Thanks to The Boots

Chapter Twenty-One

"Have a seat, Ms. Johns," Mr. Thomas gestures to a chair next to him. I sit down, but stay alert. I watch Mr. Thomas, but keep my ears open. "How has your last couple weeks been?"

"The weeks spent with your son?"

"Yes, those weeks," he clenches his jaw.

"They've been nice. He cooks me breakfast and let's me sleep in his bed with him," I ramble, remembering he doesn't approve of Ryder and I. Even though we aren't together.

He slams his fist on the desk, I fake a jump and hide a smirk. Pretend you're helpless, I tell myself. "Has he trained you at all?"

"Yes, he's trained me to fight and shoot, I'm afraid I'm not very good at either," I lie.

He nods, taking the information to heart. "What has he told you about the gang?"

"Not much," I pretend to think back through conversations we've had. "The gang is set up in ranks, Helen is below him." I pause to 'think' again, "That's it. What else is there to the gang?"

"Not much," he replies quickly.

I nod, pretending to not notice his speedy response.

"What has he taken you to?"

"The first night we went to this fight thing. Ryan was there. Then we went to this other fight thing, but it wasn't as organized as the other. Finally we went to that party at the park."

"Which gang are you loyal to?"

I pause to think, and I actually think. I have no idea what he wants to hear. So I play it safe and I don't lie, "I'm not loyal to either gang. I was forced into both and told to make a decision. Honestly, I don't want to be a part of either gang. My parents were in a gang, and their kid was stolen from them. People have died, and I don't want to be one of them."

He nods, "Smart. But you do know you will be forced to choose."

"Then I'd choose whichever would keep me safest."

"Are you and my son together?"

"Which one? Because I don't particularly like Ryan," I almost forgot my act, so I throw, "He scares me," in there to remind Mr. Thomas I'm a scared little girl who doesn't know anything.

"Ryder," he says strictly.

"I'm not in love with him," I reply. "We've kissed several times, but he can be mean. Its almost like he has two sides, one I like and the other," I shudder. "But no we are not together. I don't know if I could be with someone who I don't know who they are all the time."

His eyes flare with anger, "You two have kissed?"

"Several times."

"How many is several?" he yells.

"I don't know, I-I don't count," I even throw in a fake stutter.

He takes a couple deep breaths to calm himself. "While you are staying here, you will not be allowed to see my youngest son. Guards, to her room," he waves to one of the guards.

One of them picks me up, and I thrash and flail, trying to get them to put me down. They don't, they carry me up some stairs, down a hallway and into a room. They throw me onto the floor of the room, then close and lock the door behind them as they walk out.

I let out a string of curses, to the guard, Mr. Thomas, and this whole situation. When I tire myself out, I examine the room I'm locked in. It's nicely decorated, I'll give them that. It's filled with many different blue patterns, but in a way that works. At least it is better than the cell I had to stay in when my family kidnapped me. Well, Ethan isn't my family, but my family ordered him to do it. What makes it completely better is there is an actual shower and bathroom, and not just a toilet/sink.

"You settling in?" I jump, frightened by someone else's presence. I turn and see Ryan smirking and leaning against the doorframe.

"No, I don't have anything so I don't have to settle."

"That's one way to think of it."

"So, you're daddy's favorite too?" I ask bluntly, sitting on one of the armchairs in the room.

He joins me, uninvited. "What do you mean?"

"You're your mom's favorite, and it looks like your dad's favorite. Am I right?"

"Yes, I am my mom's favorite. But I'm not my dad's."

"Really? Because I have a strong feeling that Ryder is locked in a room, similar to my situation."

"No, Ryder has complete freedom, he could even leave."

My heart skips a beat, would Ryder leave me here? Does he hate his dad more than he likes me? Who are you kidding, he doesn't like you. He kidnapped you. I accept the fact he probably left.

"It's crazy that he stayed."

My heart leaps, but happily this time. He stayed, even though he hates his father as much as he does his older brother, he stayed!

"The only restriction he has is he's not allowed to go through this hallway."

My heart sinks. It's a wonder how my heart still works with all this commotion. "Why does he hate you so much?" I left my ladylike ways at home, and I have decided to be blunt and not beat around the bush.

"Our mom."

"That can't be it. All that hatred just because your mom loves you more than him?"

"Well, there's more to just that whole love thing. She went to jail for my drugs."

"I knew that too, but that's only a piece of the puzzle?"

"Yeah, I also may have done some things that caused him to hate me."

"Like..."

"Like stealing his romantic interests, blaming him for stuff I did to our parents."

"All siblings do that."

"Yeah, but they blame each other for eating the last cookie, not totaling the Porsche or stealing Mom's diamond jewelry."

My jaw hangs open, "What did your parents do?"

"They kicked him out."

My eyes grow, "And you didn't feel bad at all?"

"Better him than me."

I squint my eyes into a glare, "That's horrible."

"I'm horrible."

"You really felt nothing?"

"Not a thing."

"How do you do that? Not care about anything?"

"I care about things."

"Yourself and what happens to you."

"Exactly."

"Well, how do you only care for few things? How do you do horrible things to others and not feel bad?"

"You want me to teach you?"

I can tell he's joking, but my answer is completely serious, "Yes."

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Author's Note
Wow look an early update. Yay! Um so I've been working on this book a lot recently and I'm almost done writing it! So, look forward to more bonus updates and the ending!! There's some surprises that I have in store for all of you!

Okay, that's all I'm going to say! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I can't remember if I proofread it so that's what I'm going to go do now.

Vote and comment if you want to,
-Anna