Taste of it

Chapter 12: Locked Down

"We'll discuss it on the way but we need to go, now."

Lonzo turns to me and I blink back at him with confusion. "Call Jerry and get him to send Alexia back to the house. She can't come with us and put the house on lockdown."

Lockdown?

"What's going on?" My anxiety spikes.

"It's none of your f*****g business," Lonzo roars at me with raging eyes. "And I suggest you comply if you don't want your brains splattered across the floor."

I suck in a breath because he looks deadly. Gabriel doesn't even back me up so I realise this must be serious. My lips bolt shut and I take a step away before I trigger him.

Gabriel rushes to his phone and instantly dials Jerry before packing up their stuff and heading out of the door. Lonzo looks like the last person I want to cross right now, I know if I say something again he'll shoot me dead on the spot.

Angry veins are sticking out of his neck and his jaw has been tight ever since he picked up the call.

Something is definitely wrong and it makes my stomach churn slightly.

This is everything I hate about living dangerous lives, there are always dangerous consequences. Is it ever worth it? How do they even sleep peacefully at night?

Gabriel grabs my arm and cuts off the call with whoever this Jerry guy is. "Our driver is on the way, okay?" He holds onto my shoulders. "When you get home everything is going to be locked and secured. There will be security guards there, stay inside. Preferably in your room."

My eyes are wide at his words. "Is someone going to target the house?"

"Of course not," he recoils. "It's just for precaution. Don't be stupid now, I know you're smart. We'll be back later, text me when you're at home and everything is locked."

Lonzo doesn't spare me another look; he climbs into the car just as another car drives straight towards me. "Get in," Gabriel points to the black BMW. "I'll see you later."

"Okay..." my voice is quiet and I climb into the driver's car.

I watch out of the window as Gabriel speeds off out of the carpark and down the street, tires screeching against the floor.

Jerry greets me and takes me back to the house where I am ushered inside by multiple guards and told to stay in my room.

My fingers punch out a text to Gabriel but he doesn't reply. I find myself pacing back and forth between the walls of my bedroom.

Situations like this always make me feel sick. I've been locked in my room back home by my parents for my safety plenty of times, you have no idea if they're going to make it out alive.

If the house is going to be a bloodbath.

If the bad guys will win and you end up having your organs blasted across the floor.

It's not knowing that gives me the fear. Not knowing what's going on and I've had years of scenarios like this. Ones that leave me with nightmares because I cannot escape, I cannot fight but I know in real life I can.

I don't care if they're a bad person, I never want to watch someone take their last breath because I've caused them to die.

Sometimes I don't know how I ended up in a family like mine. I couldn't be more different from all of them and now I have to suffer with these consequences.

I climb into bed and force myself to sleep, it's the best thing to do in these situations because it should be over by morning. And if it's not, that's when you panic.