Chapter 28

Chapter 27
He slowly closed his eyes just as his bedroom door was swung open, letting out a loud groan as it was. He flew to a sitting position, pushing the blanket more securely around Bree.

“Justin, Iris just called me, I can take Bree over now.” Cierra’s blue eyes rounded to quarter size as she raked them over Justin and Bree.

“Okay, Cierra, give me a minute, we'll be ready soon.” He watched Cierra step back out of the room, closing the door. He turned to Bree and gently rubbed his knuckles against Bree’s soft cheek, “Babe, wake up, we have to go, darlin’.”

“Change of plans.” The voice flew over him as he was heading to the basement.

He turned on the concrete steps, “What, why?”

“We’re getting rid of the girls or we need to move the rest of them tonight, we are running out of time and I don’t know how much longer I can hold the department off, they’re becoming suspicious.”

“Well you’re doing a lot of good aren’t you?”

“I’m not the idiot that held onto a girl for five years, now, am I? I’m not the idiot who let that one get away, she remembered her dad you know that since you couldn’t pass off as hers."

“Ugh, what do you want me to do?”

Marnie strained to hear the two men talking, she could tell that one was younger, while the other, Burly, was older.

“Move them tonight, you don’t have a choice.” The younger one said. “Move them or kill them, cut our losses.”

“Killing them would be easier.” The deeper voice rumbled.

She couldn’t hear anything more over the rush of her heart beat drumming through her ears. She had to keep her head.

“Can we have fun first?” the deep voice demanded.

Fun first the nauseating feeling made her empty stomach heave, nothing came up. Attack. If they came in attack. The way Uncle Justin had taught.

She heard the metal slide and clang then the door to her prison opened.

“Time for a lesson, since I can’t teach one six nine, I guess I’ll teach you.” The tall, buff man began.

The minute he grabbed her bare leg Marnie slammed her other foot up into his face, making him scream in pain. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose as the anger flashed along his dark brown eyes, turning them black.

Marnie tried to run around him but he snatched her back by the hair and slammed her back into the stone wall across from them. She let out a cry of pain as she slumped to the floor. Her cheek pressed into the cool paved stone. Tears stung her eyes as her back throbbed against the pain.

“Wait, we have to wait, new plan, let’s go!” the young man’s shout echoed around her.

She felt the thud of the door bang through her body. She let the tears fall. Where was her uncle?

~

Bree had wanted to stay with Justin in bed but now they were walking up the driveway of Iris’s. He had pulled on the dark faded jeans and a gray t-shirt, as if it was his typical uniform. While she’d found a light pink shirt and a lighter pair of blue jeans.

Ben, Cierra and Holly were in front of them, wearing dressier clothes. Ben and Cierra were flashing glanced back at her and Justin as they made their way to the door.

Ben rapped loudly against the door, where shortly after the door was pulled open quickly.

Bree reached for Justin’s hand instantly, her fingertips brushed his but she pulled away. She could do this.

She felt fingers clasp her hand tightly, “It’s okay, darlin’, I’ll be right here beside you.”

She glanced up at him but nodded her head. She was still a little confused on why they were here. Justin still hadn’t explained. Her eyes landed on Iris, her hair was a little disheveled, her eyes looked so dead and tired. She frowned a little, she had to do something.

“Hi, Bree, how are you doing?”

“I’m fine, I’d ask you the same but I can only imagine.” She whispered.

Iris pulled her into a hug but Justin didn’t let go of her hand, “Well, yeah, but hopefully after today we’ll find out who you really are.”

Bree frowned as she turned to Justin, “What’s she talking about?”

“We want to introduce you to someone, darlin’, see if you remember them and if they remember you, then we need another DNA test.” He explained softly.

“And what if I don’t want to meet anyone else?” she demanded.

“I don’t know, I didn’t think about it, I thought it would be okay.”

“It’s not okay, Justin, all I want to do anymore is try to get the girls free.”

“Okay, okay, hold on,” Justin began, he glanced at everyone staring at them. He pulled her out of ear shot of everyone. “How about we introduce you to this person, and if neither one of you feel anything, Ben, you and I will go, okay?”

She pursed her lips together as she stared at the carpet as she thought about it, “Okay, you promise?”

Justin sighed, “I promise, beautiful.” He held his hand out to her and she slowly took it. “Okay, Iris, let’s do this.”

She gestured to the living room and led all of them in.

When Bree’s gaze landed on the older woman, she pulled back on Justin’s hand, “Who is she?” she took in the sharp violet eyes, the gray streaked brown hair that was the same shade as her own.

The woman stood from the couch with so much grace, “I’m Amelia Benson, I’m Clay’s mother.”

“Clay’s mother? And why would we know each other?”

Amelia smiled softly, “My daughter, Dezerea, had a daughter as well, you have her eyes, my eyes also” she whispered as she moved closer. She reached out a wrinkly hand and cupped Bree’s cheek. Something flickered in her violet eyes. “Embrey, my sweet Embrey.”

Bree pulled away, “I don’t know who Embrey is, I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t be her.” she whispered as she studied the older woman closely. Nothing was familiar about this woman.

Amelia reached into a pocket of her neatly pressed dress slacks, she seemed so elegant, and Bree didn’t belong in her world. “This man you remember as your father though.” She handed the picture she’d pulled from her pocket to Bree.

Bree reached out a trembling hand and took the picture, “At least I think that’s who he is, and whose the woman?” her gaze locked with Amelia’s.

“His wife, my daughter.”

“So, Clay’s sister,” she handed the picture back quickly. “If you thought Clay was related why haven’t you ran a test with me and him?” she turned to Justin quickly.

“I will do the test, my dear,” Amelia began. “It’s better to do it that way because, Clay was adopted by Larry and me before we had Dezerea.”

“So, it wouldn’t match.”

“No, it wouldn’t.”