AllFreeNovel
Share Us
TUCKER
The chain on the cuffs rattles as I continue to try and break free. My wrists ache and the skin is raw, but I push through the pain. Kyle went downstairs a minute ago, and I’ve been trying to figure out a way out of this mess since he left.
He hasn’t answered any of my questions, and I have no idea what’s going on or what he’s going to do. My brain is moving at high speed, trying to connect the dots between Kyle and the major events of the past few months.
Based on the note I got at the hospital, it sounds like whoever’s been threatening me set fire to Nat’s house. Which means, if he has something to do with the fire at Nat’s, he probably had something to do with the rest of the fires in town.
If Kyle really did hurt her, nothing will stand in my way of getting justice.
I hear him walking up the stairs and wait for him to step into my bedroom.
“You know, I’ve waited for this moment the majority of my life, and now that it’s here, I don’t want it to be over yet.” He walks across the room, his eyes assessing me, making sure I’m still tied up. “Doing the same thing I did to our dad just doesn’t feel right. Setting you on fire wouldn’t be enough for me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh right, I forgot you’re a clueless idiot.” He clears his throat and pauses, looking at me like he’s creating drama. “I set the fire at dear old Dad’s trailer. I also shot him in the chest when he tried to get up, but don’t worry, your punishment will be different.”
His words are like a punch in the face. He was the one who shot Dad and set the fire? Why would he do that? What could his motive have been? None of this is adding up in my head.
Kyle begins setting up a few things on the bed, but I can’t make out what they are or what he’s doing.
“How do you know I’m your brother?” I want to keep him talking in order to make sense of what happened, but I’m also hoping to delay his plans so someone will notice I haven’t come back to the hospital.
“It’s pretty obvious we’re related.” He rolls his eyes and grumbles, “I will never understand how you got promoted when you’re this stupid.”
He sighs like it’s annoying he has to go through the story. “My meth head mother told your dad I was his, and she asked him to help take care of me. I was standing right there as he looked at me like a piece of trash and told her he’d never take care of some bastard kid. Then he yelled for you to go inside, and I realized he already had a kid and I had a brother.”
His words are like a knife to the chest. My dad fathered another child and left him and his mom to fend for themselves. It’s not a surprise, but it’s yet another time my father failed to do the right thing.
“But why are you doing this to me? To Natalie? It doesn't make any sense.”
“Because you denied me the life I deserve!” he screams. It’s the first time I’ve seen any real emotion from him. “You got to have our dad, a nice place to live, and then you became the big hero firefighter everyone loves. I went to the firehouse after I put my mother out of her misery. You know what they did? Sent me to the group home where we were pawned off on the rec center staff for free babysitting. You got everything, and when it was finally my turn, you decided to rip it out of my hands by denying my application.”
Holy shit, it’s all connected. All of the fires, Natalie’s attack… It’s all connected because this kid didn’t get picked for the open firefighter position. “I didn’t have anything to do with the hiring decision, but I saw your application. You were still too inexperienced compared to the other applicants. We needed someone who was more qualified.
I realize my mistake as soon as the words are out of my mouth. Kyle’s pupils dilate and seem to turn completely black. He looks evil and unhinged.
He moves towards me, his arm drawing back. I see the knife right before it plunges deep into my thigh. I grit my teeth, growling at the pain shooting down my leg. It feels like flames are burning through the inside of my body.
“So what, you’re going to torture me for things I didn’t have control over?” I ask through my teeth, tired of the song and dance.
“You knew how much I wanted to be on the team, but you did nothing. Don’t pretend like you’re innocent in this.”
I just roll my eyes because, at this point, there’s no arguing with someone who’s come unglued.
“Do you want to see how pretty Natalie looked, all trussed up for the fire?” he taunts, and the blood drains from my face.
My adrenaline spikes and anger pulses through me at his confirmation of what I feared. It’s all my fault she got hurt. There are so many emotions running through me I can’t get any words to come out.
“You picked an awfully pretty one, bro. And feisty to boot,” he says, looking at the photo in his hand. “She was supposed to die, but I got a couple of shots in, so it’s okay.”
“You were attempting to kill her?” I ask, finding my words and my fight again.
“Of course. I couldn’t allow you to be happy and have this amazing life when you’re the reason my life is a shitty existence.” He rolls his eyes again like I should’ve known that already. “You shouldn't have kept seeing her after my first warning. And since she didn’t die, you’ll be the one to take her place. Now, on to the good part.”
He rubs his hands together and grabs something on the bed. I tense at his movements and pain radiates from my leg, reminding me he left the knife sticking out of my thigh.
He starts sloshing what I’m guessing is gas, based on the smell, all over the floor and then on to me. My leg burns as the liquid falls on my wound.
