Maya (Book #3)

Chapter 63

"Hello, angel. I missed you," my uncle said charmingly, as if we were friends that had simply lost touch. He smiled wickedly and looked me in the eyes as he raised his gun in my direction. "Come on in, Maya. We need to talk."

I didn't move an inch, not knowing if it was smarter to listen to his orders or stay very still. He chuckled and dropped the gun to his side feigning resignation, letting me keep my position. When my shoulders dropped as I realized he wasn't going to shoot, I took in his new look with a start. Everything about him had changed.

His hair no longer held the red tint that I'd seen for so many years. It was dark brown with fading reddish tips as if old dye were wearing off, and he had a thick brown beard that covered a large part of his face. His lips were chapped, and he licked them like a reptile as he watched me examining him. There was something else that was unsettling about him, and I scanned him carefully trying to determine what it was.

My jaw dropped as I noticed his eyes. The dark blue orbs that had haunted my childhood were replaced with a pitch-black color that hid his pupils perfectly. He smirked as he saw me taking it in.

"What?" I breathed out in question; eyes locked on his. My head throbbed as I tried to wrap my mind around this inconceivable truth.

"You like them?" he asked, knowing exactly what I was thinking. "You only ever got to see the fake version of me. Blue colored contacts, red hair, new names, new birth certificates." He shrugged as if it were unimportant, knowing full well that I would do anything to hear that information.

"It was all fake?" I questioned as my mind swirled to reconcile a completely different man with the version of my uncle that I despised. I knew it was the same man by the way his eyes drilled into mine, illuminated with excitement. He was loving the fear that I exuded at this new revelation. He wasn't always like that. When I was young, he hurt me like it was a chore he was required to do. When I became old enough to understand what was happening, it seemed to turn from tedious to exhilarating for him. 

"I was protecting us," he replied, looking at me with faux concern. "I couldn't have someone trying to find us now, could I?"

He took a step to his right slowly as I processed the influx of information and tried to make sense of it. I took a matching step to my right so we could remain equidistant. He didn't seem to notice.

"I've been waitingfor you for quite some time, sweetheart," he said hotly, as if it was myfault that we had been apart for so long. Goosebumps rose across my arms andlegs as he chuckled, overconfidently. Or maybe aptly confident, considering thegun he held in his hands. He could end everything now for the two of us if hewanted to. Despite all my suicidal ideation, I realized instantly that I wasn'tready for it to end.

 "Sorry, I've kind of got a new family now," I said sharply, surprising myself with my snark. His mouth popped open, and his eyebrows raised as if my backtalk delighted him.

"So I've heard..." he said mockingly, choosing each word carefully. "New brothers, a new mom. I wasn't good enough for you?"

"You never tried to be," I answered honestly, pretending our conversation was making me bored and not raising every hair on the back of my neck. Like we were in a chess match, he took a step forward and I took one back.

"You're hurting me, angel," he said, pressing a hand to his heart. "After all that I've done for you? Clothing you, feeding you, taking care of you for all these years?"

Fury swelled in me at his words. He thought he could deceive me; trick me into being his after everything he did to me.

 "You were an abusive guardian who I tolerated until I couldn't take it anymore. I don't know what you think you did for me, besides give me PTSD." I answered, looking him directly in his dark eyes.