kindred

Chapter 19 : Internal wars are raging

 "Well, little sister. You certainly have been busy" He casually fished around in his pocket as Addie sat on edge. "Just one day I am gone and you already manage to outsmart your brothers, disobey my rules and have a filthy attitude" He scorned as he rolled up a cigar on the table in front of him.

The casual gesture seemed to have a callous edge as his fingers firmly rolled the paper. Addie squirmed on the seat under his gaze.

"What made you think you could disobey me and get away with it?" 

"You never tell me anything." Addie murmured as quietly as possible knowing that her brothers would never accept her silence as an answer. 

"You didn't answer my question Adeline" Harlan rarely ever used her full name, only further increasing the uncomfortableness she felt. 

On a good day Harlan was intimidating, but on a day. Well. It was a whole other story. She couldn't find an answer 

"I know Lijah's gun was real" That seemed to make him falter for a fraction of a second before he recovered himself with grace. 

"Your brother has been suitably punished for his behaviour, although it is of course within his legal rights to carry a weapon. I won't ask you to answer my question again Adeline" He sat as calm as ever whilst she sweated profusely. He casually put the cigar in his pocket, for later use, he was against any of the boys smoking in the presence of the younger twins. 

Addie had to quickly recount in her mind what the question was. "I don't know"

"You don't know" He pondered for a while. "Surely you thought to think of the consequences dear sister." 

A sniffle was all the answer he got as Addie swiped at her eyes with her sleeve. 

"Perhaps it wasn't about the area that intrigued you. You wanted to push your boundaries, see how much we would let you get away with. You know full well you have your brothers wrapped around your little finger and wanted to test the waters." He stated. 

Addie's breathe hitched as he spoke. Part of the reason really was because she was curious too what secrets they were hiding from her. Deep down she knew in the other part that Harlan was right. After living there for over a month she needed to know the boundaries, see how much she could push them after acting like a perfect angel. 

Harlans frigid demeanour left little warmth making the water prickling behind her eyes begin to rise. She squashed her shoulders down, stopping them from shaking as she sat before her brother. In her head she wondered if she had pushed them too far. 

No, she thought, pushing the foggy thoughts at bay. Riley promised. 

"Well listen here little girl. I don't like disobedience, my men would get a lot worse for doing a lot less. You're lucky you're my sister." He said "This end's now." 

He sent her such a piercing glare she couldn't stop the tears rolling in fat drops down her cheeks or the way her body recoiled into the sofa. She cursed herself for looking so weak in-front of her brother. Numbly nodding she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand in a childish manner.

"If I ever catch you there again there will be severe consequences and you will be one very sorry child" Again she nodded, not even trying to explain herself. 

She knew she needed to let it go, all she found where stupid tax forms and other stuff she couldn't make head or tail of. Nothing looked incriminating. Maybe it was just because they had lots of people down there. She was used to lies and deceit, maybe that had all stopped but she hadn't realised.

Addie flinched when he gripped her wrist, pulling her out the room. She had to almost run to keep up with Harlan whose long powerful strides carried him around the house. She knew when he stopped outside the door that he expected her to go into her bedroom.