Can't Afford Mistakes.

Chapter Twenty-four

BEFORE YOU READ: SADIE'S BROTHER'S NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM "COLE SPROUSE" TO BEAU TAYLOR, BUT HE WILL BE PORTRAYED BY COLE.

Lucas.

My phone rings from beside me while I try to relax. Sadie jumps and I roll my eyes. I look at the caller ID and see Ryan is calling me.

"Hello," I say into the phone.

"Lucas, it's Ryan," he says, "we have a problem. Do you think you can meet me at our old apartment complex?"

"Yeah," I say as I wait for him to continue.

"You okay to fight if it comes down to it," Ryan asks like he doesn't know me.

"Yup," I say already say sitting up in my bed.

"Okay, hurry," Ryan says before he adds, "make it fast. Your sister's here."

My eyes widden slightly at the last part and I reply, "Okay, I'm on my way."

Sadie stands in the middle of my room like a statue just staring at me. I decide to ignore her and get ready. I rummage through my closet for a decent shirt and slip on some socks before blotting upstairs. I jump into my converse and grab my keys off the rack. I rush out the door, taking the stairs two at a time, before leaping into the car. Gravel kicks up from under the tires as I stomp the gas pedal to the floor. Disregarding the speed limit, I quickly merge into I-95. I think back to my previous conversation with Sadie and start to feel a bit of remorse.  

"It had to be done," I whisper to myself. 

I turn on the radio to distract me. Leviathan by G-Eazy booms through my car's speakers. I turn the volume and bass up to their maximum setting in order for me to lose myself in the music. I mindlessly weave in and out of traffic for almost 40 minutes until I realize that I am almost to my destination. I take the off ramp towards my old apartment complex  and horrible memories begin to flood my memory. As I'm about to pull into the parking lot, a searing pain electrifies the veins in my left leg. 

"Arabella," I mumble under my breath, "I'm almost there."

I speed into the parking lot and see Ryan's Camaro parked next to Brett's Mustang. I park along side their cars. The stench of blood and sweat punches me in the face the second I step out of the car. I slam the door and make my way to my former shared apartment with Ryan. I climb to the fourth floor and see too familiar faces standing outside the door. 

"Get out of my way," I say through gritted teeth. The two men part almost instantly and I burst through the door with rage boiling in my blood. My eyes adjust to the darkly lit room and I see Ryan sitting in a chair while looking at the ground. He sits bent at the waist with his elbows on his thighs and his leg bounces up and down rapidly. He looks up to me and opens his mouth to speak but is quickly cut off. 

"Lucas it's nice to see you," Beau says as he emerges from the hallway, "it has been awhile since I've heard from you."

"Where's my sister," I growl as I ball my fist by my sides. 

"No need to get violent, Greyson," Beau says nonchalantly.  He takes a seat on the couch to my left and puts his feet up on the coffee table. I inhale deeply and focus on trying to sense Arabella but Ryan keeps blocking my thoughts. 

"It's not worth it, man," Ryan says and I shoot him a glare. 

"It's not worth it," I question and shout at the same time. "I've nearly repaired my relationship with Arabella: one that was strained by the way because of your father, by the way," I say pointing to Beau. "She is my twin and the only family I have left, so get of my way." I storm in the hallway and throw open the door to my former room. I cringe at the scene in front of me. Arabella sits limply in a chair; her torso, hands, and legs are tied down to the chair. Blood trickles down from the corner of her mouth, large purple bruises scatter her face, and a large gash is visible on her left leg. Brett is no where to be seen. I run over to Arabella but she barely stirs awake when I yell her name. 

"Lucas," she questions groggily with a rasp present in her voice. 

"Yeah," I say with a sympathetic voice, "I'm here. Why aren't you healing?"

"He said you were," she starts, "He said you weren't coming."

"What," I ask. Arabella repeats herself like a broken record and I become more frustrated by the second.

"Arabella, look at me," I say, taking her chin in my hand, and forcing her to look at me. "What do you mean? Of course I would come. Why aren't you healing?"

"Because she believes she can't," Beau says from behind me. I spin around to see him standing in the door way with his arms folded over his chest and a slight smile on his face. Anger boils inside of me. I carefully release Arabella's chin and rise to face Beau.

"What did you do to her," I yell more than ask.

"Once we made her believed that Brett is dead and you weren't going to make an effort to find her," Beau begins as his smile grows wider, "she lost it and now her mind is too weak to believe it can heal."

I cross the room in three steps fueled by rage, grabbing Beau by the shirt, and yelling in his face, "What do you want? I told you, I wanted out! There was no reason to involve her in this!"

"You still haven't told me where she is," Beau says calmly, "Tell me where Sadie is, and you'll no longer be apart of this gang." I battle with myself internally about what to do which only causes Beau to laugh. 

"Which one will it be Lucas," he coos, "your twin who you just repaired you relationship with, or the girl you're trying to protect."

"I'm trying to protect both," I growl so close to his face I can feel my words bounce back into my face.

"It's one or the other," Beau states with a shrug of his shoulders. "I already know you told Sadie about your job description here."

My heart drops to thew pit of my stomach. How did he know about my conversation with Sadie an hour ago. I tighten my grip on his shirt for a seconds longer before I let go. I walk over to Arabella and break her restraints one by one. She limply falls forward and I catch her with ease. 

"Sadie's a senior at Mountain View High School," I say as I walk past Beau with Arabella in my arms. "And don't ever mess with my family again." 

I walk out of the apartment as my anger begins to subside. The door slams shut behind me and the sound of footsteps fast approach. 

"I'll show you where Brett is," Ryan says leading us out of the building.