could be different, Luke said, "My whereabouts are secret. No one is supposed to know I'm here. How'd you know?"
"Let's just say someone in the FBI granted me a favor," Cedrick told him without changing the expression on his face.
"Brandon?"
Cedrick didn't answer. He just stared at his brother.
Silence.
After several moments, Luke stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweat pants, turned and headed to the window. Looking outside, he said, "I know it may not mean much but I came looking for you the day the mansion was raided."
"To cover your own ass?"
"No, to set you free."
"Too little too late."
Luke couldn't say anything else.
"Who's idea was it to kidnap me?" Cedrick asked.
"Mother’s."
"But you and Darien went along with it."
"What other choice did we have?"
"The right fucking choice!" Cedrick yelled angrily. "I was your damn brother for God's sake!"
With his back still to his brother, Luke said, "And if we had made the right choice as you say, what do you think she would've done to us ?"
Shaking his head, Cedrick said, "So, rather than die yourself for doing the right thing, the two of you decided to let me sit in that room and die day after, day after, day for trying to do the right thing for the family, huh?"
The truth pained Luke. He closed his eyes and grimaced.
"Do you know what she put me through in that room, Luke? Do you know the things she did to me? Do you know the torture?"
Luke continued to keep his eyes closed. The darkness behind his eyelids somehow made the moment easier to deal with. His heart and conscience was still killing him though.
"Yeah," Cedrick continued. "I think you know. In fact, I'm sure you know seeing as how you're the father of our own baby sister's child."
Luke grimaced again in shame. The truth cut like a knife. It cut all the way through to his soul and further.
"Yeah, you know what that sick bitch did to me. It was hell, a hell that you played a part in locking me in."
Luke couldn't speak. He couldn't turn to face his brother knowing he'd failed him terribly. He'd betrayed him and didn't look back. Up until the moment just before the raid, all he had thought about was himself. Now he was truly ashamed of himself for being so selfish.
"Don't worry about it though," Cedrick said. "I didn't come here to argue and point fingers. I just came to let you know to enjoy the ride ahead of you."
Luke opened his eyes and turned.
"Seeing you sit in here isn't satisfaction enough for me, Luke, especially now that I've discovered you've cut a deal that will most likely allow you back on the streets again. No, I'm not satisfied."
Both brothers eyed each other.
"What's going to satisfy me is seeing the look on your damn face, Luke, when you have no idea what is coming finally collides with you. There's a huge shit storm coming. When it does, there will be no deals. There will be no way to hide or run. When it happens, what you've lost up until this moment will in absolutely no way compare to what you will lose then ."
Luke listened in silence. His ears had never been more focused on someone's words than they were at that moment.
" That's when I'll be satisfied, Luke. And mark my words, little brother. It's coming."
With those words spoken, Cedrick stood up.
“Cedrick, we’ve got to stick together, bro. Did you hear what happened to Darien last week?”
“No, and don’t care,” Cedrick muttered as he turned and left the room leaving Luke with silence to bare, inner demons to battle and a curiosity of what his brother meant by "You have no idea what is coming until it finally collides with you.”
Luke dropped his head.
The door opened.
Footsteps quickly made their way across the floor to Luke.
"Mr. Bishop?"
"Yeah."
"Look, I shouldn't be telling you this but…”
Officer Flippen stopped before speaking further.
Looking at the officer, Luke asked, "What is it?"
With a nervous expression on his face mixed with worry, the officer looked at the door and then
"Let's just say someone in the FBI granted me a favor," Cedrick told him without changing the expression on his face.
"Brandon?"
Cedrick didn't answer. He just stared at his brother.
Silence.
After several moments, Luke stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweat pants, turned and headed to the window. Looking outside, he said, "I know it may not mean much but I came looking for you the day the mansion was raided."
"To cover your own ass?"
"No, to set you free."
"Too little too late."
Luke couldn't say anything else.
"Who's idea was it to kidnap me?" Cedrick asked.
"Mother’s."
"But you and Darien went along with it."
"What other choice did we have?"
"The right fucking choice!" Cedrick yelled angrily. "I was your damn brother for God's sake!"
With his back still to his brother, Luke said, "And if we had made the right choice as you say, what do you think she would've done to us ?"
Shaking his head, Cedrick said, "So, rather than die yourself for doing the right thing, the two of you decided to let me sit in that room and die day after, day after, day for trying to do the right thing for the family, huh?"
The truth pained Luke. He closed his eyes and grimaced.
"Do you know what she put me through in that room, Luke? Do you know the things she did to me? Do you know the torture?"
Luke continued to keep his eyes closed. The darkness behind his eyelids somehow made the moment easier to deal with. His heart and conscience was still killing him though.
"Yeah," Cedrick continued. "I think you know. In fact, I'm sure you know seeing as how you're the father of our own baby sister's child."
Luke grimaced again in shame. The truth cut like a knife. It cut all the way through to his soul and further.
"Yeah, you know what that sick bitch did to me. It was hell, a hell that you played a part in locking me in."
Luke couldn't speak. He couldn't turn to face his brother knowing he'd failed him terribly. He'd betrayed him and didn't look back. Up until the moment just before the raid, all he had thought about was himself. Now he was truly ashamed of himself for being so selfish.
"Don't worry about it though," Cedrick said. "I didn't come here to argue and point fingers. I just came to let you know to enjoy the ride ahead of you."
Luke opened his eyes and turned.
"Seeing you sit in here isn't satisfaction enough for me, Luke, especially now that I've discovered you've cut a deal that will most likely allow you back on the streets again. No, I'm not satisfied."
Both brothers eyed each other.
"What's going to satisfy me is seeing the look on your damn face, Luke, when you have no idea what is coming finally collides with you. There's a huge shit storm coming. When it does, there will be no deals. There will be no way to hide or run. When it happens, what you've lost up until this moment will in absolutely no way compare to what you will lose then ."
Luke listened in silence. His ears had never been more focused on someone's words than they were at that moment.
" That's when I'll be satisfied, Luke. And mark my words, little brother. It's coming."
With those words spoken, Cedrick stood up.
“Cedrick, we’ve got to stick together, bro. Did you hear what happened to Darien last week?”
“No, and don’t care,” Cedrick muttered as he turned and left the room leaving Luke with silence to bare, inner demons to battle and a curiosity of what his brother meant by "You have no idea what is coming until it finally collides with you.”
Luke dropped his head.
The door opened.
Footsteps quickly made their way across the floor to Luke.
"Mr. Bishop?"
"Yeah."
"Look, I shouldn't be telling you this but…”
Officer Flippen stopped before speaking further.
Looking at the officer, Luke asked, "What is it?"
With a nervous expression on his face mixed with worry, the officer looked at the door and then
Similar Books
