Page 41 of Gemini
He signed one word. “No.”
“What do you mean ‘No’?”
He took out his phone and I watched his thumbs fly across the keys. Then he turned his phone to me.
I scanned his words. Then I read them again. “I know the Serpents probably know where I live. But you can’t make me stay,” I answered.
“I can’t let you go.”
I shook my head. “Are you really going to force me?”
He nodded.
I felt the panic rise in me. “So what?” My voice shook. “You gonna keep me locked away again? Like last time? You’re really going to do that? Just like at the church. All because I know where you live now, and I’m—I’m some kind of liability, is that it?” I started to back away from him in utter disbelief.
His mouth set in a hard frown. “No. You won’t be locked up,” he texted. “But you can’t go back. You are staying here with us, where we can watch you.”
“You can watch me just fine from your computer. I saw that you were.”
“It’s not enough now.”
I slipped around the bed, nearly stumbling back. “Please, Dom.”
He walked slowly toward me and signed, “I’m sorry.”
My back was almost to the far wall, just where the window was covered by the blackout curtain. I knew there was no way to get around him. “You two are real bastards, you know that?”
His expression darkened into something I almost didn’t recognize. And in that moment, I realized just how right his brother had been.
I whirled around and shot for the window, swiping the curtain nearly off the hanger to try and pry the screen open, hoping for a fire escape. But I was too slow. He pulled me away, picking me up and carrying me around the bed. I cried out and tried to fight, but the pain was too much so I yelled and cursed at him instead. “Damn you, Dom! Damn you, both. I hate you!”
He sat down on the edge of the bed, straddling me on his lap as he held me tight. I tried to struggle out of his grip, but it was futile. He held my arms to my sides so I could hardly move. Kicking out my feet only hurt more.
“Please, Dom! Please!” I begged, but he wouldn’t let go. I begged and begged but he ignored me. Instead, he brushed a hand over my head to try and comfort me. I tried to tug my head away, but it was pointless. His arm only wrapped around me tighter as I writhed against him. “Why are you doing this?” I nearly screamed. “Why do you care?!”
He didn’t try to sign to me and tell me why, he just held me, now starting to rock me like I was a child he was trying to calmdown. The panic rose to the surface and burst out of me. I bent forward, gasping for air.
I licked my lips, desperate to gather my composure. “I’ll…I’ll go to my parents’. I won’t be alone,” I said, trying to compromise.
Dom removed his hand from my head and I heard the tapping of his phone. The screen came into my view.
“They will try to finish what they started. You’re too involved now. They might try to take you as soon as you’re alone.” He was talking about the brotherhood.
“What about…my brother?”
“I have him watched. But they’ve clearly set their sights on you because you’re an easier target.”
My mouth trembled, my body shaking.
“Breathe.”
I closed my eyes and tried to slow my breath. “I don’t want to…go through this again,” I whispered. “I don’t want to…” I inhaled, unable to finish. I felt the sob coming and I couldn’t contain it. I sniffed, keeping my head bent as I blinked away a few tears. “I don’t want to be scared.”
“You don’t need to be,” he typed. But that only made more tears come. Did he know it was him and his brother I was scared of? That I was afraid that what happened at the church was going to happen again?
I couldn’t bring myself to say it. Instead, I watched my tears drip on the wooden floor, feeling defeated.
Dom held me for a while longer until I finally started to calm down. I didn’t even protest when he picked me up and brought me back into the living room. He sat me on the couch and handed me the drink that was left on the coffee table. A strawberry lemonade. Then he took out the contents of the brown bag. Two white boxes. Opening them revealed sliders and some chicken wings. He offered me some and I took a slider.
