Blue Birds

Chapter 24 - I Love You, Trust Me

I liked cold pillows. I liked cold showers. But I didn't like the cold floor I woke up on.

My head felt sore as I lifted it off the ground. I slowly touched the part of my head that was throbbing.

Dried blood. Great.

It took me a while before I could open my eyes. It stung the first two times I blinked. Everything was dark. It felt like one of my dreams about Jackson. Finally a few things came into view. The walls around me were silver. In front were to doors with a single latch. I was in the back of what looked like a moving truck. My hands were bound with handcuffs like I was the criminal in this picture. I wondered what Kira and the girls were doing right now. Probably asking Andrew where I was. Andrew! That's right Andrew had been taken before Mrs Genevieve told me about everything.

I wanted to yell for someone or something. But my throat was sore. I tried to speak but nothing would come out.

"Hello." Finally slipped out. It was raspy and cold. And quickly just a forgotten whisper.

I sat up against one of the walls of the truck. My vision final returned as I looked around me again. Nothing could give me any clues where I was.

My mind started racing with questions. Was Andrew ok? We're my parents still alive? Do the girls know what happened?

Voices started to get louder and louder and ripped me from my frantic thoughts.

I shuffled as quietly as I could to the other side and pressed my ear against the wall.

"She's still in there." A mans voice said sternly.

"Ok. Can I talk to her privately first?" A different mans voice said. The voice was younger and more familiar.

"I have orders that you're not supposed to be with her alone." The first man spoke again.

"I'll be able to get more out of her, she needs to trust me." The voice was Andrews. He's alive! Why is he not in here with me?

"Not going to happen. Remember who you're dealing with." The first man opened the truck loudly.

It was nighttime. The truck was parked In front of a huge mansion. Andrew spilled into the truck and ran to me.

"Lucy, are you alright?" He asked checking for any damage.

"I'm fine. They hit my head. What's going on Andrew why do you have to talk to me?" I asked him while he rubbed my hair gently.

"You'll see. Everything is going to be alright but you have to do exactly what I say when I say it." He started to pull me on to my feet.

"Do the girls know this happened?"

"No one does."

"Are my parents okay?"

He hesitated.

He looked at me then back to the floor.

"Andrew are they okay?!" I snapped.

"I don't know." He pulled me out of the truck and into the grass.

"Please Andrew I need to trust you, why weren't you back there with me? Why aren't you handcuffed as well? Why are you with them?" I panicked as tears streamed down.

"I can't say much now, but you have to trust me. Do as I say. That's the only way you'll see anyone ever again. I want to get us out of here. Do as I say." He held my face in his hands and wiped my tears with his thumbs.

"Okay. I will." I nodded.

"Good. Now come inside. I love you Lucy."

"Everyone says that before they leave." I sighed and followed him into the huge double doors.

****

The living room was fancy and spacious. Elegant couches sat against the walls covered with large paintings and tapestries. A glass coffee table sat in front of the biggest couch. A large blue bird was carved into the glass. The sight sent shivers down my back.

"Sit down." Andrew motioned to the couch by the coffee table. He sat next to me.

"You're going to tell them everything you want to know. You're not going to lie. You're not going to hesitate. You're not going to fight back. They'll kill you and everyone you love." He said all of this without braking eye contact.

"Who are they?" I stuttered.

"My parents." He replied.

This isn't what I had in mind when I thought of meeting his parents.

"What will they ask me?"

"I don't know. But they won't do anything to you if you do what they want. And whatever they want you to do, they will have me make you do it."

"Why you?" I asked.

"Because they think I'm on their side." He whispered so the guard couldn't hear him.

"What?" My blood ran cold. Is he telling the truth? Is he really on my side and pretending to be on theirs, or the other way around.

"Anything I say to you when they are around isn't true, okay? It's all a lie. I need them to think I hate you. If not, they would get everything out of you their way. Which isn't the good way. Now, they'll enjoy me doing it, because you'll be heart broken that I've been lying to you all this time. But you and I know that I wasn't lying. And I love you. I love you and I'm going to protect you. I won't let them hurt you anymore then they need to. Please trust me." He squeezed my hand.

"I do." I looked down and let the tears fall freely.

"I know this is confusing. But just know I love you and you and your family will be safe. I'll make sure of it."

"Okay." I whispered as he took his hand off of mine.

"We're ready." He told the guard.

The man pulled a phone from his pocket and dialed one number. He spoke into the phone with no expression.

"They're ready for you."

Andrew gave one more smile to me before turning to greet his mother and father.

AUTHORS NOTE
Omg I'm so close to 500 reads! I'm so excited! Thanks guys for all the love this book has been getting I work really hard on it and to see that people are genuinely liking it makes me happy.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter things are getting pretty serious for Lucy as you can see.
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If you have any questions about the book that aren't written any questions about the characters anything, leave it in the comments.
Thanks again for reading and I'll see you guys when the sun comes up!
-Emily