kindred

Chapter 18 : Curiosity leads to consequences

The door slamming down the hallway made Addie nearly jump out of her skin, the following foot steps froze her blood cold. Her eyes darted around as she searched for someplace to hide, anyplace. The table, door, cabinet. Addie noticed a small gap between the a table pushed against the wall and a filing cabinet, immediately ducking in between them.

She was only just as she was in her spot did the door fling open, a careless volley of footsteps near her feet, a rustling above her head. Paper was obviously being moved around as she held her breath. Addie could see the shoes, she didn't recognise them, not that it meant they couldn't belong to her brothers.

She hadn't thought so much about getting caught, only about answers. She began to feel sick at the thought of what her brothers might do to her.

The time she had been living with her brothers left hundreds of unanswered questions floating around inside of her head. Why were did her brother have a gun? Who was it in the woods? Why were they looking for them in the wood? The forbidden parts of the house didn't help quench those questions nor did the lack of answered questions. 

The footsteps appeared to move out of the room, Addie sat stiff till she was sure there was no one left, only then did she shuffle out of the cramped space and dust herself off.

Addie knew she had been close enough to getting caught that she wasn't about to do it again. Deciding to try her brothers office the next day instead of a filing room she crept to the door.

She cracked the door open ever so slightly, looking down the hall as she did so. It was empty. Opening the door slightly more she slivered out, eager to get away as quickly as possible.

"Did you enjoy your little adventure?" Addie's heart stopped beating as she froze in fear of the dreaded voice she heard behind her. 

In that moment she knew she should have listened to her brother's. She shouldn't have gone down there in the first place. 

 "Turn around when I'm speaking to you." He barked, not inch of waiver in his voice.

Addie slowly spun around on the spot, not daring to meet his eyes. Thomas was leant casually against the wall, his arms crossed, leg propped up. His face was anything but mellow. His eyes had darkened considerably, jaw tightened, brows furrowed.

Addie withered under his furious scowl, squirming on the spot.

"Look at me." He snarled like a rabid dog. "You enjoy breaking the simple rules we give you, little girl?" The way he said it was completely different to the way Elijah said it, he was full of affection and sentiment. Thomas' was more of a patronising sneer.

"No Thomas." She still hadn't looked up at him. Addie decided it was best to grovel and be the meek little girl he wanted. Plead with him to not tell her brother's, she doubted it would work but worth an attempt.

Addie couldn't imagine what her brother's could do. Kick her out, abandon her and leave her alone in the world for the second time. The fact that it was Thomas was standing before her and not Harlan gave her the tiniest amount of relief. Yes, Thomas was terrifying but there was something about Harlan that was hair-raising, blood-curdling even.

"What the FUCK do you think you were doing Adeline?" He had pushed himself off of the wall, his face now flushed with anger. He stalked over to her, gripping her arm's tightly in his, his hands cutting off the blood supply.

"Oww. I'm sorrry" She whined softly as he didn't let go, shaking her slightly.

"You will be sorry when I'm through with you" He growled out at her. Addie had never seen him this angry, not even when he found out about her scar's.