OUTCAST: A Stepbrother Romance (24 page)

“
S
ince when
?” he asked gloomily.

“
A
month
,” I said.

H
e didn’t have
to compute. We never had sex before, which made my revelation even more painful for him.

“
W
-Who’s the father
?” he finally mumbled the question I dreaded to hear.

I
couldn’t answer
.

I
didn’t want
to answer.

“
A
ndrea
!” he screamed. “Tell me! Who’s the father?”

I
wiped
the tears from my eyes with my arm. He was demanding to know. And I didn’t have the guts to tell him.

S
o I ran once more
.

A
way from him
.

A
way from it all
.

H
e followed me
. His stride was faster. In a matter of seconds, he’ll be able to catch up, and he’d confront me once again, and he’ll continue to press for an answer.

I
looked back
and saw him giving chase. Kyla was running with him.

A
few feet
away from the main road, a pickup truck suddenly stopped before me, blocking my path.

T
he driver’s door opened
, and out he came. Seemingly a savior. Seemingly a hero.

H
e was
the guy from the grocery store a few days ago. The man who helped me jumpstart my car. He was still wearing that dark green jacket that made him look very rugged and manly.

“
H
ey
, fancy seeing you here,” he greeted me with a smile.

T
hen he saw
my tears and realized that I was running away from someone. His smile disappeared, replaced by a serious look.

“
A
re you in trouble
?” he asked, his voice was filled with concern.

I
couldn’t respond
. I didn’t know how to react. I wasn’t in trouble, but I just wanted to get away... away from him... away from the goddamn school that has surely condemned me.

H
e saw
Finn and Kyla behind me. He grabbed my arm and led me to the other side of his truck.

“
G
et in
,” he firmly said, with so much conviction that I wasn’t able to refuse his offer.

A
nd so I did
.

I
slammed
the door shut and locked it. I saw the man go back to the side of the road, waiting for them to approach.

“
H
ey bud
,” he greeted Finn. “Is there a problem here?”

“
W
ho the fuck are you
?” Finn asked, irate at the stranger who he felt intruded on our affair.

“
W
ell
, I can be a friend,” the man said with a confident grin. “Or I can be your worst nightmare. You choose, bud.”

F
ury possessed Finn
. He drew his fist and struck at the man who tried to protect me. Deftly, he eluded Finn’s blow. He grabbed Finn’s arm in the middle of his punch, then kicked his midsection so hard that Finn collapsed on his knees.

K
yla started screaming
.

I
covered
my mouth in shock.

“
I
told you
, bud,” the man began to say, still with smug smile, “I can be your worst nightmare. Now, do leave my
friend
alone. A lady deserves her space.”

H
e left Finn there
, on the ground, clutching at his breadbasket. Kyla knelt beside him, trying to determine if he was okay. The man went back to his truck and we drove off.

F
or a minute inside his vehicle
, we were silent. I didn’t speak and he didn’t force me to say anything. He knew that I needed some time to process everything that has transpired. He was really a
nice guy
, just like how Aunt Susan described him.

F
inally
, when we took a right at Middletown Road, he began to talk to me.

“
C
razy boyfriend
?” he asked.

“
E
x
,” I corrected him. “Did you have to hit him?”

“
H
e was persistent
,” he explained. “I thought he wanted to hurt you or something.”

I
didn’t reply
. Finn was hurt by what he discovered earlier that night. I couldn’t blame him for being angry, for being desperate for some answers. He didn’t deserve getting kicked in the stomach. But I also understood why the man who was driving the truck reacted the way he did.

“
S
hould I bring you home
?” he wondered.

I
wanted to say yes
, but I was afraid. Nash would be there. And my folks too, most probably, if the movie they watched has ended. They’d see my tears. They’d ask what happened. And I can’t endure more questions that night.

“
I
n a while
, maybe,” I told him.

“
A
s you wish
,” he replied as his gaze was fixed on the road and he continued to drive.

“
W
here were you headed
?” I questioned. I didn’t want to be a burden to him.

“
N
owhere in particular
,” he remarked. “Do you always accept rides from strangers?”

I
slightly laughed
at his comment. It came out of nowhere, and the way he asked it was so casual, so dead pan, that it was actually funny... a welcome respite from the stressful night I was having.

“
N
o
, no I don’t,” I answered.

“
T
hen why did
you ride with me?”

“
B
ecause you’re a gentleman
,” I told him. “My stepmom said so herself.”

“
R
eally now
?” he responded with a smirk. “If things get sour between her and your dad... heaven forbid... tell her to call me. Maybe we could hook up or something.”

H
e actually made me laugh
, something which I thought was impossible that night.

A
few minutes
more and we turned right at Cedar Ravine Road, then left at Paydirt Drive. It was then when I started feeling anxious. It was a long, long way from home. Paydirt Drive was at the outskirts of the city, and it was a very dubious neighborhood at that. The
Bad Side of Town
, as it was called. The dark alleys, the groups of guys huddled in corners, the empty roads, the burning tires, the condemned buildings all over the place... all of these sights just confirmed everything I’ve heard about the area.

“
W
hat are we doing here
?” I asked nervously.

H
e didn’t reply
.

A
couple
of minutes more and we reached what looked like a residential building. It had a dilapidated facade. No light came out of the windows. It seemed to be abandoned.

A
lump formed
in my throat. I cursed myself for telling him not to bring me home immediately.

H
e went
out of his truck, then walked towards my side of the vehicle. He opened my door.

“
G
et out
!” he yelled.

G
one was the placid
, kind man he was earlier. His demeanor completely changed, from being mild-mannered to being impatient, aggressive and brusque.

“
G
et out
!” he screamed once more, jolting me into action. I stepped out of the truck and he slammed the door behind me.

“
B
e
a good girl and follow me,” he ordered. “Or else, I will have to drag you inside.”

“
W
-Where are we going
?” I asked as terror began to grip my soul.

“
J
ust a little night cap
,” he answered with a smile... a different kind of smile... one that seemed very, very sinister. “Come on, girl, we’ll just party.”

“
P
arty
?” I doubted. “That building looks empty.”

“
O
h trust me
,” he said. “My
brothers
are waiting for us inside.”

“
B
-But
... I have to get home soon...” I tried to reason out.

“
R
eally now
?” he questioned. “It won’t take long. And I’m sure Nash wouldn’t mind waiting.”

H
ow did he know Nash
? How did he know that I was related to him?

H
e winked
at me and grabbed my arm. He walked briskly towards the seemingly condemned establishment, hauling me with him. I tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he was too strong.

“
S
top struggling
,” he commanded. “Or else I’d have to send your arm back to your brother... without the rest of your fine young body.”

“
R
ise and shine
, boys! We got ourselves a guest!”

T
he man
in a green jacket greeted the room with a tone of authority and casualness... as if he was relieved to see familiar faces... as if he was happy to be home.

H
e pushed
me inside and slammed the door behind us.

T
he air
there was thick with smoke. The smell of cigarettes I recognized. But there was another scent... not from tobacco fumes... something milder but somehow more unsettling.

I
have never been so
afraid my entire life. My knees were trembling, so much so that I almost fell on the floor when I was pushed from the entrance.

T
he room was filled
with men... around ten or so. They were engaged in various activities. One was cleaning the barrel of his pistol on the table. Another was snorting a line of powder near the TV set. Two were playing cards. Others were chatting and laughing. More than half of them were smoking, some with sticks of cigarettes, others with substances I didn’t know.

I
was shaking all over
, so I crossed my arms to cover the bare skin between my shoulder and my bosoms. I knew my life was in danger. I didn’t want them to get other ideas about what they could do to me.

T
hen I saw them
: the bald latino with a dirty tongue and the white guy with an even fouler mouth... the ones who stalked me outside Linda’s store... the ones who robbed the same shop with Nash...

“
Y
o
!” the latino guy yelled. “Look who we have here, hommes. It’s the crab bitch! That Leva’s skeezer!”

T
he white guy
with the inverted baseball cap got up from the couch and approached me.

“
B
adaboom badabing
!” he screamed. “What she doin’ here, boss? We up for some gang bangin’?”

H
is lascivious smile
terrified me but I tried to put up a brave front. He attempted to smell me, but I quickly pulled my face away from his. He tried to touch my arm but I yanked it away immediately. That pissed him off. He raised his hand, and was about to slap me... the same way he slapped Linda, repeatedly, during the robbery.

I
closed
my eyes and prepared for the worst.

I
t didn’t come
.

“
S
top that shit
, Jerome,” someone said... another familiar voice... a voice I also heard at the convenience store more than a week ago. He was identified as Travis, a fact that Nash confirmed later on.

I
opened
my eyes and saw this Travis, holding the arm of the white guy, restraining him, preventing him from hitting me.

“
Y
ou ain’t
gonna tell me what to do, ya’ fuckin’ faggot!” the white guy, who Travis called Jerome, shouted at him.

“
W
atch your mouth
, else you’d be picking your teeth up from the floor,” Travis warned.

“
E
nough of that
, both of you,” the guy in the green jacket ordered, and instantly, the two men broke it up and proceeded to opposite corners of the room. “Travis is right. We have to be respectful to our guest...”

I
f this guy
was the leader of their gang, then Nash was right about him. He commanded respect, with the way he carried himself, with the way he talked, with the way he seemed different from his troops.

T
ravis raised his eyebrow
, mockingly, which further angered Jerome who jerked his arm away from Travis’ hold. Jerome gave him the middle finger.

T
ravis grabbed
me by the elbow and led me to a corner of the room. There was a solitary chair there, and he beckoned me to sit.

“
A
ndrea
, right?” he asked, with a calm demeanor. He had a kind face which was quite unexpected considering his tall and burly frame. His eyes were gentle. His hair was short and preppy, so much so that no one would mistake him to be a member of a gang. He was wearing a black hoodie jacket with a gray shirt underneath. He was Nash’s friend, and the fact that both of them seemed to have a preference for hoodies would’ve been a funny thought... if I wasn’t dead afraid about my fate.

M
y fate
.

A
s well as
my baby’s.

I
nodded
in response to his question as I desperately tried to be courageous. It was rather futile, however, as some tears escaped my eyes and began to trickle down my cheeks.

“
I
want
to tell you not to be afraid,” he continued to say, “but I can’t. I don’t want to lie to you. The people in this room... they are dangerous. They want Nash and they want him bad. In this group, there is no greater sin than betrayal.”

I
bowed
my head and looked at the floor. I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t know what to tell him. I saw my silver heels. I wanted to remove them so that I could run, as fast as I could, if ever I’d find an opportunity to escape. But judging from the number of their members in the room, vicious and armed and all, a foreboding sense of helplessness quickly quelled that idea.

T
hen he drew
his mouth near my ear. I immediately snapped my head backwards, fearing that he was going to do something lewd. But the back of my head reached the wall behind me, and he pressed his mouth forward before starting to whisper.

“
J
ust do whatever they say
,” he mumblingly told me. “They’re not after you. They’re after Nash and they’re just using you to get to him.”

D
o whatever they say
?
My heart started to beat faster as I became even more petrified by the realization that I was at the mercy of their group. He sensed it, though, and his next words tried to reassure me of my safety.

“
I
will try
to protect you as much as I can,” he continued. “If they try to do some... bad things... to you, I will try my best to stop them. I won’t let them harm you.”

I
felt a semblance of relief
. Whatever relationship... whatever bond... he and Nash had, it was deep enough to make him feel responsible for me.

“
W
-What about Nash
?” I nervously asked in a hushed tone.

T
ravis didn’t answer immediately
. He looked back at the room for a while, thinking of something to say, perhaps, before he turned to face me once again.

“
I
... cannot assure his safety,” he morosely replied.

“
W
hy
?” I questioned in shock.

“
B
ecause he betrayed us
,” Travis answered. “He broke the oath. No one should break the oath.”

“
W
-What are
you going to do to him?”

H
e looked
down as his eyes avoided mine. He seemed like he was wrestling with his conscience, divided between his love for Nash and his loyalty to his group.

“
H
e has to die
,” he responded... the tragedy in his voice was almost palpable.

“
W
hat
? But why? He’s your friend...”

“
B
ecause he left
us and he knew the consequence,” he replied, coldly that time as if he finally found a reason to actually believe what he was saying.

“
Y
our Nash’s best friend
,” I tried to remind him. “You’re his only friend. He joined this... this... this gang because of you...”

“
I
s
that what he told you?” he asked as his eyes darted towards mine. His expression suddenly changed, from being forlorn to being incensed.

“Y-Yes...” I struggled to say, frightened by how swiftly his mood changed.

“
H
e’s my friend
,” he admitted with conflicted vehemence. “He’s my brother. But he broke his oath, and the oath is sacred. He knew he would have to pay the price. And now, he will.”

“
I
t doesn’t have
to be like that,” I pleaded. “You can help me escape. I can tell Nash to just leave the city... leave the state... and no one will ever see him again.”

“
I
t doesn’t work
that way,” he told me as he shook his head. “That wouldn’t even work at all. This group... it’s part of the southwestern block of the
Bratva
...”

“
B
ratva
?
”

“
T
he Russian mafia
.”

I
gulped
as horror pinched every nerve ending I had. I knew that the gang was dangerous, but I never expected it to be connected to an even more terrifying organization.

“
E
ven if Nash
would move to another state, even another country,” he continued, “they will find him. The Russians, they don’t like deserters. They don’t like people who know their secrets roaming around outside of their control. Just one traitor and their entire operation can crumble. That’s why our group imposed that oath. But Nash... he chose to break that oath.”

“
H
e had to
,” I tried to defend my stepbrother. “He’s not a murderer. He couldn’t allow himself to be part of something that kills innocent old ladies at convenience stores.”

“
Y
ou’re talking
about the incident at Mosquito Lane?” he asked quizzically.

I
just nodded
.

“
J
erome was out of line
,” he explained. “But there were other ways to deal with him. We could’ve just punished him, based on our rules and our customs. However, Nash decided to walk away instead... and he has to answer for that.”

“
B
ut death
? You don’t have to kill him.”

“
A
ndrea
... trust me,” he whispered. “If the Russians catch him... the things they’ll do to him... they’d torture him... cut off his limbs and leave him breathing... a torso with a head attached to it... hang him in a hook and keep him alive by sticking a tube in his stomach... together with the countless breathing torsos they’ve been storing for years...”

T
he image
that formed in my head almost caused me to throw up, but I summoned every bit of internal fortitude I could gather just to remain strong.

“
N
ash would wish
that we just killed him,” he added, with a tinge of dejection in his eyes.

I
didn’t know
if I could trust Travis at that point. Yes, he was Nash’s friend. Yes, he wanted to keep me safe. But he also wanted Nash dead.

B
ut I didn’t have
a choice. I was in a room with a dozen or so men... strangers... armed and dangerous and with evil intent. I had to escape. I had to live. Not only for myself.

N
ot only for myself
.

I
had to tell him
.

“
T
ravis
...” I started to say. “I’m pregnant.”

I
was expecting
him to be surprised... to show some mercy about my predicament... to express even the tiniest hint of concern about the welfare of the helpless child in my womb.

I
got none of those
.

I
nstead
, he gave me an empty look. It was as if he already knew about it. Either that or he didn’t really care.

“
W
ho’s the father
?” he asked unemotionally as he looked back at the room to check if someone was eavesdropping on us.

I
met
his question with silence. I couldn’t answer him. I didn’t know what to tell him. Perhaps, the truth would’ve convinced him to spare Nash’s life. But it may also give him an option of using my baby - in addition to myself - as bait.

“
L
et me guess
,” he continued. “It’s Nash, isn’t it?”