Darkness Before Dawn

out why, but still come up blank. I just keep mulling over the Dean is family part.
    "What do you mean Dean's family? Whose family is he?" I ask.
    Connor exhales. "Look, like I said, our families used to be close. Even after that whole thing went down, some of us stayed close. You have nothing to worry about with Dean. Benny's the scariest motherfucker in the equation."
    I shake my head. "You guys use the term family really fucking loosely. So why did they take me and Blake? Why the hell did they take you?" I ask Mark, turning my body to face him.
    Mark shrugs. "Wrong place, wrong time. Benny started complicating things when your dad was working in the city and Jamie O'Brien and Brian Benson couldn't come to an agreement over some stuff. There was a lot of money involved, Benny took it a step further and kidnapped you and Blake. I still don't know why the fuck they took me, to be entirely honest with you. I've learned to let it go though. I got sick of trying to figure it all out, and I was fine with knowing that you and Blake were safe. At least I did something right."
    I nod in agreement and appreciation because he's right, if it wasn't for him, who knows where we'd be right now. I just can't believe all of these people were friends before all of this and lost their ties because of one guy.
    "Why did that Benny guy start so much shit? What's his deal?" I ask curiously.
    "He's a psycho, that's his deal," Connor says, as Mark nods his head in agreement.
    "He's never been right in the head, but I think greed is the root of his problem," Mark adds.
    "We're all greedy," Connor mutters below his breath.
    "Yeah, and we're all fucked up," Mark replies with a shrug before taking another swig of beer.

 

    I've been staring at the door, waiting for Dean to come in any minute, but the minute never seems to come. I've already been to the bathroom ten times since I woke up, and each time I feel like somebody is drilling my lower back—that's how much it hurts. I run my hands over my neck for what seems like the millionth time since I've been here. I was wearing the necklace Cole gave me the day they took me, and I miss having it around my neck. Not that I need it to remember him, but I hate that they took it from me. When will they stop taking? I don't even want the answer to that question.
    My ears perk up when I hear the door unlock quietly, followed by the quickening heart when I see Dean appear in the threshold wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black hooded sweater that's fitted to his body. His hair is damp and messy, not his usual style. We haven't spoken about the moment we shared the other day. In fact, we haven't spoken much at all. He's been here every day since, but our conversations are always short and to the point. He asks how I'm feeling, gives me my food, and leaves. Sometimes I could swear he's standing right outside the door and the thought that he'd rather leave me alone here bothers me endlessly. It was nothing, dammit!
    My eyes travel down his body and I notice the brown paper bag in his hand as he strides over to me and sits down beside me.
    "Hungry?" he asks casually.
    I nod and he hands me the bag. When I open it I find a sandwich, chips and a can of pop.
    "Are you going to talk to me or run away like a little girl?" I ask when I finish chewing my first bite. His chuckle makes my eyes roam over his lips before I look into his eyes.
    "I haven't been running away like a little girl, chick. I just...it's not right for me to have almost done that and then come back in here wanting to do more. It's just not right. Even I know that."
    The side of my lip twitches. "Since when do you care about what's right or wrong?"
    "Are you testing me? If you start testing me, I'll cave," he says with a half smile, walking closer to me.
    I shake my head vigorously and put my hands up. "Nah, I think we should just be friends."
    He stops walking and laughs loudly, throwing his head back. "It's not you, it's me?"
    I crinkle my nose. "Something like that," I reply with a laugh.
    And just like that, we're back to being us.
    "Tonight's the big party here," he whispers as I take a sip of Coke. "I'm going to leave the door unlocked for you and this under the bed." He pulls out a small flip phone from his back pocket and slides it under the mattress. "Listen to me very fucking carefully, Blake, because I don't want this to get fucked up. You don't use that phone—period. I call you, it vibrates, you get it and do not pick it up.