"What the fuck is that?" Her defiant words masked her fear.
Exactly seven days after someone said those word's to Addie, she was now saying it to someone else.
Elijah ever so slightly turned around to face her, she could easily see the panic fresh in his unbridled eyes.
She was weighed down by dread that twisted deep within her gut. He didn't use that thing right? It was fake. Her brother didn't hurt people.
Right?
Thomas and Riley noticed what she was looking at.
Harlan and Joseph had entered the hall the second the word's came out of her mouth. Any reprimand was forgotten when they saw what she was looking at. The way Elijah looked uneasy and panicked.
Addie's head spun, how where they not shocked. Terror thundered down on her as she allowed each imaginary bullet hit her in her mind.
It wasn't the first time she had seen one. She had had guns and knives pointed at her head. From bad men.
Not her brother.
To see her brother holding a weapon of such mass destruction sickened her. Her sweet, silly big brother. Why did he have one.
What was a gun doing at Elijah's waist.
What was a gun doing near her charming brother. They lied, all of them. They said she was safe, no-one was safe with a gun.
"Addie." A hand reached out to touch her but she lurched back. She could see the hand's were cold and clammy. Nervous.
"Don't touch me." She bit, not caring about the hurt that swam across his feature's or the tense in his shoulder's.
"It's just a toy. A stupid toy. Elijah shouldn't have it." Slowly Harlan reached around his brother, grasping the gun.
He pulled it out. And pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.
"See it's a stupid children's toy. Your brother shouldn't even have it."
Elijah rested a hand on her arm.
"I would never hurt you sweetheart. Ever" Elijah said as Addie stiffened under his touch. She didn't flinch.
She watched as he ever so slowly drew her to him. Her eyes didn't close like they would have normally done. Her arm's didn't wrap around him, but stayed stuff. Her nose didn't reach out for his familiar and comforting scent.
Her eye's were wide and shoulder's stiff as Elijah gently released her. She was silent as Harry guided her to the living room in silence.
Something was being kept from her.
Guard's, watch post's, CCTV everywhere.
Bodyguard's, forbidden area's, gun's.
Addie had sensed something before, but it was now that her suspicions were confirmed. Why would Elijah have a gun and why would Harlan lie about it.
She wasn't stupid.
She heard Harlan switch the safety on.
She was aware of the slight clunk it made as the trigger was pulled on safety.
He lied to her.
It was real.
*******
Something was not right. They were definitely keeping things from her, and Addie and desperate to determine what.
Addie almost forgot about the gun when Thomas and Riley found her in the living room half an hour later.
She was sat silently on the couch, she hadn't moved after Harry deposited her there, her mind was whirling as too what they were hiding from her, she was trying to piece together every strange thing they had said and every shared glance that she had seen and heard over the last almost four weeks.
"Hey button, wanna go to the park?" Riley asked as he plopped down besides her.
"With you?"
"Both of us" Riley confirmed. Addie's eyebrows raised as she stared at Thomas, as if he would want to come.
"We don't even need to take Jackson, it will just be us three." He tried to convince her.
"Sure" She glanced at Thomas who stood silent at the door. He left only when Riley tugged Addie up to a standing position so they could leave.
The park was only ten minutes away, not far enough away to get too cold. It was almost Thanksgiving and some houses had already gone above and beyond to decorate.
Addie wondered if her brother's would decorate their house before deciding that they thought it was probably too finickity and stupid.
Addie felt a warm glow slightly ignite in her heart as Riley grabbed her hand in his large oversized one. She glanced up at him as a small grin came onto her face and she edged closer to him.
Addie was surprised at how enthusiastic her brother's were about the playground. They both tried to swing around the pole on the swings designed for eight year olds and Thomas nearly got stuck on the metal slide.
Riley only stopped his childish behaviour when he noticed a teenage girl walking past. Her boobs were shoved out of her shirt and Addie's lips curled in disgust at how her brother sauntered over to her.
It quickly became apparent that Riley would not be coming home with them when he and the girl began mushing their faces together before he led her out of the park.
"Disgusting" Addie muttered under her breathe as she saw them re-engage in their prior hobby.
"Good, keep thinking like that baby." Addie's heart sunk as she realised she was left alone with the brother that hated her the most.
"I'm not a baby." She protested.
"Shut up" His snarl was so quick that Addie was shocked by the change in demeanour it was only when she looked at him did she realise he was looking the other way.
A man was stood on the other side of the park, looking at them. When he noticed Thomas looking at him a smirk appeared on his face.
Thomas' reaction was instant, he grabbed Addie's arm and spun in the other direction, practically dragging her along.
"Walk" He was patting himself down as she trotted beside him, he was evidently looking for his phone. "Shit, I left it on the fucking slide." Normally Addie would have made a smart ass comment about his swear word's but decided this was not the time.
"Where's your phone?" His face was desperate.
"At home. Why?"
"Shit" He veered off to the line of tree's on the edge of the park, the cold weather seemed to turn even colder as dark clouds began to form overhead.
A slow drizzle soon turned into buckets of rain and the pair were soon soaked.
The tree's offered a little shelter as Thomas dragged her through.
"Thomas" Addie started, the line of tree's ahead moved slightly. A figure was stood behind one, troubled in the dark.
"Not now Addie"
"That man" She pointed her finger at him. Thomas whirled round to find him, pulling his sister too him.
He wasn't quick enough, another man appeared from a behind a different tree as Thomas looked on distracted. Addie could feel his finger's fumbling at her neck, he grasped the necklace but she couldn't tell what he was doing with it.
A fist collided with his head as Addie let out a peircing scream, Thomas slumped forward. Another fist joined the first, a pounding blow to the face. A kick to the stomach soon followed.
Thomas managed to knock the feet of the man out from under him, watching as he crashed to the floor, head ricocheting of the floor. He punched the man twice in the face before the other man appeared.
He hauled Thomas off the ground with a kick to the kneecap. A crunch was head as Thomas slammed his head back into the man's face and Addie could see the pop and watched the blood stream out his nose.
"Tommy" She yelled at her brother, having no clue on how to help him against the two burly men. They somehow managed to get him on his knees with his hand behind his back, the rain washing the blood from his cheek.
"Well well well, little Miss Kingston." The sickening noise caused Addie to whip around only to be face to face with the man they had seen in the park.
Addie whimpered as he clasped her neck and yanked her forward.
"I've been waiting for you."
"Unhand her you bastard" Thomas screamed, a nod from the man was all it took for a punch to land in his stomach, doubling him over.
"I was quite pleased when I heard you were out with your brother's. No security in sight, they're slacking." She could smell cigarettes on his breathe as his jaw clenched with delight.
"I'm going to enjoy my time with you." Addie's whole body shuddered as fear coursed through her vein's. A twisted grin came onto the paedophile's face as Thomas watched on.
"NOOO. Let her go, she's just a little kid." Addie was terrified, she had never before seen her brother like this. Pleading.
Thomas was on his knee's, his hand's behind his back, wet hair plastered to his face. "Please" He begged, his voice cracking. A cracking which broke Addie's heart.
"Tut tut, we have just what we want now." The hand of the man stood behind her slowly grabbed a fistful of hair from her head, yanking it up so she would have to face him. The cold grey eyes he beared where cold and calculated, cruel yet still cautious.
Addie tried to shrink away from his face as he neared, but the fistful of hair he held prevented her. She licked her lips in desperation, needing some moisture to dampen them. Addie could see almost every outline on his face; the trawling scar around his eye, greasy stubble matting his chin.
Her whole body trembled like it was being battered by a storm as he stared at her like meat, and she was in a storm. The icy weather beating down on all of them, the previous cool November air had disappeared, instead replaced by clouds of tumbling grey and sheets of pelting rain.
"Let's play a little game." His sickening voice said through the air, a quick glance towards Thomas did little to ease her fear's. He was in the most vulnerable position she had ever seen him in.
A squeal left her parted lips as her body was wrenched forwards into the man's grip. One burly tattooed arm was around her chest, holding her to him. The other arm she didn't dare to look at.
He had pulled out a heavy metal object. A gun. He held the killing contraption so casually in his hand, like it was a pen or a bottle of water.
"LET HER GO. I'LL KILL YOU" Thomas screamed at the man who payed no attention.
Addie's back was pressed against his stomach, she could feel the deep chuckle that rose from within the sadistic man.
He slowly pointed the gun at her brother as Addie's eyes widened in horror.
Her heart pounded even faster when the man pulled her hand into his own, pulling her finger's around the trigger, his mouth leaning down to reach her ear's.
"C'mon sugar, let's have some fun" All of her attention was on the man and Thomas, she couldn't even contemplate what she was being forced to do by this man.
"No" She cried at him, her arm's were shaking as she held the heavy bulk of metal. Her tear's were masked by the heavy rain that pelted into her face.
"LET HER GO. TAKE ME" Thomas attempted to yank his arms out of the grip of the man behind him.
"Do it" The man let go of the gun, leaving Addie in full control of it, she had less than a second in which she could pull the trigger on something else.
But it was too late, she watched in slow-motion as another gun was produced from his pocket, this time slowly travelling round until it rested onto her head. Her sobs were heightened as she could feel the metal, she couldn't take her eyes off of it.
"Pull it." The gun in her hand was heavy and smooth, not what she expected. But there was no way she could bring herself to pull it.
Thomas screamed at the sight before him. His baby sister was pointing a gun at him whilst a fucking evil bastard had one at her one head.
"Addie do it." He pleaded with her. His eyes prayed to her like a puppy, adorable. His whole face was contorted into pain.
"Please baby, pull it."
"I can'tttt" She wailed. The man holding her only proceeded to push the gun further into her temple.
"Shoot him and I won't blow your brains out" He whispered into her ear, as if it was supposed to make her happy.
Addie's head pounded, she couldn't kill him. Sure she had never said it but she loved Thomas and she knew deep down he loved her. He might annoy her but he was her brother. And the time that he took her and James to the football game, and when he d-
"Ads, do it" She was cut out of her thoughts when his word's bit through the foggy air.
"No"
"10" No, stop.
"9" The man continued, each time shaking his gun at her head slightly.
"I'm right here Addie, I'm fine, you can do it."
"8" Addie knew this was a form of torture, if she did it her brother's would never forgive her and neither would she.
"Please sweetheart"
"7"
"Addie, I need you to do it. Please.
"I can'tttt"
"6"
"If you don't pull it I will never forgive you"
"5"
"Please" His voice cracked. "Addie, I beg you"
"4"
"Goddamn it Addie, pull the trigger."
"3"
"I'm right here baby"
"NoO" Her cries broke through the pattering rain into Thomas' ears.
Addie's squeezed her eyes shut, her trembling hand's tightening slightly on the trigger.
"2"
"I love you Adeline, I do" Wrong time. Addie was openly sobbing, her shoulders were heaving and her breathes panted out her chest. Her eyes stung.
"Pull it or I blow your brain out" He sneered into her ear, a trail of goosebumps formed on her neck.
Her finger's tightened slightly on the trigger, not enough to let it go off, just slightly. She felt a wave of grief and terror washing over her and she hadn't even done it yet.
The world around her seemed silent as she locked her eyes onto the identical one's of her brother. A slight nod was portrayed across his pleading face and Addie knew. She knew what she had to do.
"1"
BANG