Perfect Storm

• Perfect Storm • | 24 |

'Times Up'

'You filled the glass, I spilled it'

'Thanks, bud'

It varies from threats to sayings and quotes. The more I read the scarier it is. I feel a hand on my lower back and jump. I turn toward the owner of the hand. "Who would do this?" He looks at the wall with tears in his eyes although they stay in place as if he isn't letting them fall or even accepting the fact that he's crying.

"I know exactly who." Just then the front door swings open and James comes rushing inside. He looks like he ran here from wherever he was before. Lewis stalls over to him in strong steps.

"What the hell is this? He's taking action now." James looks like he's on the verge of having a panic attack. He's walking back and forth and Lewis is trying his best to calm him down.

"James," Lewis says trying to get his attention.

"We can't be here, who knows how close he is. Or how many people he has with him."

"James," he yells loud enough for his brother to stop moving. He places his hands on his shoulders and speaks in a tone so calm it's as if that's how he actually feels but I know it's not. "Calm down, we can stay in the lake house for a few weeks until we figure this whole thing out. We have a court meeting next week so until that, we'll stay off the radar. Okay?"

James nods his head slowly trying to catch his breath. He takes in the state of the place before he notices me. "Does she know?" He looks at Lewis curiously.

Lewis then looks over at me and as if he'd forgotten I was here, his own anxiety takes over.

"We should leave, now." He steps over the broken glass and grabs his keys off of the coffee table. "But I have to pack-" he grabs my wrist and drags me to the door. "I'll have my assistant get you new ones and have them delivered." He locks the door and the three of us take the elevator to the car parking garage.

They both take powerful steps and I struggle to keep up. "So why aren't we letting the driver take us?" I ask, low on breath.

"Because I don't trust many people and I need as few people to know of our location as possible." He explains as he takes hold of my hand again so I can walk beside him.

"What exactly is the plan?" James asks as we enter a glossy black car. Lewis backs out of the parking spot and drives out of the garage.

"We stay on the low until we have enough to take him out. I know a few people but they're not as high powered as Keiths." He keeps his eyes glued on the road and at every stop light, he taps his thumb nervously on the wheel.

I place a comforting hand on his thigh causing him to look down in his lap. He looks at me with a grateful smile, it's barely noticeable but still there.

He places his hand on top of mine and now rubs his thumb along the top of my hand.

I look out of the darkly tinted windows as he begins driving again. "I don't get what more he wants. He already took our childhoods and now he's after adulthood. He's out of it, I swear." James throws his head back on the seat in the back.

From what I've learned from what Lewis has told me, James was the one who was physically abused daily. Lewis was the younger of the two so he got less attention. Most of what he experienced was mental abuse.

Either way, he's a terrible person for putting his own children through that. Anyone could see that they're terrified of their father.

"This is just the tip of the ice burg." He directs the statement toward me. James snorts in agreement.