Ransom

Chapter Seventeen-How could I possibly leave them?

I woke up to the the sound of deep and low mummers, coming from the bed beside me.

I cracked an eye open as my vision rested upon Shawn and Cole who were directing worried looks towards me.

Cole had an ice pack to his head, the after math of last night's drink's. While Shawn sat with his eyes slightly red but looking better than he had looked the night before.

I sat up as I stared at them both, with a shrug.

They nodded before getting up and taking both side of me on the bed.

"It's about time we told you the truth." Shawn began, glancing at me through his light hair.

I nodded slowly glancing back at Cole who remained silent as he stared at the carpet.

Shawn hesitated before beginning.

"Cole and I grew up together, living right next door actually. And even though I am two years older than him, I never bothered him about it." Shawn began.

"I lived with my mother, whilst Cole lived with both his parents, I didn't mind at first, but I soon started to get jealous. I completely ignored Cole at times because I couldn't understand why he had a loving father who took him fishing every week and bought him presents while I didn't." Shawn continued, glancing at Cole from time to time.

"When Cole was eleven and I was thirteen."

"Our parents died. The whole town saw it as a coincidence that our parents died at the same time. This tore Cole up, as he had been very close to his father."

"But the truth is they did, Cole's parents had gotten into a car accident, while my mother had drunk herself silly because of all the worries and responsibilities she had."

"Cole's uncle Devon decided to take Cole in as his guardian, which left me alone in a social home with foster parents I loathed."

"I begged and pleaded to be allowed live with Cole, and after my fifteenth birthday they had finally given in to my whining and constant bad behavior." Shawn chuckled keeping his eyes glued to mine.

I nodded slowly wiling him to continue.

"I wish I could say that we lived happily ever after from then on, but that would be lying." Shawn added.

"Devon wasn't a bad person, he treated Cole and I like he would treat his sons. Cole and I both knew that Devon was into shady business, drugs and the whole deal, but we decided to live our lives like we hadn't noticed."

"We attended public school for a while, but soon dropped out as we were too far behind to grasp even the easiest of the easiest. I looked up to Devon and saw what he did as heroic and brave as he had grown up just like me, with no father."

"We  worked well together, Devon and I. And often times Devon would praise me, but Cole would never want to get involved." He chuckled again raising his eyes to Cole who continued to stare at the floor.

"Good old Cole over here had always just stuck to dancing, all around dancing." I glanced at Cole, who's cheeks where tainted slightly.

"But off course Devon had gotten in some more trouble down the line, which meant we had to move again. But this time he wanted a permanent move but we didn't have enough cash to do so. I decided to help out by competing in a few street fights. Which brought in some money."

I nodded remembering the scar I had seen over his brow the second time we met.

"Cole didn't approve off course which led to constant fights between himself and his uncle Devon."

"In one of their heated up arguments, Devon had hit Cole hard across his head, causing him to lose cautiousness for a while. I begged that we take him to the hospital, but Devon had refused, not because he didn't love Cole, but because he didn't want them putting his nephew in a home."

"Cole being strong headed, literally, woke up eventually. That was when Devon decided that we needed a new beginning, he wanted the best for us."

"We had heard about your wealthy father and decided, well it was my idea, I have to admit, to kidnap you and hold your ransom."

I frowned but continued listening.

"Cole off course insisted we don't, but soon gave in after I continued to come home bruised up from vicious street fights."

"We were still thinking up ways to lure you to us. But luckily you and your friend showed up at the woods making it easier for us to get you."

"We weren't going to hurt you, we just needed the money." Shawn insisted.

I nodded. I believed them.

"I never understood why Devon wouldn't hold you for ransom immediately so that we could get the money and leave, neither did Cole. But later on I found out that he had been waiting for your family to hold a funeral for you."

I nodded not quiet understanding.

"He thought that your parents would offer him more money if he held you ransom during their days of grieving." Shawn finally said avoiding eye contact.

I felt tears blind my vision as I looked at Shawn.

"The country side was our final move before the next one to a new start soon. When you and Cole had gone to the party, I had stayed home waiting for Devon, a strong feeling was telling me to stay home till he arrived. So I did that, only to get a text later on from Devon himself telling me to take the two of you away somewhere safe, because Devon had gotten into trouble and wouldn't be coming back ever."

"I had laughed, until a picture of Devon's body with a single bullet through his head sent by one of the killers had caught me off guard. Devon would never be coming back." Shawn finished.

Both boys remained silent at my side as we let the story sink in. Cole without a word rested his head against my shoulder as Shawn placed both his hands in his head again.

I looked at both boys in turn, Cole who was only seventeen, and nineteen year old Shawn.

How could I possibly leave them...

•••
So we are near the end of this story and well I hope you've all enjoyed it.

Please leave me a comment or two, and don't forget to vote, thank you...

Angel x