"Kill me? CJ what have I done?" I start, suddenly losing all the courage I had.
"It's not about you Alexis. At this point they already have me under their thumb because I'm in too deep." He says with so much effort. "They know that I won't be going to the cops. They'll always find a way to hurt mom and dad, but their biggest competition- believe it or not - is you. They've tried making your death look like an accident for so long that they just gave up. The only way to actually get rid of you is to kill you themselves."
"What do they have to gain from killing me? Do they want our money? For the love of life take it! I don't care." I said, terrified for our lives.
"It's not even about the money Lexi. In his mind, our parents did him wrong. He was framed for something he never did and was forced to disappear because of it. He claims that our parents ruined his life and he'll stop at nothing until he takes everything from them. He's taking their money and their most prized possession; you." He stopped suddenly, clutching his chest in agony.
"CJ what's wrong? Are you ok?" I started panicking and for the first time I didn't know what to do. I couldn't do anything but watch.
His reply came in the form of a spew of coughs. His whole body shook like he was seizing. He coughed and coughed until his face turned blue, and then he collapsed.
He lay there still, almost not breathing. And I was there frozen, heart almost stopped beating.
"What - what did they do to you?" I managed to say, tears streaming down cheeks.
"Don't worry about me." He said as he turned to face me.
I wish he hadn't turned. If he stayed like that, I would've just assumed that it was a normal flu or .... something, anything, other than this. He wasn't just coughing normally. He was coughing blood.
"CJ tell me what the hell is going on right now!" I'm not having any of this. If he's in some type of danger, I need to know right now!
"Why are you coughing blood! Tell me what they did to you! Are you sick?" I blurted out all at once, barely keeping my composure.
He took out a bottle of water and drank, using the last bit of it to clean his face.
"I'm sorry Lexi. I didn't want you to see this. To see me like this." He started, before closing his eyes; I'm assuming out of exhaustion.
A few moments filled with the sound of his shallow breathing passed and he finally looked at me with a shy, tired smile.
"I want you to know that I've known you were my sister way before you did, so of course the older brother instincts are stronger than yours. I also want you to know that there isn't anything in this world I wouldn't do to protect you." He started, interrupted by a fit of coughing up blood.
I didn't know what to do so I hugged him. I held him so tight and cried because I have a bad feeling that whatever he's going to say next will be tragic. I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to take it well.
"It's ok Alexis." He said hugging me back. "But I need you to look at me when I say this." He breathed out.
My heart almost stopped. Dread took over my body and I couldn't utter a single word. All I could do was look at my twin and pray to the high heavens that he doesn't say anything about death.
I shouldn't have mentioned that word.
"This disease that I have; it's terminal. I don't even know what it is but it's terminal...." he trailed off, searching for a reaction in my eyes.
When he saw that I was too paralyzed and dumbstruck to say anything, he continued.
"Blake and Lucas became completely different people than they were when this all started. At first it was supposed to be a simple kidnapping, but it soon turned into something more than that. This time, they will stop at nothing to get what they want. They want us all dead so they can be the sole benefactors."
"What... what d-d-does that h-h-have to d-d-do with terminal?" I managed to say.
"Well, they'll always find a way to kill mom and dad, and now they have you here. That will only leave me as the sole heir. Since they're extremely smart they thought of a way to take the alleged fortune from me. Lucas being my maternal uncle will take over "for me" since I am supposed to be terminally ill. This said illness will go untreated until I die and they're left with everything."
What the hell? What JK Rowling make believe crap is this? As if that wasn't bad enough, he still had more to say.
"They didn't know what disease to pass on to me, so they developed their own strain of harmful bacteria that is supposed to attack my immune system. I don't know whether it could be healed or not, but this is what happened. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you Alexis. I couldn't protect any of you." His voice cracked and he hid his face in his hands; body slightly shaking.
"CJ? Please tell me you're joking. Please tell me you're not actually sick. Please!" I cried, feeling my throat tighten with every breath.
"I'm so sorry Lexi. It's all my fault! I got so mad when I first found out who my parents were that I became involved in this and became the reason your family is in danger."
"Don't apologize CJ! I won't let anything happen to you and I promise you that I'll get us out of here. I won't let them take you from me. And it's our family. But I don't understand what Blake has to do with any of this?"
"Did dad ever tell you about the time his company manufactured a gaming console that malfunctioned?"
"Yeah I remember. Some kid died as a result. I think his dad's name was Alexander Boyce or something who also ended up dying?" I coughed up, my throat tight from crying.
The anvils in my head starting ringing. Then it hit me.
"Wait. Don't tell me Blake is..."
"That kid's brother? He is. And he was in high school with Lucas when all of that happened and they've been plotting this ever since." He started coughing again.
"I won't let them hurt you CJ! I will fight whoever I need to fight and we'll take you to a doctor I promise!" I said, my voice shaking.
"Don't make promises you can't keep Little X." Came a voice I despised so much.
We both looked up the stairs to find Lucas standing there with more food in his hands.
I stood up, ready to charge at him and destroy his pretty boy face for what he put my family through.
"Alexis, calm down." Said CJ.
"You have guts coming down here!" I yelled.
"Calm down Alexis. No one needs to get hurt." He said ever so calmly.
"Get hurt? Are you high on something? My brother - your own damn nephew - is dying you monster!" I yelled, taking a step forward. "My parents are in the ICU because of what you did! My friends are in constant danger because of what you did. Tell me again how that classified as 'no one gets hurt'!"
He looked at CJ with so much hurt I almost... almost believed it. Something that looks like a tear formed in his eyes but there's no way I'm ever falling for it.
"Listen, none of this would've happened if you died the first time kid." He spat out. "None of this would've happened if I was treated right. If I was respected..."
"Do you think any of this is my fault?! Was I even crawling by the time you were allegedly mistreated?! What kind of a monster does that to he own family? Your family Lucas! What is killing us going to prove to anyone? It proves nothing other than the fact that you're a monster who deserves a lifetime in prison for what he did!" I said in a consecutive rage. "But until then, I promise you that I'll stop at nothing to torment you for what you put us all through; especially CJ!"
He let out a maniacal, almost satanic laugh.
"Try all you want kid, but no one can find you here. And if those knights in shining armor even take a step towards this place, I'll kill them too."
He descended down the stairs to put the food next to CJ and that was when I took the chance and charged at him.
Of course he wasn't even phased, because apparently he's been working out, but he did manage to throw me over his shoulders and take me to the farthest side of the basement and gently put me there. I tried to punch and kick as much as I possibly could but he was a little too fast.
"It's not really wise of you to do that to people who have control over you ventilation system Little X."
He then proceeded to walk out of the basement but not before saying "I never meant to hurt either of you, but sometimes things happen that we have no control over."
"You have control over your actions Lucas. Please just let her go. I'll stay, just let my sister go. Please." Said CJ.
"I'm sorry." Was all he said before he closed the door.
"It's ok CJ. I'm getting us the hell out of here." I say, packing the little things I had.
"What are you talking about? That door is locked from the outside."
I smile as I hold up a keychain I managed to snatch off of Lucas.
"Not anymore."