha shifts again, "Your brother what?"

"Huh."

"Reign?"

"I never told you guys I had a brother." I tilt my head and lean back. Let her do the talking. She's the one that'll need to say something. 

"You-" She stutters before clearing her throat, "You mentioned it."

"Didn't."

"I'm sure you did." She chuckles.

"I said others. No brother." I raise a brow. 

"You..."

"What do you know?" I ask. Calm. Always calm. Sasha knows I'm frustrated, I get frustrated, but she knows I rarely get visibly angry. So calm. Calm can still be angry for me, in her eyes. 

"Elliot and I found some stuff when we were researching your father." She whispers, almost sounding ashamed.

"Yeah?" I urge her. I don't have time to tell her she doesn't need to be upset. I don't blame her. I don't feel betrayed. I just want to know. 

"He had things on your family," She swallows, "I mean everything. What happened to your brother, where your mum went - how your dad died. He has everything."

"Where's my mother?" I ask first. The others are the ones I want to know the least. But my heart is beating so fast right now and I don't know if I can manage with a response - so I ask the easy one first. The one I don't really care about. 

"Texas."

"Alive?"

"Family. Two kids, one husband." I get what she's doing. She's trying to be discreet. She thinks details will hurt me. I don't have enough energy to explain to her the only person in my family I've ever loved is my brother and I could not care less where my mother is or what she's done. Sure. The absence of a maternal figure has probably fucked with me in more ways than one - but it's too late for one now. And I think I've gotten by just fine. I mean I've killed people - but hey, I'm pretty smart. 

"She happy?" I ask. 

Sasha nods. 

"Good." I sit back, "My dad used to hit us. Hope her one doesn't hit hers."

Sasha's eyes spark with something both furious and depressing, but she knows not to make a comment. She nods slowly before speaking up again, "Your dad was killed by...well, it's not clear. But he was murdered. It's a cold case now." 

Mum checked off. Dad checked off. Now the most important one left.

"And your brother-"

My phone starts ringing. Immediately Sasha and I are on it. I grab my phone, stand up, answer it, and hold it to my ear. 

"Keagen-"

"Reign." The last voice I would expect to interrupt me, does.

I swallow. I don't make a noise.

"I have your pet with me right now - she's rather violent. But I guess we already knew that." Hayes laughs. 

My grip on the phone tightens. 

"I expect you to hand yourself in by the next hour. If you don't, I kill her. Very simple rules, I'm sure you can follow them. If you bring anyone other than yourself, I will kill her as well. Does that sound fair?" He's waiting for a response.

I don't even bother entertaining him. I hang up the phone, throw it onto the couch. 

Sasha is standing behind me, probably confused - definitely concerned. 

So. The plan has changed. And I don't give a shit about the organisation anymore, or Dexter Brown, or literally anyone else. But there's a little bit of humanity left in me, and so I'll hand that over to Sasha.

"Sasha." I say calmly, "You have ten minutes to call Elliot and tell him to get everyone that matters out of that building. If they're not, they'll get in my way."

I'll kill them.

"Reign-"

"He has Margeux." Is all I have to say before I'm checking the ammunition in the guns Antonio keeps in his office, gearing up, and heading back phone. 

It is oddly fitting, that I'll be the one to kill my father.

But it's also not surprising. 

••●••

Reign (spoiler: he's not going to be this):

- Juana.