Page 21 of Vicious Deception
“What other things happened?” Benny asks.
“There was . . . well, you see, he . . .”
Shit.I’m not sure this is the best time to talk about Sammy. That conversation should happen later, when I can be fully honest with them both.
“You mentioned we had a sister,” Andrew says. “What happened to her?”
Shit.
“She was killed.”
“What?” Benny’s voice is louder than I’d prefer. “Who killed her?”
“I don’t know. The police never figured it out.” It’s a lie, but it’s what the authorities told us instead of the truth—that they’d been paid off to keep quiet.
Besides, I can’t tell Benny and Andrew that Holloway killed our sister. I’m not sure Andrew would believe me, and it would only scare Benny. And with Ludo’s men in here, it’d reveal things I’m not sure I want to yet.
“It was a wrong place, wrong time kind of situation,” I say, which is true. “She managed to slip away from school one day, and on her way home, she was shot.”
“How old was she?” Andrew asks.
“Younger than Benny.”
Silence fills the room. They both stare at me, not even moving. It’s a lot—finding out you have two secret siblings, only to realize you’ll never get to meet one of them.
“Her name was Samantha,” I say thickly. “She liked playing dress up, she was allergic to strawberries, and she wanted to be a ballet dancer when she grew up.”
“And she’s . . . dead?” Benny asks.
I nod. “Has been for ten years.”
“That’s not fair!” His hands ball into fists on the table. “She shouldn’t’ve been killed!”
“I know.” As much as I want to brush past this so we don’t have to keep talking about Sammy, I don’t try to change the subject. That wouldn’t be fair to either of them. She’s their sister. If they have questions, they deserve answers.
“Getting upset about it isn’t going to do any good,” Andrew tells Benny. “It happened when you were a toddler. Just—”
“Don’t,” I say, cutting Andrew a sharp glare. “He’s allowed to be angry. He’s allowed to feel whatever he wants.”
“Why didn’t Dad have you guys move in with us?” Benny asks angrily. “We could’ve protected her.”
“Because he didn’t want us,” I tell him gently. “I was an accident—one that kept Richard from pursuing the career he wanted for years. I think my parents had Sammy as a way to try to fix their marriage, but it was too late. Richard was already checked out.
“After my mom died, Richard was hardly ever home. I thought he was spending all his time at bars or the like, but now I know he was with you guys.”
Benny’s eyes are shining as he says quietly, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” I tell him. “Besides, he didn’t treat us well. Maybe it was for the best that he wasn’t home much.”
“I guess,” Benny mumbles.
“I’m just glad we’ve found each other now,” I say with a smile.
His composure brightens. “And Mr. Holloway will help us find a way to stay together. I can live with Andrew, and you can visit us!”
As I nod, I force my smile to stay on my face. “Yeah. Absolutely.”
Benny goes on, but my mind stays stuck on one thought. We’ll find a way to get out of here, and we’ll make sure Benny doesn’t have to live with Richard again—but it won’t be because of Ludo’s help.