-Everly
It doesn't seem real, finally seeing him.
Though I'd held out hope, I'd actually come to believe I would probably never see him again. Not after the horrible things I had seen Aiden do. Not after all those who were already dead, our father now being truly among them.
But here he was, sitting right in front of me. His face beaten and bruised, cuts littering the surface of it.
It was an odd sense of completeness that washed over me when our eyes met. We'd never been apart for more then a few weeks before he'd disappeared. Being twins, there was a connection between us that I'd never even realized until he was gone. We'd been together through everything growing up. Always each other's adamant champion, confidant, and protector.
And then he'd left. And I was suddenly alone, for the first time in my life.
"I'm sure you both have a lot to catch up on." Aiden's voice cuts through the stillness in the room.
He leaves the room as Viktor removes the cuffs from Reid's wrists. Viktor looks back and forth between us, shaking his head before following in Aiden's footsteps and closing the door after them.
Leaving us alone, staring at each other once again in silence. I can see so many emotions written across his battered face.
Sadness, anger.. regret.
"Evie..."
"You left me." I cut him off quickly.
"I know."
"You left me to deal with Dad's..." My voice wavers, feeling the newness and pain of his recent death wash over me, "You left me."
"I know." Reid sighs and relaxes his shoulders, rubbing his newly freed wrists before locking eyes with me again. "Evie, I'm sorry. I left, yeah, but not like you think. He's.. He's dead now isn't he? For real this time?"
I nod, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from crying.
"How'd it happen?"
"I don't know." I shrug, "We were all in the car, someone hit us. I blacked out and woke up here."
"We?"
"Us.. Dad and I.. and Harry."
"The boxer." Reid whispers, nodding in understanding.
"How do you know.."
Reid shakes his head, ticking it upward and towards the corner behind his right shoulder. Glancing over it, I spot a camera hung from the ceiling.
I look back at Reid as his right hand moves up in front of him, blocked from the cameras view. He drags his index finger backwards across his chin, then flicks his finger downward.
A few brief seconds pass before I register what he's doing.
Russian
I mentally thank my father for making us learn sign language when we were younger. He always said having a way to communicate without speaking was as important as being able to defend ourselves physically. I never understood that until now.
I nod, my brow crinkling in confusion. Why would Viktor be giving Reid information?
"I was going to meet you Evie."
"What?"
Reid leans forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. "When Dad.. when we thought he'd died... I left, yeah, but I was going to meet you in Japan. I couldn't let you do that alone."
"What happened?"
"I went to Switzerland, remember that spot Dad took us to when we were 16?"
"Gelmersee." I nod, remembering the mountain lake fondly. "It was beautiful there... That was such a good trip."
"Dad was so happy on that trip, so carefree compared to how he normally was. I needed to clear my head for a minute, and it was the first place I thought of. We were all so happy there together. I'd meant to stay there for a few days, then meet you in Japan. I'd booked the flight and was headed to the airport... but they grabbed me right outside the front entrance."
"Aiden's men."
"Yeah," He nods, "Nobody around seemed to bat an eye when they threw me into the back of a van. I was on a plane within an hour, but not one headed for Japan. They brought me back here."
"You've been in New York this whole time?!" I question, shocked.
"Yeah. I'm not sure where exactly. They moved me a few times, but always with that fucking hood over my head."
"Aiden told me you were working for him, that you'd approached him for a job."
"Like I'd work for that self righteous prick!" Reid raises his voice, practically yelling.
"Quiet!" I hush him, finally moving towards him and putting my hand over his mouth.
He stills, tentatively moving his arms around my shoulders and hugging me. I stiffen briefly before mirroring his actions.
"I'm not afraid of him Evie, what more can he take from us?" He asks quietly, holding me to him before letting go.
I look into his eyes, "What did he do to you Reid? He's had you locked up for almost a year..."
"Nothing I couldn't handle." He smiles forcefully, but his eyes betray him. They are filled with pain.
"They just had question after question about Dad, none of which I had answers to." He goes on, "On occasion they enjoyed beating the shit out of me. Though that was probably due to the fact I tried to kill anyone who came near me... But mostly I was just sat in a room. I was leverage against Dad. And later, I realized I was also leverage against you."
"I'm so sorry Reid."
"I am too. I should of been there for you. I would of never let Carter near you."
"I don't know how we are going to get out of this."
"Me either, Evie..."
Reid is cut off by the sound of the door opening. He quickly stands, pushing me behind his body. Viktor steps inside, a gun gripped in his right hand. He immediately aims it at Reid as Aiden steps into the room.
"How was the family reunion?" Aiden asks, glancing between Reid and I's faces.
"Fuck you." Reid spits, venom lacing his tone.
"Always such a pleasure to see you Reid. I'm afraid your time together has come to an end."
I suck in a breath, my hands gripping onto the back of Reid's shirt. He can't take someone else from me, I won't survive it.
Two more men enter the room, and Aiden steps aside as they come towards us. They roughly try to grab ahold of Reid, who immediately starts putting up a fight. One gets a head butt, blood seeping from his nose instantly. The other receives a solid punch to the left jaw, making Reid grin. When the first one moves towards Reid again, I raise my foot up, kicking him in the side forcefully. A loud puff of air escapes his mouth as he grunts and falls to his knees.
I gasp as an arm comes around my neck from behind and cold metal is pressed up against my right temple.
Reid looks up at me and freezes, his arm still up in the air to deal the second man another blow to the face.
"Net net." Viktor clicks his tongue, holding the gun up against my head.
"Don't kill him." I plead, focusing on Aiden.
Aiden looks back and forth between us with amusement. "Why would I kill him now? He's finally getting to enter the game."
The two men grab Reid, forcing him towards the door.
"Where are you taking him?!" I yell, causing Viktor to push the gun harder against my skin.
"I'm giving your brother the task you haven't been able to complete. And he won't fail me. If he does, then you die."
"Evie!" Reid yells, struggling against the men who have ahold of him.
Aiden smiles at me, his gaze cold and calculating. "I think it's high time for your brother and your boyfriend to meet, don't you?"
_____________________________________________
Hello my dear readers! Meet Reid (played by Rudy Pankow)! I've been waiting so long for him to become part of this story! Thank you so much for your reads, your votes, and your comments! They mean so much to me and motivate me to keep going. Love you all! -Ash