Loving Ashlynn (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 54 - Lost and Found (Brennan Conrad POV) Pt.5

Chapter 54 – Lost and Found (Brennan Conrad POV) Pt.5

A verbal filter is an amazing asset to have if you know how to use it,

but sometimes, there really is just no helping a bad situation.

"I did not ask for your forgiveness," I blurt out after Javier had spoken, hate in his voice, "You did exactly what Brennan did Javier," Devin points out simultaneously.

"God Devin, he put everything you two did, together, on you!" Javier jumps up, pointing at me. "You two hacked the servers, people died, and he laid all the blame at your feet!" he spits.

Sighing, I hang my head back, as my grandfather gritted his teeth up front, but remained silent otherwise.

Devin paled. "Who died?"

Exhaling, having this out with an audience, I push everything aside. "When you put the backdoor, someone used it to hack into the system-"

"But,' she says brows scrunched together, "that's not our fault," Devin says with a small shake of her head. Again, I just gaze at her blankly.

How was what happened not our fault?

"I mean yes, we did do that, but your aunt Angela is supposed to be checking the system. Each time I used it, I was terrified because I thought eventually I'd get caught. If my hack was so badly done, why didn't Angela find it? Why – anyone that died is not just on us, it is on Angela and your dad as well." Devin said with literally zero remorse.

I gape at her incredulously. "Devin," her name rolls off my tongue but the words needed to follow are stuck in my throat. I was still beating myself up for the lives that were lost and she thinks that dad and Angela are to blame?

"What we did was wrong. We did not set out to hurt anyone, but that is what happened. It is on us-"

"Your dad is the leader, if my weak hacking skills got past him, then he needs to be more secure. That said," she whispers softly, "What we did was wrong and whatever punishment your dad gave you, I'll accept the same."

For such a calm and skilled driver while I stare stupidly at Devin Antone swerves off to the side of the road, the action so unexpected, I roll backwards into the small sofa I was seated on.

Throwing the car in park, Antone, the same one that put me in my place earlier stood up. Stalking over to Devin, eyes positively deadly, he grabs her by her neck and lifting her a solid foot and a half off the ground. Flailing around she chokes out and when Javier and I stand, we're quickly dismissed by Antone's threatening glare.

"You young lady are the worst type of person I've ever met, and I am well over two centuries old." My normally peaceful and happy go lucky grandmother, sits still shaking her head, but makes no move to intervene on Devin's behalf.

Devin's hands grab at the hand holding in place, but Antone's hold never falters. "You come, weeping, that Taylor murdered my grandson, but when your wrongs are placed at your feet you're ready to be cold and callous, pass the blame onto a man that has protected your family and it cost him a son," the disgust spewed is filled with authority.

As the seconds tick by and Devin's breathing is reduced to choppy gasps, Antone still does not release her. "How dense are you child?"

He cannot possible hope Devin can respond at this point. Though her neck is in his grip, she tries to shake her head from side to side.

"You don't get to speak," he growls between his teeth as his jaw is clenched closed. "Your punishment was being left behind. That was your punishment – and I ought to throw you out on the side of the road."

"You forgive him," granddad says scathingly, mocking Devin's earlier statement. "Neither Javier or Brennan asked for your forgiveness and you want to know why?" he waits as her attempts to be release become more feeble.

"They don't even wipe their own behinds independently. Javier and Brennan eat, live, sleep, dress and stay warm on someone else's dime. They have no say. They did not decide to leave you behind, all they could do was stay with you and neither did that."

"B-b-bro-ug-er," Devin chokes out, and my eyes flies over to Javier. Antone snorts. "From the beginning I've told Ansel that the only sane ones in your family is Javier Senior and Junior."

With a force I'm not aware of, Antone tosses Devin to the ground, but doesn't walk away. " Javier, Brennan, off the bus, go to the one you were on," Antone orders and I'm slow to move, as is Javier. But once his order was given Antone no longer cared for us.

"You on the other hand," he scoots down to eye level with Devin, "the only reason you aren't being tossed on the side of the road, is because you came to us with what you learned. You could have easily have pretended that you did not over hear Taylor and continue on your way with her."

I'm gathering the last of the pieces in front of me when Antone stands to his full height. "I'm going to break you," I hear a gasp and though I want to turn around to place it, I only pick up the last piece of the computer and make way to follow Javier.

"You seem to have this sense of entitlement, putting blame where you shouldn't, speaking without thinking, and assuming that actions don't have consequences. If you don't smarten up child, when we arrive at the next compound location, I'm going to personally put you in the cellar and leave you there until you come to face the truth."

I force my legs to work, to leave Devin on the floor tearful.

"Javier, Brennan," Javier and I pause on the steps, "please inform everyone that they are not to speak directly to Devin unless I have given them permission," my eyes widen to the size of silver dollars, just trying to process what was happening.

"That is all," he barks next, and when we turn to leave I can only hear the remainder of his words as the door closes behind us. "You will ask permission before you leave the bus, before you even move from this seat..."

As we walk back to the original bus, I whirl in front of Javier.

His hands clenched at his sides, eyes blazing, I stand still for a moment before speaking. "Stop acting as though you didn't leave Taylor and Devin behind. I didn't speak up but neither did you. What happened in there, that is the last time you pretend that you're somehow better than me, or did not behave exactly as I did."

I make a move to turn but double back, "and it's a good thing we left them because Taylor murdered Silas," that is when my voice breaks.

And I know that the questions we were going to be bombarded with when we got on the bus Thaddeus was driving would only lead to more questions. 

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© 2016 roxann_season All Rights Reserved

This chapter was short but I've had such a busy day and I'm helping a friend bake a bunch of different cakes and goodies now, so I'll try and maybe update later tonight or Sunday (Illinois time).