Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(28)

Monroe and I stared at him and tried to hear the other side of the call.

“Are you sure?” Aden said in the phone. Evan must have explained something because it took a second before Aden spoke again. “Well, he must have saw him. He told her.”

Aden looked at me and shook his head as he kept his pace. My phone vibrated in my hand, but Aden held his hand out to tell me not to do anything as he answered his dad. “OK, I’ll stay here…yeah…you guys need to hurry, though; I’m tired of getting the heat from her.” Aden hit ‘End’ on the phone and fell into the chair, then stared forward.

I looked down at my phone to see the text on the screen. “Now that we are being honest we need to talk – you’re wrong I’m not dangerous he is and your new friend Silas isn’t any better for your health.”

“How do you know Silas?” was my response

“What’s going on?” I asked Aden. “Are you supposed to guard me now?”

“No,” Aden said shortly. “Dad wants me to stay here because I have the misfortune of being the identical twin of Draven – not to mention my truck looks the same as his at night.”

“So he did burn it? Are you serious?!” I said as a new text came in. I was too mad to even look at it. My head was spinning, and I didn’t know what do; I felt sick to my stomach.

“Right now, he’s with over seven lawyers and half the city council – he’s innocent,” Aden said grimly.

“In this world,” I said shortly. “Why is he with lawyers?”

Monroe had finished putting her things away and was sitting quietly on her bed, turning the rings on her fingers.

Aden rubbed his hands across his face. “Dad bought the school – he’s turning it into an arts center where bands can play and where music, art, theater and dance teachers can teach. They’re closing the deal with the city at the site – I told you that before. Dad said they’re almost done, and Draven hasn’t left his side.”

“You know that wouldn’t matter; he could leave with his mind, and they’d never know any different.”

“Right – but we don’t have to worry about charges from the law.”

“I’m not worried about charges – I’m worried about retaliation!”

“Calm down…Draven will be here soon…Madison is already on her way here.” Aden looked at my phone. “What is he saying?”

I looked down at my phone and read the last text as I fell to my knees. It read: “I survived Silas – I don’t know him.”

I texted back “Survived???”

“Do you know a Silas?” I asked Aden before I could stop myself. I squinted my eyes closed and gritted my teeth, furious that because I was so focused on what Draven had done, I forgot to censor myself; the last thing I wanted to do was let Aden see what really happened tonight in that alley. I did what I could to block out my emotions, and memories, then opened my eyes to see Aden looking at me like I was crazy.

“Should I?” he asked with a mystified smirk that highlighted his dimples – the only feature that set him apart from Draven’s addictive image.

I shrugged my shoulders, trying to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal, then looked at Monroe. “How do you know him?”

She never looked up at me or bothered to answer.

“She doesn’t speak – don’t push her to. I’m sure it makes her more uncomfortable,” Aden said in a quiet tone.

A sly grin came to the corners of my lips as my eyes moved back to her. She’d spoken to me. The memory of her innocent voice was allowing me to be calmer than I normally would in a moment like this. I didn’t want to scare her. Monroe glanced up at me, then down to her hands again.

“Why did you ask me that? What is he saying?” Aden asked as another text came in.

“When I saw Britain tonight, a guy named Silas showed up and got us away from him…he knew my name…Monroe’s name,” I said as I looked down at my text.

It read: “You need to understand that what I am, what Draven is - some people don’t like that. Silas is nothing compared to what you fear Bianca could do to your precious beloved.”

“He says that Silas is dangerous – that he survived him.”

Aden reached for my phone and read my texts. I didn’t fight him; I wanted answers. There was no way Silas seemed dangerous to me, not with the peace that was around him - but then a really bad thought came to mind: if Draven was fighting not to become what Britain is, maybe this Silas guy was some kind of vigilante that stopped evil; someone who could hurt Draven if they didn’t understand that he was really good and fighting to stay that way. My arm braced my stomach as I fought a sick feeling that caused the room to spin…I didn’t need another problem, another person to protect Draven from. I shook my head no. I was right, Britain was wrong: if Silas was some kind of vigilante, he wouldn’t have led me right back to Aden – back to the one person that would take me to Draven.

“If he says he’s bad, he must be good. What did he do?” Aden asked as he handed my phone back to me.

I nodded, then let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Nothing really. He just showed up. Silas told me to tell Britain goodbye, then…he walked me to your truck.”