𝐁𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄

26

"I'll be watching her very carefully, Father. No...yes, different than last time...okay....alright. Bye," Ali hangs up his call and eyes the five bags around my feet as my driver rushes to put them all in the trunk and jog back.

"I don't wanna be late," I tell him.

"You won't be," he states simply.

Did that mean the mansion was somewhere near an airport? My brain was working on overtime.

"If you let me help put up my bags, then things could go by more quickly," I added.

"You're a lady. I won't watch you lug around baggage, Courtlynn," Ali frowned.

"Almost gone?" Amina asked, walking down the hall in pajamas. Ali frowned at her attire. I guess I was starting to rub off on her. Crossing her arms over the satin set, she gestured to the black SUV we'd be riding in. "I wish I could come."

"Father wants you safe," Ali reminded her, almost robotically. Amina only scowled, "But you get to go. The one that our family name relies on. The one who will take over one day." Marching away, she heads to the dining room.

"Bye, Amina!" I call out. Maybe she was rubbing off on me too. I think I enjoyed her company slightly more than I did Ali's.

Once my bags were in, Ali and I settled into the backseat and the driver began his journey, rolling up the divider.

As soon as we had an ounce of privacy, I turned to look at my step brother. "I think Fa- Dad's going to still send men to watch over the trip. I don't see him just trusting you with the responsibility to watch me after what happened the last time."

Ali only grunted, clearly having thought of that possibility as well.

"Be more easy on you anyways, I guess," I shrugged.

I was in for a long ride of awkward silence. At least Amina managed to fill it.

"Maybe I had something I would like to do up there without Father's knowledge as well," Ali mumbled quietly.

My head snapped his way, but I calmed myself. "I never said I had anything that I wanted to do outside of his permission."

He shot me a condescending look, "I'm not dumb, Courtlynn. I know that you're doing something behind Father's back. Just don't know what it is yet. It seems to be in your nature to be submersed in trouble. I'm sure whatever you and Dieson talk about his office is apart of whatever plans you might have. That's why I took all the bugs out of the room."

"W-W-

I looked away from him, not knowing what else to say.

"A 'your welcome' would be nice," he shrugged.

"Your welcome."

He sighed very heavily.

"But why?"

"Don't want to see either of my little sisters in trouble," he admitted, "I don't wanna see you punished either," he glanced over at me, his eyes hollowed of emotion.

"How can you think that he's a good man, Ali?" I ask.

"I don't. But he has to be. Or else the things that I do for him wouldn't make much sense to me," he states.

"Feeding delusion only makes it worse," I say, a small part of me panging. I missed school. My classes, the Psych work.

"If you promise to not do anything crazy, maybe you and Dieson can have more alone time."