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Inside, the entrance led to a living room. The layout of the house was old, meaning it wasn’t open plan like more modern homes, which played against them. If they couldn’t see who was in the other rooms, they couldn’t know how many men were inside, and they were at a clear disadvantage.
In the living room, Jamieson Finch was comfortably seated on one of the old couches. A fire was burning in the hearth, offering a cozy glow to the scene, but Sam knew better than to relax his guard.
“Ah! Two of my favorite sons. How nice of you to visit your father. Care for a drink?” Without waiting for their answer, Finch went to a small table where several bottles were placed along with a few glasses that glinted in the low firelight.
“Where’s Ellie?”
With a chuckle, Finch continued pouring. “Well and safe. That should reassure you. Don’t worry, she can hear everything that is said here. Along with her guardians, of course.”
Sam fought hard to keep his control, but it was a battle he was only winning by a thread; the reality being that if he killed Finch, whoever was guarding Ellie would end her life too.
Finch handed him a small glass and frowned at Sam’s silent refusal. Only when he quirked an eyebrow did he force himself to take it. Their father handed another glass to Lazarus before returning to his couch, gesturing for them to sit in the two armchairs. Once more, Sam rebelled, but when he saw Lazarus obey and sit, he knew they didn’t have much leeway, especially if they didn’t want to provoke him.
Finch took a sip and sighed. “Not the best I’ve ever had but having two of my sons to share it with me, makes it better.”
Sam gripped the glass almost to breaking point, wanting to throw it at his face.
“What do you want? You didn’t plan all this just for drinks.” Lazarus’ tone sounded almost normal.
“Ah! I would’ve planned such a party earlier if you all hadn’t tried to kill me over the last few years. Let me remind you that you’re not keen on your family as you also killed your aunt, my sister.”
His voice grew harsher, but it didn’t seem to faze his brother. “It’s only the law of action and reaction. She tried to kill one of us, we ended her life in reaction. It wasn’t personal and if you’d stayed out of lives instead of trying to destroy us, we would’ve gladly ignored you until the day you died.”
Finch seemed to consider Lazarus’ words, which made it all the more frightening than an explosion of violence from him. “Always the clever one. So full of promise, and yet pushing them away, denying yourself greatness.”
“There’s no greatness in making people suffer.” Lazarus’ tone deepened, and even if Sam was all for putting a bullet in the man toying with them, he had to think of Ellie.
Sam put his still full glass on a side table and leaned forward, gun still in hand. “What do you want? Because it comes down to that question.”
Finch beamed back at him with approval. “Indeed. When it comes to important matters, I don’t like to play around. I need you to stay with me.”
“Why?” It was the last thing he wanted to know, but he’d learned the more he knew about his enemies, the higher his chances were of survival, and he needed them as high as he possibly could for Ellie’s sake.
“I need one of my sons by my side and I choose you, Sam. What I want is simple. You stay with me, learn from me, listen to me. Maybe by staying at my side you’ll see that I’m not really the monster you remember, and everything I’ve done so far will make sense to you.”
The young boy he’d been screamed at him to run away, but Sam couldn’t, he was in an unbreakable trap that now closed around him. He scanned through his options and realized he only had one choice. “I’ll stay if you let Ellie go.”
However, his hopes of rescuing her were squashed when his father shook his head. “Oh, no. She stays. Otherwise, it will be like having a wild horse ready to bolt the moment the door opens. No, if you agree to the deal, she stays until I’m convinced you’re here of your own free will.”
Lazarus stood and paced the small room. “It’s madness. Sam, don’t listen to him. He can only give you empty promises.”
Sam knew that too well, but again, he didn’t see any choice.
Finch probably sensed that he was slowly gaining ground and winning the argument. “And you, my dear boy, who didn’t even deign to keep the name I chose for you, I’d be very careful if I were you. Ellie’s survival depends on you too. If you dare try to plot a rescue, send in any kind of help, raise your foolish brothers against me once more, it will be the signal that you don’t care about the woman Sam wants so desperately to save, and be enough for me to put a bullet in her head. I don’t want to be investigated, followed, or any hint that you’re coming after us, because once you leave, if I see your worthless face again, or any of your brothers, I guarantee I’ll act swiftly, and there won’t be a thing you can do about it.”
A loud crash sounded as Lazarus threw a table and punched the wall, but said no more. What more could be said, they were trapped.
Finch ignored all of this as he put his glass down and rose. “I’ll leave you two alone to talk about it. You have five minutes.”
Sam put his face in his hands as the sound of his father’s footsteps faded. His worst nightmare, one that had brought him to the brink was materializing once more and he didn’t know if he could survive it.
“Sam, we’ll find another way. I won’t, I can’t, let you do this, even for Ellie. I know how much you suffered at his hands.”
After rubbing his face a few times, Sam looked at the desperate face of his brother. “There’s no other solution. I know what he’s capable of, and I won’t leave Ellie defenseless at his hands. Her being at his mercy is my fault. I should have left her alone, not pursue her. I was so far gone I didn’t notice someone was following me.”
Lazarus crouched before him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad you made that mistake, because Ellie is the one who brought you back to us, while I failed you.”
A faint smile ghosted Sam’s mouth. “You couldn’t save the young boy I was when you were also a kid yourself on the other side of the world. Nobody could save me and it’s still the case. But if I stay and protect Ellie until I can get her out... It would bring me peace, brother.”
