to come over there.”
“Come on, Jason.
I've got my hands full, all I was doing was agreeing with you. Where's the harm
in that?”
“Back off, don't make
me have to tell you again!” Without realizing it, Jason's foot applied more
pressure to the incapacitated man's throat in his agitation at Jake's words.
“If you don't
want to kill idiot number two, I suggest you let up on that oversized foot of
yours.”
Realizing what he
had been doing, Jason removed his foot and looked down at the man. Satisfied
that his chest still moved up and down, he was still breathing. Casting his
eyes towards his younger brother, Jason pointed at him. “When this is all over,
I'm gonna hurt you,” Jason said through bared teeth.
The man Josh held
captive was confused. They looked alike, only one had fair hair and the other
dark. The one who had escorted the woman from the room was obviously a twin to
the blonde, yet they seemed to be at odds, but they worked together seamlessly.
He couldn't help thinking the blonde still in the room seemed slightly demented
and the one who held him seemed to take pleasure in pushing his buttons. He had
seen the move blondie had put on Vince. He hadn't even been paying him any
attention, he had been focusing on the woman, yet Vince was out for the count.
What had they gotten themselves into? They weren't paying him enough to have to
deal with these machines.
“Sure, bro,
whenever you're ready. I'm your man.” Josh was amused, deriving enjoyment from getting
a rise out of Jason. He knew, as did Jason, that they had this situation under
control. If this was all they had to throw at them, they were on their way home
sooner than he had anticipated.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Inside the
bedroom, Aviva sat down on the loveseat at the foot of the bed and looked up at
Jake, leaning against the closed door.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure,
Aviva?”
“Jake, I'm fine.
It doesn't matter how many times you ask me, the answer will still be the same.
I'm fine.”
“I hear you but I
don't believe you. You don't seem fine to me.”
“What are you
talking about?”
“You seem, I
don't know...splintered.”
“Splintered?”
“Yeah,
fragmented, thinking one thing and doing another.”
“Jake, if you're
going to stay in here and be my watchman, you need to make sense, because
honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about.” Aviva's tone was meant to
dismiss whatever point he was trying to make. She was fine…and if she kept
saying it out loud, maybe she would convince these overbearing men, and more
importantly herself, of the validity of her words.
“You need to tell
Jason what happened to you while you were gone. That man would give his life
for you. Those men out there, they're just the first wave. They're going to
come harder and faster, and we need to be prepared.
We only just
found our brother, and we want the opportunity to get to know him. You’re
essential to him, and by extension, important to us. Please don’t take that the
wrong way; we’ve all come to love you, but I won't allow you to withhold
information that will keep Jason safe.
When he asks you
to tell him what you've been through, I would ask that you answer him
truthfully, leaving nothing out. This family can't do without him now that
we've found him. I can't do without him. He's the something I've always felt
was missing, I didn't know what it was, all I knew with a certainty was there
was a part of me missing. I know what that is now. So, I ask you, please, don't
let him go into battle for you unprepared. I know it will be hard for you, but
he needs to know, he needs to know it all.”
Jake’s words were
so pure they lodged in her heart. They were also more words than he had spoken
to her in all the time she had known him. Jason was finally amongst family,
people who offered him unconditional love. How could she deny his request, no
matter how much it hurt her in the reliving?
Nodding her head,
she gave her
“Come on, Jason.
I've got my hands full, all I was doing was agreeing with you. Where's the harm
in that?”
“Back off, don't make
me have to tell you again!” Without realizing it, Jason's foot applied more
pressure to the incapacitated man's throat in his agitation at Jake's words.
“If you don't
want to kill idiot number two, I suggest you let up on that oversized foot of
yours.”
Realizing what he
had been doing, Jason removed his foot and looked down at the man. Satisfied
that his chest still moved up and down, he was still breathing. Casting his
eyes towards his younger brother, Jason pointed at him. “When this is all over,
I'm gonna hurt you,” Jason said through bared teeth.
The man Josh held
captive was confused. They looked alike, only one had fair hair and the other
dark. The one who had escorted the woman from the room was obviously a twin to
the blonde, yet they seemed to be at odds, but they worked together seamlessly.
He couldn't help thinking the blonde still in the room seemed slightly demented
and the one who held him seemed to take pleasure in pushing his buttons. He had
seen the move blondie had put on Vince. He hadn't even been paying him any
attention, he had been focusing on the woman, yet Vince was out for the count.
What had they gotten themselves into? They weren't paying him enough to have to
deal with these machines.
“Sure, bro,
whenever you're ready. I'm your man.” Josh was amused, deriving enjoyment from getting
a rise out of Jason. He knew, as did Jason, that they had this situation under
control. If this was all they had to throw at them, they were on their way home
sooner than he had anticipated.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Inside the
bedroom, Aviva sat down on the loveseat at the foot of the bed and looked up at
Jake, leaning against the closed door.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure,
Aviva?”
“Jake, I'm fine.
It doesn't matter how many times you ask me, the answer will still be the same.
I'm fine.”
“I hear you but I
don't believe you. You don't seem fine to me.”
“What are you
talking about?”
“You seem, I
don't know...splintered.”
“Splintered?”
“Yeah,
fragmented, thinking one thing and doing another.”
“Jake, if you're
going to stay in here and be my watchman, you need to make sense, because
honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about.” Aviva's tone was meant to
dismiss whatever point he was trying to make. She was fine…and if she kept
saying it out loud, maybe she would convince these overbearing men, and more
importantly herself, of the validity of her words.
“You need to tell
Jason what happened to you while you were gone. That man would give his life
for you. Those men out there, they're just the first wave. They're going to
come harder and faster, and we need to be prepared.
We only just
found our brother, and we want the opportunity to get to know him. You’re
essential to him, and by extension, important to us. Please don’t take that the
wrong way; we’ve all come to love you, but I won't allow you to withhold
information that will keep Jason safe.
When he asks you
to tell him what you've been through, I would ask that you answer him
truthfully, leaving nothing out. This family can't do without him now that
we've found him. I can't do without him. He's the something I've always felt
was missing, I didn't know what it was, all I knew with a certainty was there
was a part of me missing. I know what that is now. So, I ask you, please, don't
let him go into battle for you unprepared. I know it will be hard for you, but
he needs to know, he needs to know it all.”
Jake’s words were
so pure they lodged in her heart. They were also more words than he had spoken
to her in all the time she had known him. Jason was finally amongst family,
people who offered him unconditional love. How could she deny his request, no
matter how much it hurt her in the reliving?
Nodding her head,
she gave her
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