kindred

Chapter 14 - Monsters in the dark

Addie sat on the bottom step of the main staircase for what felt like hours, but was probably only twenty minutes. Elijah had tried to convince her to watch a film in the living room but she was insistent on waiting for the two brothers that saved her life, to make sure they were okay. 

The second the door opened Addie stood from the step's to face the door. She watched as Thomas, Riley and Harlan walked in through the door with a few other men. Addie didn't pay any attention to them as they went down the corridor. 

She gave a slight smile toward's her brother. Thomas and Riley walked toward's the stair's in conversation before they saw Addie standing there. 

Instantly she walked towards them. Quickly wrapping Thomas in a hug before he could object. She didn't care if he didn't want it, he was going to get it. She needed him to forgive her. 

She buried her face in his stomach, waiting for his reaction. A warm liquid poured through her body when he tentatively wrapped his hand's around her back, pulling her closer. 

" 'M sowwy" Her words were muffled by his shirt but it was clear to everyone what she said. She cursed herself when she felt the salty tears sting the back of her eyes and double cursed when they slowly began to drip over, dampening his already wet shirt even more. 

He pulled away from her fast as Addie hung her head, she knew he wouldn't forgive her. 

To her shock he bent down and pulled her chin up, so their eyes met. 

"Don't ever think that Addie. It will never be your fault." His words commandeered her thoughts. 

"I wasn't going to do it, I promise."

"Damn it Addie, I told you too. You need to listen to me." She hiccuped slightly as she attempted to suppress the tears. "You need to stop crying, your too damn cute too cry." He swiped her tears in an action that left Addie feeling over the moon. 

"I couldn't shoot you Tommy" Her voice cracked, breaking the heart of every man in the room. 

"I know. But he would have killed you, fuck do you know what I-, your brothers would have done if you were dead?" He shook her slightly, intent on getting his point across, she could see the steely look in his eyes. 

His stern scowl was cut off from her view when Riley came in for a hug. Like Elijah he picked her off the floor like a child and held her too his chest. 

"Ri. Thank you" She whispered into his ear so that only he could hear.

"Don't mention it button" The second he put her on the floor Elijah scooped her into his side again like a baby bear. 

Addie didn't leave his side for the rest of the day, they watched a handful of movies in the cinema room before he coaxed her to bed. He eventually relented when she stared crying, allowing her to sleep in his bed. 

Thoughts were turbulent in her head as she slept. She could see the man holding the gun, she could feel his breathe on her neck. 

Pain erupted in her body as the knife carved into her back, kept on carving. It etched it into her skin. 

A gun was banged into her temple, another one in her hand. 

The men were holding her down as she thrashed, the blood trickling off of her skin. The images were flashing back and forth between moments, blinding her brain with a frenzy of bullets and remembrance of her beastly history.

Her brain screamed and burned when the trigger was pulled, she watched his body fall to the floor, she had killed her brother. Thomas' eyes rolled, boring into her skull, glaring her down with hatred.