Crushed (4 page)

"I'll fill you in later, I promise." Robert flashed him a stern look, and the three of them reluctantly backed away from the door. "I apologize again." He said as he turned back to her. "They're a handful."

"They're your siblings?" Sophie hoped she didn't sound too curious.

"No… it's actually kind of complicated. Teddy is Gwyn's little brother, and Rylan isn't related to either of them. I'm sort of their caretaker."

"Caretaker?" Sophie was even more lost than she'd been when she'd arrived at his home. Not only was he a thief, but he lived in an upper-scale neighborhood, and took care of three kids who weren't related to him in any way. She felt like she was desperately trying to shove together the puzzle pieces, but they just wouldn't fit.

"It's a long story." He took a deep breath, and crossed his arms. "To be completely honest, you don't need to hear it."

"Why do I keep getting the feeling you want me to leave?" Sophie's voice was level.

"Probably because I do." He didn't sound the least bit phased by his rudeness. "Your grandmother made me promise to take you in after she passed away."

"I don't need anyone to take me in." Sophie was shocked at her grandmother's request. She didn't even know these people.

"Good. That makes my other promise much easier. I gave your parents, or rather your mother, my word that I wouldn't allow you into this place."

"What?" Sophie's heart clenched. She didn't know if she could believe him, but he didn't sound like he was lying. He was being too matter-of-fact.

"All you need to know is that you are not obligated to stay here. I hesitated to tell you who I was because I didn't want you to have to make this choice. When we met again, I felt obligated to give you the chance. Though, I have to admit I'm surprised you were stupid enough to take me up on the offer." He frowned, all traces of his former good nature gone. This man seemed completely opposite of the one she'd met only a few days before. "If you know what's good for you, you'll walk out of the front door and never turn back. I was under the impression you were living a rather successful life back where you belong."

"Why would my grandmother send me here if you were just going to push me away?" Sophie felt like he was trying to dumb down the situation for her, and she was becoming angry at his tone. She wasn't an ignorant child, and she demanded to be treated with some kind of respect.

"Look, Sophie, just listen to me. Don't get wrapped up in all of this. Just leave while you still can." He continued. "This is not a place where you can just blend in. We're not the kind of people you want to be associated with."

"Because you're thieves?" Sophie asked bluntly. She remembered what Gwyn had said about Robert training Teddy. "I'm assuming all of you are?" She didn't understand anything, and she felt like Robert wanted it to be this way. However, Sophie didn't want to settle for that.

"Rob." Gwyn interrupted from the doorway. "You're going to have to tell her."

"Gwyn." Robert said in a warning voice. "I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't." Another voice broke in. This time, it belonged to someone Sophie had yet to meet. At first, it sounded like the voice of a kind elderly woman. Except the person Sophie was staring at was the farthest thing from the sweet grandmother-like figure she'd been thinking of.

The woman was dressed in a long, skin-tight dress that, surprisingly, didn't look bad on her. It was leopard-print, and was paired with heavy gold jewelry on the woman's wrists, neck, and ears. Her hair was snow white, and was tied in a serious, but fashionable bun on top of her head. Her lips were bright red, and stood out against her pale features.

Had anyone else been wearing the same thing, they would've looked ridiculous. However, Sophie felt intimated by the woman's regal posture, and haughty expression.

"Robert, you've been very, very bad." The woman began, glancing at him with chilling gray eyes. "I'm positive that I ordered you to bring her to me, not hide her away."

Sophie turned to look at Robert, whose hand was over his mouth in a gesture of defeat. "Shit." She heard him mumble.

The woman strode forward, her tall height making her look like a queen. She held out her hand, and Sophie quickly stood to shake it.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Sophie." The woman whispered, her lips curling into a devilish smile. "What are you doing, Robert? Aren't you going to introduce me?"

Robert closed his eyes, and held his head in his hands. "Sophie, this is Cleo. She's…"

"I'm the one in charge of your future." Cleo interrupted. "I hope we can be good friends."

Sophie's mouth dropped open and she glanced from one person to the other.

"Excuse me?" She whispered.

"Let's start with a story, shall we?" Cleo offered as she settled herself on the couch.

Sophie finally realized that she no longer had a choice about whether she wanted to stay or leave. Reluctantly, she sat down as well, clenching her fists tightly in anticipation.

*  *  *

Susanne Parker stared at the old Victorian-era house with wide eyes. She felt her heart begin to race, and her palms turned sweaty. She felt like she was looking into a black hole, which would suck her in at any moment. However, it wasn't the house that terrified her, but rather what it represented.

"It's going to be okay." A strong voice assured her.

"How can you be so sure, Gerry?" His hand slipped around hers as he stepped to her side.

She turned to the handsome man holding her hand with desperate eyes. She trusted him more than anything, and all she needed was to hear him say those words.

"I just know." He whispered, smiling down at her slyly. She smiled back at him lifting her hand to brush away a stray lock of red hair from his face. His green eyes were warm, and she lost herself in his stare. Gerard Parker was the man she'd loved for over ten years, and she never regretted for a day that she'd given up everything to be with him.

"What if it's not the life we wanted?" Susanne knew Gerard had already made up his mind. He wouldn't change it now, unless she begged him to do so.

"Then we'll leave, and create a new life." He lifted his free hand to her face. "Anne, I promise you we made the right choice. We didn't plan this, but it'll work out. We only have to work here for two or three years and we'll be on our feet, ready to take on the whole world."

"I don't trust her." Susanne confided to him, knowing he knew who she was talking about. "This Cleo woman, I don't think she's a good person."

"We can't expect her to be perfect. She chose us because of our skills, and we should be grateful for her help. The work might be dangerous, but it pays extremely well. You know that if we worked anywhere else, it would take us over a decade to save up the kind of money that she's offering." Gerard had used this argument with her a number of times before. He'd shown her the numbers, pleaded with her to see his reasoning, and forced reality over her eyes.

For two orphans who had grown up together in the system, Gerard and Susanne knew that they had very little chance of making it in the world. Once they'd turned eighteen their foster parent had left them to fend for themselves. They had barely graduated high school, and with no hope at paying for college, they'd ended up living at a homeless shelter. Both of them had been exceptionally bright in school, but there were just no opportunities for them in a world that only listened to people with money.

The two of them had been together since they were ten years old, and they were the only family either of them had. As soon as they'd become legal adults, they'd vowed to stay together forever. However, staying together while facing the realities of being unemployed was nearly impossible. Gerard had eventually found work at factory that nearly sucked the life out of him, and the only kind of work Susanne could find was the kind that Gerard would never allow her to do.

After four years of struggling, Cleo had come into their lives. She hadn't said how she'd found them, but she'd offered them a future that promised both a decent home, and an astronomically different salary. The price for such a change in their situation was the promise that they'd work for her…as thieves.

Neither Gerard or Susanne had believed her at the time. They'd grown up on broken promises, so they knew not to trust others so easily. However, the life Cleo spoke of was intoxicating. If it was true, the world they'd been struggling to succeed in would open up, allowing them to start a new life as a couple who didn't have to half-kill themselves to pay the bills. They would be able to live anyway they wanted, and reawaken dreams that had been crushed under the weight their situation.

While they'd initially pushed her away, Cleo kept coming. She kept promising, and she kept following up on her promises. She explained that Susanne had just the kind of mind that she'd been looking for, and that Gerard had proven himself to be the sort of worker she'd wanted. Cleo made them feel like they were needed, and that they would be doing something immensely important.

Susanne had been the first to fall for the dream Cleo had created. In the beginning, it had been Gerard who had known that Cleo only wanted to use them. He realized that she'd been looking for the kind of people who desperately needed money, and who wouldn't feel ashamed to do anything for success. She wanted them because they were beaten down and alone, and because no one would notice them if they conveniently vanished from society. Cleo hadn't been dazzled by their so called "skills", but by their need for a better life.

Yet, even while knowing that Cleo was using them for her own advantage, Gerard accepted her terms. More than wanting a wealthier lifestyle, Gerard felt like they needed this to preserve what was left of their faltering relationship. He wanted to give Susanne and himself the ability to breathe without feeling like the world was suffocating them. He wanted them to be happy, and to be able to smile without worrying about tomorrow.

"I'm still not sure." Susanne whispered as she stared at the house in front of her. "Are we going to be able to do all the things she wants us to? We've never stolen anything in our lives."

"We can do anything." Gerard answered confidently. "I'm willing to go to any length to give you the life I promised. If you don't want to do it, then I'll do all the stealing. You won't have to do a thing, just wait for me to come back home." He was happy with this arrangement, though Susanne would never accept it.

"I said we'd do this together." She squeezed his hand tightly. "I promised."

Gerard smiled at her stubborn frown. "I understand, darling. We'll do it together."

They walked up the steps to the front porch, and Gerard carefully pushed the doorbell. They both could hear it ring on the other side.

"Gerry." Susanne whispered, leaning up on his tiptoes so that she was only inches from his ear. "I love you."

He smiled sweetly, and leaned down to whisper back in her ear. "I love you too, Annie."

She smiled at the nickname she hadn't heard since they were in high school.

As they both turned back to face the house, the large oak door creaked open.

*  *  *