Page 32 of Conquer

Twelve

Sam

“What the hellwere you thinking, Samara?” Ed hissed through clenched teeth.

I thought he would scream at me and at the same time deflate with disappointment. He seemed like he was struggling to think of which was the best option.

And I didn’t blame him.

Telling him the entire story had only reminded me of how stupid I had been, had reminded me that I had been so foolish, so overconfident and thoughtless, and now I was paying the price.

“I’m sorry for getting you involved in this, but I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” I said.

Ed waved me away and then shook his head.

“Sammy, why didn’t you just leave well enough alone?” he asked, his voice taking on a heart-wrenching disappointment.

It was the very same question I asked myself a thousand times in the last hours and one that I didn’t have an answer to.

“I don’t…” I started, trailed off when Ed shook his head.

“You just had to push it. Needed to prove yourself.”

I had looked down, the shame weighing on my head, but at the sound of Ed’s voice, I looked up again and saw his eyes darkening, that red flush growing ever more red with each breath.

“Push what?” I asked.

I had told him the story, but something in his reaction was off.

“I told you stay out of trouble, Sam,” he said instead of answering.

He pushed out of the chair that was across from me and walked to the phone.

I sat in stunned silence as he dialed the number, waited for a moment, and then whispered, “She’s here.”

He slammed the phone down and then glared at me, seeming to dare me to move, but I was frozen to my seat.

“Ed…”

“Don’t ‘Ed’ me, Sam.”

I gaped, blinking as I looked at him. “You too? You’re one of them?”

“No. Never even heard of them.”

“Then who did you just call?” I asked, stuttering over each word.

“Let me clarify. I’d never heard of them until about four weeks ago. Around then, I got a visit from your new friend,” he said.

“Oh, God! Did he threaten you? The girls?”

“Made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Ed said.

He laughed then, but I was too shocked, too disgusted to react.

“An offer you couldn’t refuse,” I said once I’d regained my ability to speak. “So, you mean he was going to hurt you, your family…”

I held my breath waiting for Ed’s answer, hoping that my faith in him wouldn’t be dashed.

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