Free Oblivion by Adrianne Lemke Page A

understand the pain or difficulties someone else is having?
    Slowly, I looked
up to meet the former assassin’s gaze. “I will figure out how to fix my
brother,” I vowed. “You may have some redeeming qualities, but you are still a
murderer who belongs behind bars. None of us are going to forget what you’ve
done.”
    “Sam…” Alice met
my gaze, shaking her head slightly. She didn’t want me antagonizing the man.
    Too bad for her. I
figured I didn’t have to worry much. Kindred needed us. He also wants to stay
on Jason’s good side, so he wouldn’t dare to hurt us. I also could tell he was
nervous of what I could do to him, and his confidence was already shaken by
what had happened at the facility. A predatory urge struck me, and I wondered
briefly if it was truly me or if something in Kindred had crossed to me. I
mentally shrugged. Didn’t matter. The result would be the same. He had accused
me of harming my brother. While that was true, he had no right to judge me.
Especially after everything he’d put Jason through.
    Narrowing my eyes
angrily, I stepped toward Kindred aggressively. “I am not scared of you. But
you’re scared of me. And I can amp that up until you are absolutely terrified.
And if you do anything I don’t like, I can destroy you.” My words were hostile,
but I kept my tone even.
    “Sam!” Hannah
entered the foyer in time to hear my tirade. “Stop that! What would Jason
think?” She grabbed my shoulder and gave it a shake.
    I smiled at her,
knowing my words had the effect on Kindred that I was hoping for. “Sorry,
Hannah; just wanted to make sure he doesn’t try anything.”
    She glanced at
Kindred and the others standing there and said, “As messed up as it is, he
seems to want to help us find Jason. Please don’t make him regret that desire.
We need all the help we can get.”
    “Even if it means
working with the devil?” I asked harshly. “Would Jason want us to sell our
souls to help him?”
    She paused, considering
how to reply. Alice beat her to it. “Jason cares about you Sam. He
doesn’t want you to become a monster, to stop a monster.”
    “Your brother has
made me a better person. He helped me discover my identity,” Kindred explained.
    “After you
terrorized him into doing so. Not sure that counts as better,” I snapped.
    Before Kindred
could do more than nod thoughtfully, our hostess entered the room and cut in,
“If you all are going to keep talking, you should go to the living room. It is
more comfortable for long discussions.”
    “Thanks, Tessa,”
Mark sounded grateful for the interruption. “We’ll do that.”
    “And you,” Tessa
said, looking at Kindred. “Don’t start anything. If you are genuinely here to
help this young man get his brother back, then do that without trying to rile
Sam up. You’ll get nowhere with him like that.”
    Seeming to be
stunned that the woman would stand up to him, Kindred swallowed. “Yes ma’am. I
will keep that in mind.”
    “Do that,” she
said with a final glare at him. Apparently, hearing about how dangerous Kindred
is didn’t deter Tessa from speaking her mind.
    We walked to the
living room, and I overheard Mark muttering to Tessa, “Be more careful. He’s
dangerous.”
    Followed by the
older woman’s response, “I will not be silent in my own home.”
    Brave woman, I
mused, but maybe not the brightest. The rest of us remained silent as we chose
seats in the living room. The quiet allowed me to check on Jason, whose
emotions seemed unnaturally quiet. “I think they drugged him.”
    “What?” Alice
glanced at me, and I realized I spoke that thought out loud.
    “Jason,” I
clarified. “After he lost control, I think they drugged him. He’s still
conscious… sorta , anyway. I don’t know. His emotions
are muffled; a hint of unease, some anger, but mostly just confusion and fear.”
    Alice and Mark
exchanged a glance over my head. “If you can, keep monitoring him. But try to
focus on us