Killer

Sienna | 10 years ago ,-2

I want to roll my eyes when Mason, Natasha and Kevin jump out of the black BMW but I don’t. I expected Kevin to be in a muscle car, like a mustang, not this sleek sedan. The last time I saw him, almost a year ago, he drove a big Range Rover.

I wonder if he likes the car? When I stayed at the Estate, Kevin was already attending some military camp at 16.

He came home that summer, and I couldn’t for the life of me understand why he constantly came off as a fake. We hung out a few times, mostly climbing trees or sitting on the porch having Aunt Hunters famous ice-tea. I acknowledged his keen interest in everything was just an act because I was a lot like him. I was living a lie that I convinced myself was true.

Yes, I was lying to myself and the scariest part of it was that I was aware of all the reasons I woke up every morning pretending to be someone I was not. But Kevin had no excuse, and even if he justified it in his mind, he was a fraudster. When I was younger, my dad always said the mind didn’t know the difference between what we told it, and what was real. I know from experience now, that if you tell yourself a lie some many times you believe it, is it actually a lie?

I knew from the first day I saw Kevin, something wasn’t right with him. He lacked depth. It was a month after my 12th birthday did I understand how unfeeling he was. Kylie and I were out in the gardens playing with Uncle Hector’s golf balls, and like all kids, we were up to no good.

Kylie suggested we ask Diamond to make us mini explosives. She was in her element and agreed. We attached the explosives to the balls and put them behind the rose bushes, and lily’s so whenever the gardener, Arnold, got close enough we could make it go off.

He didn’t get hurt, and the explosives were really so small.

But Kevin came outside and yelled at us to quit it. Obviously we didn’t listen, and when he stepped near the rose tree, Kylie tripped the switch. She was mad at him, and when she got mad people got hurt.

The ball exploded and a piece of it got stuck in his arm. It looked painful, and we both ran to see if he needed to go to a doctor.

He pulled it out, without so much as a flinch, and I watched him in fascination. A part of me felt strange seeing the blood run down his arm as he stared at his sister. She studied him for a long time, not doing anything and I just stood there, scared, confused and very much impressed.

I went to touch him after Kylie turned and ran away to call someone, but Kevin took a step back. And even though he looked at me, I finally saw it. He was empty. And it scared the living daylights out of me.

I kept a physical distance from him after that day, but my eyes never missed him. My gaze always watched, even in the shadows. Over the years, he learned to pretend I never existed, or maybe I did to some extent, but it was never enough for him to notice me for too long. The moments we shared were too quick, except for that one night.

And it thrilled me. To him, and the other Stone brothers, I was a destructive influence to their sister, Victoria, so they kept her away from me. It was a good thing too, because I was the worst influence. I was a virus, that once I got my claws in you, I infested you from the inside out.

I did it to my mom. I did it to my friends, and I knew I was doing it to Kylie. She didn’t realize it yet, but one day she would, and by then it would be too late.

“Aren’t you gonna go on home to Mama, or are you scared?” Kylie asks Kevin in a mocking tone as Mason and Natasha head inside.

“I was, but I never say no to a ride,” He answers, but there is no thrill in his tone as he stands there watching us.

“There are 2 bikes, and as you can see Sienna and I were about to use them.” Kylie shows her point by slipping on her helmet, and I hold my smile. Well, barely as I follow her direction and fasten my own.

He ignores his sister as he walks closer toward me, and my heart beats double time.

“You can hold on, can’t you?” He doesn’t say my name, it pisses me off. The only reason I bite my tongue is because my Uncle wouldn’t like the colorful words. And, well, Uncle Marcus was in a foul mood with Kylie’s antics. She sometimes had a way of making me look like the good one. Kylie’s anger always came in big disastrous cyclones. People got hurt.

I wasn’t about to add on to that f**k fest. It still boggles my mind that Kylie knocked Dexter Kent. I mean, the guy cheated, sure, but it wasn’t his first time on that roller coaster.

I look at her, saddling her bike, helmet on, form so tall and solid. Kylie didn’t wear her heart on her sleeves and from what I knew, she had the biggest not so secret crush on her step-brother, Vincent Stone. He didn’t stay with the Stones, so I never considered him a part of the family. Nor did I even put him as a Stone. He was nonexistent. Much like I was to Kevin, I guess.

But maybe Kylie didn’t like Vincent as much as she did, if she could get so pissed off with Dexter for cheating on her.

“Yo, earth to b***h, I am waiting,” Kylie yells.

I huff, but slide down my bike and swing my leg off, rushing to grab him a helmet. Kevin saddles the bike and slips his helmet on, and because I really want to ride, I get behind him.

They start the bikes and the vibration of the machine between my legs makes me come alive. The motorcycles were new, super bikes, which were great for speed, not so much for cruising. Which meant a tighter grip on Kevin’s torso was a must if I expected to keep my ass planted to the seat. I’ve seen him ride, and he was all speed, and no curtesy.

He rode like the bike was glued to him, and the only way to free himself from it was to go faster, to push harder. I was certain as I put my arms around his leather jacket and felt the hard ripples under his clothes he trained just as hard. He was honorable, unlike me, a liar with no moral reason. He chose lies to make his family happy and pretend he was like them. I lied because I was selfish.

We take the 2nd left and two rights before we are on the back road. Locking my arms tighter around him, he bends as we take the sharp turn and straightens just in time as we hit the bridge, passing the river.

The mountains in this region were a thing of beauty. I have always loved Liston Hills. I spent most of my younger years in different parts of Texas. When I got older, I stayed with my mom in Miami.

My mother was fantastic, in every way I could describe her.

She never complained, always smiling and full of life. Every holiday she’d bring me to Liston Hills, and we’d spend Christmas morning riding up these mountains. She loved her bikes, and fast cars.

She loved these mountains too.

We ride up the mountain road at a fast but steady pace. Kevin makes the ride feel easy. The wind blows my hair as the impact of the wind seeps through my jeans.

The ride is long and freeing, I could never get used to it.

There is something said about the one willing to put their life on the edge and surrender to the throttle of a machine. Which is why we overcome the fear of falling to have this moment.

Only it will be better if I were the one riding it. But I have to admit Kevin is an expert rider.

It’s later, or later than it already was by the time we make it to the top. I remove my helmet as Kylie grabs the blankets from her saddle.

“You’re a natural,” Kevin compliments as a small grin touches his face like a shadow. I want to believe it is natural, but something tells me I am missing something.

The little I knew about Kevin Stone, he didn’t smile unless it was for a reason, and I was certain the reason did not revolve around praising someone. But, as I inhale the air, I choose to give him a little benefit of the doubt. People change all the time. I was living proof of how much one can change.

“Thanks, you were a little rusty around the corners. But not too bad.” Kylie laughs at my comment and Kevin just shrugs as he turns and walks to the blankets Kylie set up on the floor.

This was the best spot to watch the sunrise in Liston Hills. It seemed like a majestic sight when you saw it from up here.

I lie on the floor next to Kylie. She takes my hand, which we have done since we were kids, and we peer into the night sky, waiting.

“Do you think my momma is watching me?” I ask the same question I always do.

“Yeah, your momma is probably turning in the clouds after watching her soon to be 16-year-old daughter at the back of my bike,” Kevin is the one who answers and Kylie squeezes my hand at that one.

“True story, Momma never liked you,” I tell him.

“Didn’t blame her either, she had reasons not.”

“Like screwing Ginger Cray in the barn,” Kylie adds with a chuckle.

“Beating up Craig Sawyer after he forgot to make their dinner date,” I continue with a smile as a tear travels down my cheek. I had forgotten about that time until now.

Kevin was staying with Uncle Marcus the weekend we arrived and my momma burst into a fit of tears. He didn’t take long to find Craig Sawyer and show him the error of his ways.

“I forgot about that until now,” My voice is low at my confession and I am glad Kylie is holding my hand.

“You wanna know what I remember?” Kylie questions.

“Momma chasing you around the Estate?”

“Yeah, your momma could run, I knew if I didn’t start running she’d eventually catch me, and true to word she always did.” Kylie’s memories cause a pain in my heart. The thought of her makes it hurt more, because she was my momma, even if the life I lived was mostly a lie.

“You gonna be 16 soon Sienna, you ready for what comes next?” Kevin asks, and the question makes my saliva lodge thick in my throat. There is a whole new meaning to that question and an answer I couldn’t mention to either of them. Was I ready? The answer is no. In actual fact, I wasn’t even 16. Kevin knew that.

“I’m sure I’ll get there.”

“You know what I just realized?” Kylie interrupts and I am glad for it.

“What?” I say, genuinely curious.