“Why isn’t that working?” Luke asks.
“He’s getting better at resisting,” Seth replies.
Seth’s power allows him to manipulate people’s thoughts and actions. From what I’ve seen, it’s incredibly effective, so I’m just as curious to know why it’s not working.
“I can stop him from resisting,” Brad says, seizing Matteo by his shirt collar, and hot rage sears through me.
I will fucking end you, Brad Henning.
I’m not thinking clearly right now. Just push to my feet and start around the church. This is a mistake—the rational part of my mind knows this. But whatever they’re doing, they’ll do to Matteo over my dead body.
As I navigate through the board they typically enter through, I accept that this could mean exposing my cover. Iwant to know the truth about my brother, but not at the expense of Matteo’s life.
I use my flashlight to light my way. When I find the cellar door, I trade the light for my pocketknife, drawing the blade. I open the door carefully, quietly, and start down the steps. There’s no way to do this without them seeing me coming up on them, so I just gotta be ready to go all in.
As far as I’m aware, Seth is my biggest threat. They all have powers, but they’re limited, not strong enough to take me on. Maybe I need to cover my ears until I can get to him and keep him from talking. That’s likely the only way I’m gonna get through this.
Great of an idea as that might be, I don’t know how I’m gonna manage that.
“How the hell did this happen?” Luke asks.
“Like any of us fucking know,” Seth snaps back.
I was right—they found out Matteo knows their secret.
As the guys come into view, they’re surrounding a squirming Matteo, too invested in restraining him to notice my entrance.
Brad manhandles him. “Stop fucking moving.”
Matteo turns and spots me. Red-faced, veins popping in his neck, he’s clearly been struggling for a bit. His eyes look strange, though. Darker than usual.
Have they already done something to him?
As we make eye contact, he increases his efforts, thrashing about, keeping their attention on him. He twists his head either way quickly, loosening the gag and calling out, “Let me go!”
I wonder if he did that to distract them, give me a chance. Regardless, now that I have an opportunity, I better not fuck it up.
I rush down the remaining steps, coming up behind Seth. I hook my arm around his head, clamping my hand on his mouth and using the other to depress my blade against his neck, pressing enough that he knows I mean business.
“I’ve got a knife,” I warn him.
“The fuck, Alexei?” Luke asks as I pull Seth away from the others so I can secure my hostage.
“Let him go!” I shout.
“Alexei—” Luke starts.
“No, you all are gonna shut the fuck up. I know what you guys can do, and I swear, if any of you says another word, and if you even open your mouth to try, Seth, I’ll shove this into your carotid artery, I fucking swear.”
The guys exchange glances, surely wondering why someone they considered their friend is doing this. Also, I’m sure, trying to figure out how they can outmaneuver me.
I’m shaking. Seth must know how fucking scared I am right now.
I haven’t thought this through. Was going off instinct, and I’m lucky to have succeeded this far. But if they call me on my bluff, they’re gonna realize I don’t have it in me to kill a guy. At most, maybe, I could maim him.
But they don’t know that.
I remind myself the only thing that matters is that I get Matteo out of here safely.
