{31}
According to Mark, the house belonged to Conrad’s older brother who used it when he came down for vacation. It was a small house in the middle of nowhere with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a small kitchen and a fairly spacious living room.
After Conrad had dropped the ‘your twin was pregnant but got an abortion’ bomb on me I had walked back inside and locked myself away in one of the rooms in the far back of the house. I wasn’t sure if we were going to leave or not and I knew I should ask but all I could think about were Conrad’s words.
It must have been an hour later when Viktor walked into the room. I looked up from my spot on the bed and noticed the two bottles of water he held in each hand. Shutting the door behind him, he made sure it was properly locked before he walked towards the bed and sat on the edge facing me.
With my back pressed against the headboard, I stared at him in silence. I was pretty sure my eyes were red and swollen and my mascara was smudged underneath my eyes since I had been crying out of frustration and a little anger. I had so many questions but I just couldn’t get myself to ask them. The words wouldn’t leave my lips.
But now, alone with Viktor, I finally found myself able to ask a question.
“Who had the gun?”
Viktor stared at me with an unreadable expression before he ran a hand through his hair. “Mark.”
“Mark?”
He nodded.
“What the fuck is Mark doing with a gun?”
“Long story,”
“I don’t give a damn,” I snapped. “I’m tired of being left in the dark. I need to know these things. What the hell is Mark doing with a gun, Viktor?”
“Protection,”
“From?”
“People like the guy who was following you, okay? Listen there is a lot you don’t know about us. This thing with your sister is only the beginning. We’re not very innocent people, Malia.”
“I know you aren’t.” came my response.
Viktor stared at me with an unreadable expression. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I stated- I know you all aren’t innocent.”
“Are you trying to start a fight right now?”
I rolled my eyes, “No. I just want to know what the hell happened on the highway. What did Mark do with that gun? I heard gun shots.”
“Then why are you asking? You heard gun shots. You know Mark had the gun. Is putting those two things together very hard?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Don’t speak to me like I’m an idiot. I just want you to tell me what the hell happened so I won’t sit here assuming crap.”
Viktor didn’t respond so I sighed and angrily rubbed a hand over my face.
“Is he dead?” I asked.
Viktor didn’t respond so I looked up and met his gaze.
“Is he dead?” I repeated.
Standing from the bed, he tossed me a bottle of water and exited the room. That was all I needed to know that his response to my question was.
They killed my sisters killer, and that’s why Conrad didn’t want to go to the police, because if we did they’d ask questions we couldn’t answer. And if Mark went down for killing my sister’s killer, then we’d all go down with him.
Grasping the bottle in my hands, I pulled my arm back and hurled the plastic bottle at the door. It hit the wood with a loud thud then hit the floor with a muffled sound. An angry scream escaped my lips as I buried my fingers between my hair and rocked back and forth on the bed.
I knew what was to come.
More secrets; more lies.
And I fucking hated it.
Because I knew things weren’t going to end well.
