Born Mine
Chapter 86

Brandon hung up almost immediately and I stood there blinking stupidly for a full

minute trying to process everything he had just said. I couldn't just go to see Brandon. It was disrespectful to Darius and I didn't want to see him but on the other hand, I didn't want to die and if I didn't go, I was going to die. I debated calling Darius but I knew he would blow a fuse and assume that Brandon did it intentionally. It would also be a terrible idea to put them in the same room.

I knew I couldn't go alone so I dragged myself out of the room and made my way over to Amy's. My legs felt like jelly and I thought I was going to fall over a few times but thankfully I didn't. When I got to her door, I could barely even raise my hands to knock. She opened the door and took one look at me.

"You need to be in bed," she instructed. "I don't care if you think it is insulting but Leindra, you look like you escaped the hospital. What is wrong with you?"

She reached out to touch my forehead and she snatched her hand back. Before she could open her mouth to berate me once more, I cut her off.

"I need you to follow me somewhere."

She raised a brow. "Definitely not in this condition, take a nap first and we can go after."

"If I take a nap, I could die," that got her attention because she crossed her arms over her chest and I explained everything as quickly as possible.

"Why don't you just tell Darius?"

"You know why. I just need the antidote and I'll be fine. I can tell Darius about it after when I am not about to die."

I could tell that she was against it but she sighed and grabbed a jacket then helped me down the stairs. I texted Brandon to say I was on my way and he responded with his address. I had a feeling that we were about to walk into something we were unprepared for but I couldn't worry about it at the moment when I felt like I was dying.

I was sweating profusely and Amy kept sending wary glances my way. I could tell that she was debating whether she should just turn the car around and take me to the hospital. I had thought about it too but it would take them some time to replace out what was wrong then the antidote. Brandon was the easiest option.

He was in a rented bungalow on a busy street. His house was the last on the street and

as we unlove-upritriitik ecogrnżecr, his camin for torfiit He was waniting Jy utte ̃ubornór′′ me but when he saw Amy, he frowned.

"I brought a friend, I hope you don't mind."

"It's not like I can say anything about it right now," he grumbled as he stepped aside for us to walk in. "Try not to touch anything."

As I walked into the house, I froze mid-step because the interior was familiar- too familiar. The closer I looked, the more I realized that it wasn't familiar, it was the same. It was the same furniture I bought when we moved in together. It was the same furniture from our house that he threw me out of. It was such an obvious slap to the face.

"Do you like it?” he whispered in my ear and I jumped. "Sit down while I get what you need."

As soon as he walked away, Amy was by my side. "If you want to leave-"

"I'm fine."

She didn't understand the extent to which the place grated on my nerves and I couldn't voice it out. The only person who knew the story was Darius and I planned to keep it that way. Amy pursed her lips but nodded and remained firmly by my side. Brandon returned with a small vial and handed it to me. Just as I was about to take it, his hands closed around it.

"What do you want?" I asked with gritted teeth.

"A few minutes of your time after you take this, it makes you a little woozy and very honest. All I need is a few minutes and you can have this."

"What happens if I refuse?"

"You die," he said as if it were the simplest thing in the world and the truth was that I knew he would let me die. I should have looked for another alternative but seeing as I was already there.

"Deal."

Amy whispered my name in protest but the deal had already been set. Brandon handed the vial to me and I emptied it into my mouth. I probably should been more hesitant to drink whatever he offered me but I could feel the poison becoming worse and at that point, I was already going to die.

When I took it nothing happened at first then suddenly my legs buckled and Amy had to rush to grab me and pull me into a chair. I wanted to protest because I wanted nothing to do with the couch in particular but I couldn't tell her why. Small shudders wracked through me and my head felt a little fuzzy but I couldn't bring myself to stand.

"What did you do to her?" Amy spat but Brandon waved her off. She grabbed his arm. "If anything happens to her, I will kill you where you stand."

If you're loving the book, nel5s.com is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! "Relax, I need her alive as well."

I didn't understand what he meant by the word 'need' but before I could ask anything,

he made his way into the chair opposite me. He was smiling as he watched me almost

as if he enjoyed having me weak and unable to help myself.

"Do you remember the couch?" was his first question and he reluctantly nodded but I knew it wasn't what he wanted to hear.

I wasn't going to give him the answer he was looking for. It was the first couch we ever bought together and he made sure we christened it. He wanted those words from my lips.

"I see how it is," he mused. "How about an easier one, why are you with Darius? He doesn't seem like your type."

"I love him, it's that simple."

"Here's the thing, I don't think it is," he leaned forward on his elbows. "You wouldn't go for someone like Darius even if you had a gun to your head, am I to assume that you had a change of mind?"

"You can assume whatever you want. I already gave you my answer. I don't care what you want to hear."

"You've always been so feisty. It was nice when it was in bed but otherwise, you were just a bitch."

"You were just an asshole, I guess it was a perfect match," I spat and his lips curled. "What do you really want from me, Brandon? Why are you playing these games? Where is your girlfriend?"

"It is more fun watching you squirm around for answers but I need to be out of here as soon as possible so I need your help."

"I would rather die than help you. Pro tip, if you want someone to help you then maybe don't start by calling them cheap on your first day in town. You're not going to get what you need from me."

I turned to Amy and nodded. She understood the hint immediately and helped me to my feet. I could see that Brandon was pissed but he didn't say a word. He allowed her to lead me out of the house and into the car. I was dead weight and I was surprised she could carry me as far as she did.

The car was quiet as we drove home. I could tell she had a lot on her mind but she didn't say much. When we got to the house, I noticed Darius' bike in the driveway and I muttered a small curse under my breath. I glanced at my phone and I realized I had accidentally set it on silent so I had two missed calls from Darius.

"I won't say anything," Amy said without looking at me. Before I could thank her, she cut me off. "I'm only doing it because I want no part in the argument that will ensue after but seriously, Leindra, did you have to date that guy?"

I couldn't stop myself from laughing at that. "I'll admit, that one was on me."

She helped me out of the car. I could walk better but I was still lightheaded. The front door was slightly ajar and Darius was there with Ian and Jared. As soon as he saw us, he let out an audible sigh of relief and rushed over to my side.

"Where have you been?" he asked. "If you want to go out then let me know at least. I got home to an empty house and no car. No one had seen you or Amaris and-"

"I'm sorry," he looked shocked that I had apologized without hassle and it seemed like it threw him off balance for a moment. "I went to see Brandon."

There was quiet. No one dared to breathe as we waited for Darius' reaction. He just stared at me blankly.

"I'm waiting to hear your reason," he explained and I instantly delved into the story.

I rushed through it because I still felt like I was going to keel over and by the time I was done, he just hummed. I had expected more, maybe a yell but he said nothing. He just looked over at me and nodded.

"You're not mad," I began slowly and he laughed humorlessly.

"Of course I'm mad but the other option was you dying so I didn't have much of a choice. Just try to avoid being with him and we're good."

I was surprised that he didn't throw more of a fit and rather than stay there and replace out why, I decided to enjoy the peace and make my way back to the room. When I got there, I flopped into bed immediately and let out a sigh of relief at the instant comfort.

I took out my phone and there was an unread text from Brandon. My fingers hovered over it and I clicked it open. Shock filled me as I read the message.