Parallel Crossroads

Chapter Five

(Eden's POV)

    I watched her fiddle with her uniform as we approached the manor. her eyes wandered from me to the grounds then back to me, a strange emotion in her eyes. She wasn't very smart, perhaps she wasn't taught how to behave when she was captured. It wouldn't surprise me, the Johnson clan was weak so why shouldn't its heir be. 

    "Take the girl and execute her in the courtyard where everyone can see, then you're going to leave the Cortes territory," my Father growled, "You have an hour-if I see you within half an hour I'll kill you myself." 

    "She's your daughter what the hell are you talking about!" Iris butted in, bravely attempting to defend me, "What kind of parent banishes their kid like that? She won't be allowed in the city since she has a gangs mark and isn't she the most Cortes a Cortes could be?" 

    I rarely allowed myself to get angry. 

    But she was about to get both of us killed. 

    I seized her by the shoulders and bolted, making it through the courtyard into the woods, ignoring the yells and the confusion behind me. Once we were almost a mile away, I felt the first sign of my body collapse. 

    Tossing her onto the ground I quickly allowed a fleeting moment to recover before telling her to get follow me. She seemed rather surprised. 

    "You fought Lord Cortes to try and help me," I reminded her, "I owe you a favor, so I'm gonna save your life and get you back to the Johnson territory before I make my way towards the city."

    "Actually, I was returning the favor because you saved me earlier by not shooting me the second I stepped foot in your territory," she said, a smirk on her face, "Besides, it looked like you've seen more than enough abuse."

    "Don't mistake discipline for abuse," a pitiful look flashed in her eyes. I was a Cortes, once the heir to the strongest fighters known in the criminal underground. Anger flooded through me, a second painkiller after the adrenaline, "I'm not surprised, I doubt the Johnsons have ever spent a day learning real discipline." 

    "..." she was quiet. What was she thinking? 

    We stood silently next to each other, fighting to read each other's emotions. Hers was easy, she was nervous and felt enormous responsibility. However, she was struggling with internal conflicts, if she attacked me I'd have no problems killing her. 

    "Are you done overanalyzing me yet?" 

    Choking on my recent breath I gawked at her. She burst out in laughter, holding her side and mouth in poor tries to hide it. 

    "You've been staring at me for five minutes, all serious and scary-like," she laughed, "Are all the Cortes like this? So...suspicious?" 

    "...Well if I trusted you right away I'd probably end up with a knife in my back," I clarified, "And knowing an enemy's mindset is a major tactical advantage." 

    "Blah blah blah tactical advantage," teasingly she grabbed my arm and looked me in the eyes, "Tell me, you were concerned my Father would send the entire Johnson clan to save me. Would your father do the same if you were captured? Would he even care? Isn't love what brings a family together?"