Putting away the last of the cleaning supplies, and taking one last look at the kitchen before I switched off the lights, I was overcome with a wave of exhaustion as I met back up with everyone in the foyer.
I had to rush upstairs to pack a few things before we headed out. I was far too tired to entertain the fear that settled beneath my skin, and I had to believe that putting my trust in Stephan was the right move to make for now.
I looked around, noticing that everyone was there except for Natalia, and one of Stephan’s friends pointed to the staircase. I headed up to meet her, worried that she was having second thoughts about going. She was hiding out in my bedroom, and from the moment the door swung open, I could see the familiar sense of fear in her eyes. She was clutching one of my pillows, looking up at me right as she shook her head.
“I don’t want to go with them, Annika. We have no idea who they are! For all we know, they could’ve been the ones behind this!” she yelled, the tears streaming down her face, while she struggled to catch her breath.
“I don’t think they’re behind this, Natalia. The truth is, I don’t want to go with them either, but if we stick around here, we could very well be putting ourselves in more danger,” I said, calm and collected. I was trying to keep it together just as much as she was, but one of us had to make the decision, otherwise, we could’ve been in a lot more trouble.
“How can you be so sure?”
“I can’t, but they lost a friend tonight, and you lost the guy you were just getting to know. It’s a shock to all of us, but I’m not going to risk those men coming back when we’re alone and vulnerable. Stephan and his friends stuck around to help, and the truth is, we should be more prepared for these kinds of things, especially knowing what our families do for a living. We have to be strong right now, Natalia. I know you’re scared, so am I, but you’re not going with them alone. I’m going to be right by your side.” I reassured her, and her expression started to soften. I watched her finally let go of the pillow, helping me pack a few things before we took off into the night with the strangers we’d just met.
I don’t know what to think, what to believe about any of this. I hope that I made the right decision by following them out of my home, going with these complete strangers to increase my odds of staying alive. I still have no idea what those men even wanted, and I’m starting to worry that I’m in much more danger than even I realize. It’s a feeling, settling in the pit of my stomach, reminding me that I’m playing a dangerous game by trusting Stephan. But I have to remember that he did save my life. He did go out there with a single gun in his hand to take on who knows how many intruders. That’s what’s getting me through all of this; the thought that he may actually have a good heart and genuinely want to help.
I knew that very well could’ve made me the most naive person on the planet, but the other option was to wait around like a sitting duck with no weapons at our disposal. In all my years knowing exactly what my parents were up to, I never bothered to learn how to shoot a gun. I put up a wall when it came to my parent’s criminal career path, and I wanted nothing to do with any of it because I was enthralled by the idea of a normal life. Now, I was sitting in a car with men who I had to assume knew their way around the crime circuit because it was precisely what I imagined how my father would’ve reacted to a situation like that.
I didn’t want to pry too much, nor did I want to give Stephan the idea that I didn’t trust him, because I didn’t know if he was the type to retaliate or not. I was playing the entire situation by ear, looking out for any red flags along the way, and any signs that would tell me I should’ve stayed put, waiting for my parents to come home.
I have to believe that they would know what to do in a situation like this, but if I were to tell them what happened, I can’t imagine the consequences I’m going to face.
My father had very strict rules about how things operated under his roof, and he always warned us about what we’d have to deal with if we ever disobeyed him. Judging from the way we left the house, no one would’ve ever guessed that a break-in and murder occurred, and I was so grateful that Stephan was there.
I wouldn’t have even known where to begin cleaning up a crime scene like that, destroying every little indication that something terrible had happened, leaving without a trace. I was trying to calm myself down with the fact that I was only going to be gone for a few days, waiting until my parents returned, and then I could hopefully resume my life as normal.
I don’t think that my life is ever genuinely going to be normal again.
“Where are we going exactly?” Natalia asked.
“I’m taking you both back to our house for the evening. Once we get a better idea of how bad the threat is, you can decide where you want to go from there. I know that it may be out of the question to let your father know what happened, Annika, but I’m leaving that decision up to you. You both were very hospitable to us tonight, and I’d just like to return the favor,” Stephan said, glancing over at me in the passenger seat, and I smiled warmly.
I can’t explain why I feel so safe with you, Stephan. Maybe it was the way you took on those men when you had no idea what they wanted, or maybe it was how you stuck around to help me clean up a mess I’d never seen in person before, but I feel indebted to you in some way. I feel relief when I’m around you, and I can only hope that you don’t make me regret that.
