Becoming a DeMarlo

30: "He has to want to help himself."

tw: end of chapter may be potentially triggering? i'm not too sure, and i don't want to spoil too much, but if you know that the talk of suicide triggers you, then perhaps just shoot me a message and i'll describe the contents of the chapter without the triggering details <3

Chapter 30: "He has to want to help himself."

"Where the hell have you been?" Elijah sharply asked.

The multiple suited men surrounding him also focused on me. Their serious stares combined with the extremely tense atmosphere in the room rapidly increased my level of anxiety. 

"Uh, at the...aquarium? With Jasper. Charlie knows."

"At the aquarium, huh? For the second time in two weeks? And where is Jasper?" 

Elijah slowly came closer and closer as he interrogated me, his hands in his pockets and his jaw clenched. His anger was undeniable, and I found it hard to keep eye contact with his cutting glare.

"He said he needed to get some stuff. Why...are you asking me like this?" 

Elijah stopped right in front of me, practically boring into me. 

"Because I know you're lying. Charlie likes to believe that his little siblings are saints, but I know better than that. Where were you and Jasper today?"

"I...don't know?" 

I really didn't know. I had noticed that Nadia's apartment building was on a street called "Carnaby Lane", but I wasn't even sure what town that was in.

Elijah's nose flared and his eyes were dark with rage. I felt just a teensy bit scared.

He suddenly turned around to face the men.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Go follow Jasper." 

Within a split second, they nodded and ran out the door, obviously in no need of any more of Elijah's wrath. I would have liked to done the same, seeing that I was somehow in the center of all of this mess. 

"Where's your phone?" Elijah asked, turning back to me before I could even take a step away. 

I reached inside my jacket pocket before realizing that Jasper had not given it back. I looked back up at Elijah, who was standing impatiently.

"Um...Jasper has it."

A moment went by before Elijah's angry face eased up.

"He does? Perfect."

Elijah took out his phone and began tapping something. I leaned forward on my toes to take a look at what he was doing, but he immediately sent me a dirty look and turned off his phone. 

"Now, little sister. Go to my office and wait for me."

"Why?"

"Because I still need to get the truth out of you. Go."

"Elijah, I seriously don't know. Leave me alone," I grumbled. 

I attempted to walk past Elijah but he quickly grasped me by my waist, and effortlessly hoisted me over his shoulder.

"What the fuck are you doing? Let go of me! Elijah? Elijah!" I shouted, hitting his back as he began walking with me still over his shoulder. 

My brother stayed silent as he continued carrying me, with apparently no trouble. I yelled and hit him with all my might, but he didn't seem to be affected. Benji trotted along behind us, not understanding what was going on but clearly happy to be joining us.