Chapter Sixteen:
They sat in the rented sedan in front of the hotel each lost in their own thoughts. Kyle looked around him at the others in the car his heart racing. Sure he was glad that they had included him in the make him pay scam. But as he looked at Isabel, Michael and Max he got an uneasy feeling that he was here for a reason.
"Okay…what's going on here." He demanded when the silences threaten to overwhelmed him.
"Shut up Kyle!" The statement echoed from the three other people in the car. Their angry response stunned him immediately into silences. They watched as the lights in the room were suddenly switched off and a shadow moved around in the dark.
"Give it another half hour." Max said not taken his eyes from the window. As Isabel and Michael shook their heads in agreement Kyle leaned back against the door of the car staring at the three strangers occupying the car with him. "Okay…how did you guys get Maria to agree with not being here, because…"?
"Won't you told to shut up?" Michael demanded turning to face him.
Kyle took a sudden breath that caught in his throat when he encountered Michael's eyes. "Why am I here?" He made himself demand as he forced himself not to turn away from the rage emulating from Michael. "You…you don't need me, so why am I here?"
"Shut up before I make you shut up." Michael murmured leaning across the passenger side of the car toward Kyle.
"Michael!" Max barked tearing his eyes away from the hotel room. "Control!" He ordered as he watched Michael lean back into his seat. He turned to look at Kyle. "You are needed Kyle. You're here because you love her to, so I've made you our safeguard… believe me your very important."
"I don't understand." Kyle said his uneasiness settling firmly inside him.
"I hope to God you never do." Isabel whispered into the silences that had settled around them.
"How did you convince Maria to stay away?" He asked again directing the question to Isabel.
"We didn't. She doesn't know we're here." She answered automatically, but she didn't turn to look at him.
"Isabel…"
"Just leave it alone and go with what ever happens, Kyle." She demanded her voice laced with her rage. "No one hurts one of us without dealing with the consequences…no one." The words were spoken so softly that he almost didn't hear them.
Kyle settled in to wait his heart beating unsteadily inside him. 'What the hell have I gotten myself into?' The question screamed inside him repeatedly as he watched his friends beside him and even though me knew exactly who each and every one of them was a lingering doubt that maybe he didn't know them at all ricocheted through him.
TBC
