Falling For The Mob

59 Smart man

Zoë

A knock is followed by the door opening, and Addy pokes her head inside. It's been light outside for two hours, but I haven't slept a wink. I tried several times, but each time I woke up in a sweat, unable to slow my heart down. 

"Morning, sleepyhead." As chipper as ever, she steps inside, looking much better than she did last night. "How are you feeling?" She takes a seat at the foot of my bed with a concerned smile.

"I think I'm mostly just confused," I chuckle, but I still avoid her gaze.

She nods, her eyes turning to the door briefly. I can tell she's trying to start a difficult conversation. There's still so much I don't know or understand. Last night, I was brought to Uncle Jack's and offered a bed and a warm shower with the promise that all my questions would be answered today.

"Have you spoken to Sam?" she suddenly asks.

My stomach churns at the mention of her name, but I quickly gather myself and sit up straight. "No, I haven't. How is she dealing with everything? It must be hard." I haven't seen her since she led me out of the warehouse. Now that her mother is suddenly back, she must be a mess. My heart aches for her even though I know it shouldn't.

Addy tilts her head to the side, looking puzzled for a brief moment before she smiles sadly.

"I have no idea how she's doing. She'll probably deal with this the same way she does with every emotionally charged situation—avoid it and hope it blows over. But I'm not sure, she isn't speaking to me, she won't look at me, and honestly, I don't blame her."

"What are you two fighting about this time?" I try to lighten the mood in a joking manner. From what I've gathered, Sam and Addy fight like siblings—it's a lot of ignoring each other and passive-aggressive remarks.

There's sadness in her eyes as she bites her lip and takes a deep breath. "The short version is that after we found out you were taken, Sam lost her mind. And I... stabbed her in the neck with a needle, drugging her. She was knocked out for two days before Lawrence brought her out of it just yesterday, right before we came to get you."

I choke on my own saliva as I register her words. "Is drugging people normal in this family?"

She laughs before grabbing my hand and giving it a firm squeeze. "I think you and I need to have a long conversation. But for now, let's try to get something in your stomach that you can hold down."

As we walk into the dining room, Sam's cousins are all seated, along with Addy and Lawrence's parents. Addy once explained that her mother was very close with Annie, they're probably just as curious to find out what happened to her all those years ago.

So am I, for that matter. During the time we were locked up together, we didn't discuss much about her life and the circumstances that led her there. Mostly, she asked about me and my life—I think she did it to distract me.

I take a seat beside Addy, already knowing that I won't be able to keep anything down. I settle for a cup of coffee and a piece of toast while everyone else fills their plates. After everything I've seen, I can't imagine being able to eat anything.

My attention is drawn to Sam's two youngest cousins. "Hey there, slugger, how are you feeling?" I roll my eyes as Michael and Derek snicker. It's been almost half a year since I punched Sam, but apparently, that's still the only name Lawrence and his brothers use when referring to me. One thing I've learned is how these two are incapable of taking anything seriously—at least now I understand why physical violence is a big joke to them.

Lawrence and Addy's parents are discussing politics, while Michael and Derek talk about video games. Lawrence is feeding the baby small spoons of applesauce.