Within These Walls

Life After Dark: 4 (WTW Sequel)

(Updated every Sunday)

Davey holds the steering wheel tightly while I wait for him to explain what's going on. It took me about two seconds after seeing Carson to recognize the older boy. Davey Matthews, Carson's adopted older brother. No wonder he looked vaguely familiar. He was on TV the day he and his family gave the press conference about Carson's disappearance.

Once I identified him, getting in a car with him in dark and secluded parking lot wasn't an issue. Carson spoke highly of his brother, albeit with frustration. Davey had looked out for his kid brother growing up to the point of fault. He protected him then, just as he is protecting him now. Which goes a long way toward easing my distrust.

In fact, the only scary part about getting into a car with this stranger is the teenage boy handcuffed in the backseat.

Davey catches me glancing back and reaches for my arm. As though sensing my sudden tenseness, he withdraws his hand and says, "Trust me, he's completely out of it. I gave him enough sedative to put down an elephant and a couple of horses. And even when he's awake, he won't try to hurt you. Not until he knows he can."

I don't know how I missed that slight drawl before. It's not as pronounced as Carson's, but it's still there as a testament to his southern roots. I shiver once I absorb the meaning of his words. Until he knows he can. Does this mean that Carson would kill his own brother if his hands and legs were free?

"Where to start?" Davey mumbles, breathing warm air into his cupped hands.

"At the beginning would be great."

"Alright. Like I said before, we met about six months ago. After you guys were on the news and we heard a lot of you had been killed, we didn't know what to expect. We almost lost our minds when we couldn't find him. No one would tell us what happened to him. We kept waiting, kept praying he'd turn up on his own. He never did."

"So how did you end up finding him?"

"I didn't. You did."

I kept my promise to go back for him? It's the best news I've heard since I woke up in this scary world. Still, how the hell did I manage to sneak back into Gardiner's base and extract a cold-blooded killing machine of a teenage boy?

When I ask Davey, he shrugs. "You didn't tell me."

"I didn't?" My eyes narrow. "You're saying I didn't trust you?"

He gives me a teasing smile that, strangely enough, reminds me of Carson. "Hey, don't look at me like that. You're the most secretive girl I've ever met. It drove all of your other boyfriends crazy, I'll bet."

I don't answer him, mostly because I'm in shock at the idea that this perfect stranger is my boyfriend. He sighs. "Sorry, I guess this is all weird to you."

No kidding.

"Considering how difficult it was to crack open your shell the first time around," he continues, "I'm not surprised you're not falling into my arms now. But I'm not going to push you."

"I can't imagine myself with you," I say bluntly.

He winces, which makes me feel bad. He's not bad looking, far from it. He's handsome in a wholesome, rugged sort of way. Nothing like Alec's model-esque attractiveness, or Marcus's tall-dark-and-smoldering looks. No, he's not the issue. I am. I'm just not the type to have a boyfriend. I've never had a boyfriend, not counting the few precious moments with Marcus. I have no idea how I went from being with Marcus to this guy, and frankly, I'm starting to think I'm better off not knowing.

"You were saying?" I ask, trying not to fidget with discomfort.

He fiddles with the miniature laser on his keyring, using it to trace a red-dotted path across his dashboard and center console. "I was away at college when you reached out to me. You said you found me online. You told me you had my brother and you were on a quest to save him. You asked me to keep it a secret because you couldn't afford to trust anyone."