Chapter 308: The Twisted Scheme

David’s POV

I stared at her, heart still hammering from everything I’d just dumped on Justin.

“What the hell are you talking about? What does Justin and I have to do with this nonsense? And when the hell did your father become a writer?”

Rachel smiled…slow, sweet, completely unhinged. “Everything, David. Now keep quiet and listen to the story that will have you glued to your seat.”

She leaned back like she was settling in for story time at a campfire. “Long ago, my father had a son… My younger brother… We were a happy, complete and normal family, until we realized that something was wrong with my brother.”

“Yeah of course, Sherlock. Something is definitely wrong with all your family members!” Holly wheezed from the floor, half-laughing, half-coughing through the pain.

Rachel exhaled through her nose, annoyed. “Someone duct-tape her mouth. Now,” she said in frustration.

Two of her goons moved fast. Holly thrashed as they grabbed her, rough hands pinning her down while she kicked and cursed. One of them pressed a strip of tape over her lips violently.

“Take it easy!” I screamed, jerking forward even though the ropes cut into my wrists. “She’s already hurt, you assholes! She’s bleeding!”

Rachel waved them off like it was nothing. “Now, now… Where were we?” She cooed.

“Oh yes…” she continued excitedly. “I was saying how messed up my younger brother is. So when Father realized all the help was not working…the therapists, the treatments, the medication…it was not working, he was still different from every regular kid… Father made up his mind to take him far away so as not to taint the family name. Guess where they took him to, David?”

She crossed her legs, sitting there like a crazy psycho queen on her throne of bones.

“I don’t know,” I answered coldly.

“Oh you have to know. Your participation will make us leave here faster…or not. Your choice.” She tilted her head, smiling wider. “So guess the place Father took him to?”

I didn’t want to play, but I also didn’t want Holly to get hurt worse. First thing that popped into my head: “Manhattan?”

“Correct!” she screeched, clapping like I’d won a prize. “You are so damn smart, David…which is why when all this is over, I’ll make you my man.”

At that, Holly started thrashing around on the floor, probably spitting every curse she knew behind the tape.

“I need her to be quiet,” Rachel said coldly to one of her men.

“No no no…wait!” Justin and I shouted at the exact same time as one of the men nodded.

But it was too late. One of the guys stepped over and cracked the butt of his gun against the side of Holly’s head. She slumped instantly, unconscious, body going limp on the dirty floor.

That must have fucking hurt! I swear to God, I’ll kill these assholes myself. And I’ll proudly go to jail for murder.

“Holly!” Justin screamed at the top of his lungs, voice cracking. “Oh my God! Is she dead?!”

I lunged against my ropes so hard I swear I heard them snapping slightly. “I’ll fucking rip your head off if anything happens to her, Rachel. I swear to God. I’ll…”

“Quit being dramatic,” Rachel sighed, cutting me off as she rolled her eyes. “Nothing’s wrong with her. She’s mostly just sleeping. But I can’t guarantee her safety at the end of this game.”

She flashed that cheeky little smile again. “Now shall we?”

Without waiting for us to answer, she kept going like we were at a damn book club.

“So, Father found a home for my brother in Manhattan…away from us back in LA…in a special place where he would be cared for with hope that he would change. For a while, things got better… in fact, he started going to a regular school like other kids his age. One summer, we came visiting and he told us about this friend he met who likes the kind of things he liked. He said his friend’s name is…”

She turned slowly to Justin, head tilted like a doll. “What do you think his friend’s name is?”

Justin’s face was pale and streaked with tears. “I fucking don’t know, you’re just a psycho…let us go before this gets any worse for you!”

“Wrong answer!” Rachel signaled to one of her men. The guy rounded on Justin, gun aimed straight at his forehead.

“I’ll ask again, boy and this time, you have to be as smart as your brother. What was his friend’s name?”

Justin’s eyes went huge, locked on the barrel inches from his face. His voice came out small and panicked. “I don’t know, for fuck sake! David? Was his friend’s name David?!”

Rachel threw her head back and laughed…loud, delighted, like we were the best comedy show she’d seen in years.

She waved the guy off. “Wrong. His friend’s name wasn’t David. It’s you. Justin. Justin Hunt.”

The confusion hit both of us at the same time. Justin and I just stared at each other, completely lost.

Justin’s voice came out shaky and unbelieving. “Are you saying I knew your not-so-normal brother?”

Rachel grinned. “Correct.”

I cut in fast, heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my teeth. “What is the point of all this? Are you trying to reawaken some lost flame? Was your brother in love with Justin? Is this some kind of twisted scheme?”

Rachel laughed again…softer this time, but way more dangerous. “Only one of your statements is correct. Guess which.”

Justin’s face deepened into pure disgust like he was seconds away from throwing up all over Rachel’s face. “Your brother was in love with me?”

“Nope.” Rachel leaned forward, eyes sparkling with pure madness. “This is a twisted scheme. It is my family’s twisted scheme. Now if you both will pay attention… I’m getting to the good part.”

The room felt smaller and the air thicker with the anticipation of whatever bomb she’s about to drop.

Holly was out cold on the floor, Justin was shaking, and Rachel looked like she’d been waiting her whole life to drop this bomb on us.

What the hell is really going on? Where is she going with this? Because right now it feels like the floor is about to drop out from under us…

And I’m not sure any of us are ready for the fall.