Leveling up

Meredith’s POV:

I came home from the Knight’s estate exhausted. As usual, my plans were thwarted once more. Prior to the Sunday service, I promised Dixon that we’d hit the mall for the shoes he was asking me to buy since last week.

My baby brother is not the sweet, blue-eyed, handsome boy I cuddled when there’s a storm anymore. He was no longer the innocent little kid who had done nothing back then to be punished for. Nevertheless, I love him no matter what. Dixon had put me through hell but he is also the reason why we are living a comfortable life as of now. It occurred to me that I should have pulled him closer because he is a child and that whatever flaws he had was okay and reassured him.

Technically, he didn’t ask to be in this situation. It wasn’t his fault. I’d like to punish myself and take all the blame.

It’s just four in the afternoon but the house from the outside show no signs of activity. Strange.

“I am home! If you hurry, we can still hit the mall!” I called.

No answer.

I shake my head and sighs heavily while I stare in disbelief, learning that he’s nowhere in the house after a couple of times of checking. It doesn’t add up.

“Okay, I know you are mad, but we’ve done this before and that last time was awful. I am sorry…I got caught up at something.”

Panic was slowly taking over me. I do not like myself when I am in this mode. My phone rings and I cussed myself for not even thinking rationally. Of course, Dixon has a phone and he’s not going anywhere without it. Like most teens these days, phones are like limb extensions. It’s him calling and I fumbled on pressing the accept button to connect.

“Oh, my God! Where are you?!”

[Chill, sis. I am at uncle Gustav’s place. I got bored. He dropped by---”

“Uncle? Is that what he made you call him? Don’t answer that. I will be there. And don’t go anywhere.” I warned him sternly. By this time, he knows he’s crossed the line and that old man is probably cajoling my brother that what he did was okay.

I can’t imagine it, to be honest.

Gustav is out of his mind if he thinks he can outsmart me this time. He agreed before to keep Dixon away from all his shit and he’s breaking the agreement we had. His soul is too dark to be content said the pastor earlier and that describes him perfectly down to the T.

I hurriedly left and in no time, I was pulling up at the sidewalk of the brownstone.

Honestly, I always hoped that there’s logic to Gustav, or how his brain works. The guard greeted me politely, a far cry when I first set foot here.

He is one of those men who wanted to rape me, these days, I enjoy dangling the importance I play in Gustav’s plans and make them drool. I pause, “is my brother here?”

“Miss, I am not allowed to disclose that information.”

“Loyal. I like that.” I answer for him, seeing how this might have panned out, and he shrugs, then nods at me. “But fuck you and your boss.”

Not waiting for him to retaliate, I made myself welcome and marched with rage spewing inside me. I know where they are. Gustav will never let Dixon in two places, his study where he works and the dungeon where he works as well.

The gazebo, it’s perfectly cool and the sun was out. And I was not wrong. I caught them laughing like it was supposed to be the normalest thing to do on the planet. I hated Dixon for even wanting to be seated face to face with the man who almost cost him his young life!

“Dixon, a word?”

“Sis!” Dixon beamed.

“Yeah, or wait at the car. Yeah, that’s much better, right?” I surmise, putting my best foot forward so he won’t notice I am steaming with anger. Gustav did not even acknowledge my presence or bother to explain how my brother ended up in his house.

It all makes sense. He’s an enabler. A Goddamn manipulator. What can a young man like Dixon do?

He left us, but before doing so, Dixon grabbed a bunch of paper bags from below the table, hesitating but smart enough to know that I won’t ask twice. Satisfied that he did not challenge my authority in front of the man I despise but had to work for, I lifted my chin higher. Gustav needs to know that he’s not always the boss.

“I got your text and assumed that it was over after that, it looks like it was more than lunch and when I came to the house to check, Dixon was all alone.”

“And now here you are,” I finish, making it clear I don’t need more details. “You take responsibility of buying my brother lavish stuff. Thank you. I know you like validations. I thought we had an agreement.” I stare him in the eye and unnerved, uttered the words I want to say clearly. “You leave Dixon alone. What the fuck happened?”

“Could you please, relax? Here I am, and here we are.” He smiles warmly at me, relieved at getting it all out, I guess.

“Relaxing is not in my vocabulary. You made sure of that.” That’s an understatement if I ever heard one.

“God, you sound like your mother.”

“My mother? You know my mother?” I’m curious about how out of nowhere, my mother came into the picture.

“No. I mean, you sound like a mother. Yes, that’s it.” That sounds strained.

“So, are you going to ignore the fact that you broke what we agreed to?” I raise a brow at him, and he shrugs. “Don’t you have a word of honor?”

“I prospered because of my word of honor.”

The thought of it makes me sick. Of course, it had to be that and his cold blood murdering shenanigans. He gets away with years of abuse and is treated like a King by his men. He’s the spawn of Satan dressed in luxury and bathed in glory.

“I bet.”

“Sit down, Meredith. I am glad you had to come here.”

“It’s not like I have a choice.”