Read Online We Are All Strangers by Nicole Sobon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nicole Sobon
Ads: Link
up with the help of the tree, and fled deeper into the woods. The light from the moon seeped in between the trees, highlighting a narrow path that led out into an open field.
“Parker, Parker, Parker.” Bentley stepped out from beside a tree up ahead, flanked by two guards. “Where were you planning to go exactly, my dear?”
I looked around frantically, desperate to get away. But there was no way out. The other guards encompassed us, blocking me from escaping, again. “I won’t do it,” I shouted. “I won’t kill for you.”
“Odd, that you say that.” He smiled, moving in closer. “I saw what you did to Gabriel. I can’t say that I’m sorry to see him go,” Bentley shrugged it off. “Compulsion is a common power amongst Rares, I’m sure I can find a replacement rather easily.”
He motioned for his guards to move in closer, and my heart sunk inside of my chest as I realized that there was no way that I would be able to escape now. Not without killing everyone in my path, which, knowing Bentley, was presumptively what he wanted me to do. And I couldn’t give him that satisfaction.
“You’re just like your mother.” Bentley’s body shook in a fit of laughter. “You know, she was just as stubborn when we came for her.”
My hands shook at my sides as anger surged through my body. “Don’t you dare bring her into this,” I howled. “She has absolutely nothing to do with this, Bentley.”
He shook his head. “She never told you, did she?”
I didn’t answer.
“How do you think I knew about you, Parker?” His lips rose up in a tight smile. “We make it a point of tracking down Rares, yes, but Covera Corporations only came to know of your existence through me. Now ask yourself, how would I know about you and what you were capable of?”
I thought back to what my mother told me. How Covera Corporations had come for her as a teenager, and how they’d forced her into complying for years, before a young guard helped her to escape. She didn’t tell me what happened, or why he helped her, only that he couldn’t allow a child to be born into that life. That was when it dawned on me. “You’re him,” I stated, shocked. “You helped my mother escape.”
“That I did.” Bentley smiled, pleased with himself. “But do you know why I helped her?”
“It’s obviously not because you’re a good person.” I wrapped my arms around my chest and lowered myself onto the ground. “That much I’m sure of.”
Bentley let out a high pitched laugh. “Ah, that mouth of yours will only get you in trouble.” He stooped down in front of me. “I helped your mother because I didn’t want my child to grow up in this world,” he pointed towards Covera Corporations, “I didn’t want my child to have the same upbringing that I had.”
“Excuse me, what?” I laughed.
“I was born at Covera Corporations.” Bentley reached for my hands, but I pulled back. I hated the man, but I couldn’t kill him. The last thing I wanted was a body count attached to my name. “Your power? It comes from me. It won’t hurt me.”
“Shucks,” I muttered. “That’s too bad, isn’t it?”
He glared at me. “You may feel that running away, that trying to live a normal life, is the right thing to do, but it isn’t. You were born with a gift for a reason, and now that you’re coming of age, and your power will only become stronger, now is the time for you to join us, Parker.”
Bentley Wilson was clearly nuts. I was seventeen years old. I still had my life in front of me. For him to think that I would willingly sacrifice that, that I would sacrifice everything that I cared about to work for Covera Corporations? It was utterly ludicrous. “No thanks.” I smiled. “But thanks for the offer.”
“Bentley, you’re obviously not getting anywhere with the girl.” A woman emerged from the shadows, dressed in a black leather get-up. “Let me try talking to her.”
Her face was hidden beneath the
“Parker, Parker, Parker.” Bentley stepped out from beside a tree up ahead, flanked by two guards. “Where were you planning to go exactly, my dear?”
I looked around frantically, desperate to get away. But there was no way out. The other guards encompassed us, blocking me from escaping, again. “I won’t do it,” I shouted. “I won’t kill for you.”
“Odd, that you say that.” He smiled, moving in closer. “I saw what you did to Gabriel. I can’t say that I’m sorry to see him go,” Bentley shrugged it off. “Compulsion is a common power amongst Rares, I’m sure I can find a replacement rather easily.”
He motioned for his guards to move in closer, and my heart sunk inside of my chest as I realized that there was no way that I would be able to escape now. Not without killing everyone in my path, which, knowing Bentley, was presumptively what he wanted me to do. And I couldn’t give him that satisfaction.
“You’re just like your mother.” Bentley’s body shook in a fit of laughter. “You know, she was just as stubborn when we came for her.”
My hands shook at my sides as anger surged through my body. “Don’t you dare bring her into this,” I howled. “She has absolutely nothing to do with this, Bentley.”
He shook his head. “She never told you, did she?”
I didn’t answer.
“How do you think I knew about you, Parker?” His lips rose up in a tight smile. “We make it a point of tracking down Rares, yes, but Covera Corporations only came to know of your existence through me. Now ask yourself, how would I know about you and what you were capable of?”
I thought back to what my mother told me. How Covera Corporations had come for her as a teenager, and how they’d forced her into complying for years, before a young guard helped her to escape. She didn’t tell me what happened, or why he helped her, only that he couldn’t allow a child to be born into that life. That was when it dawned on me. “You’re him,” I stated, shocked. “You helped my mother escape.”
“That I did.” Bentley smiled, pleased with himself. “But do you know why I helped her?”
“It’s obviously not because you’re a good person.” I wrapped my arms around my chest and lowered myself onto the ground. “That much I’m sure of.”
Bentley let out a high pitched laugh. “Ah, that mouth of yours will only get you in trouble.” He stooped down in front of me. “I helped your mother because I didn’t want my child to grow up in this world,” he pointed towards Covera Corporations, “I didn’t want my child to have the same upbringing that I had.”
“Excuse me, what?” I laughed.
“I was born at Covera Corporations.” Bentley reached for my hands, but I pulled back. I hated the man, but I couldn’t kill him. The last thing I wanted was a body count attached to my name. “Your power? It comes from me. It won’t hurt me.”
“Shucks,” I muttered. “That’s too bad, isn’t it?”
He glared at me. “You may feel that running away, that trying to live a normal life, is the right thing to do, but it isn’t. You were born with a gift for a reason, and now that you’re coming of age, and your power will only become stronger, now is the time for you to join us, Parker.”
Bentley Wilson was clearly nuts. I was seventeen years old. I still had my life in front of me. For him to think that I would willingly sacrifice that, that I would sacrifice everything that I cared about to work for Covera Corporations? It was utterly ludicrous. “No thanks.” I smiled. “But thanks for the offer.”
“Bentley, you’re obviously not getting anywhere with the girl.” A woman emerged from the shadows, dressed in a black leather get-up. “Let me try talking to her.”
Her face was hidden beneath the
Similar Books
