Natasha sat across the long glass table, her food untouched. I sighed. "Natasha, are you still worried about Leonard? We have a chance to get our revenge for all the torment he and the calvary put us through and now of all times, you're growing soft, you're getting cold feet? Tell me, what has that boy ever done for you? He left you injured, not caring if you lived or died. He has chosen your sister over you, why do you still care for someone who has done nothing but hurt you, drug your family's name through the mud, just to clear up an affair that he deems his mother is innocent, he knows nothing. But yet, you want to protect a man that had you locked up, on the verge of death roll. He claims you hide behind a Christian girl's personality. You wanted to try a life you always loved, and he has no confidence in you. Why, my dear girl, do you torment yourself, day and night. Don't think that you are hiding your tears from everyone. We all know you are suffering." I sighed, taking a drink of wine, taking a bite of my cheeseburger. "You have been saintlier in this battle than most of us. You could have let him die just then. You would have had the right to it."
"Entitlement? Uncle, just because I think I may or may not have been justified in taking a man's life, it doesn't mean that is something that I want on my consciousness, keeping more tears flowing down my face at night. Leonard hates me because I have done nothing but give him reasons to, I killed the woman he loved, because I thought it would shut her up, Audra was going to reveal everything about the affair, leaving Rosaline as the victim, it takes two to tango. She was no more innocent than you were, last I checked you wanted to call off the affair and work things out with Virginia, was it not Rosaline that came pounding on your door in the middle of the night, claiming that Riley was your child demanding heavy child support? We all know that Riley wasn't your child. She looks nothing like us. We shouldn't seek to harm a man who has heard nothing but lies for years. My sister has been feeding Leonard and his family lies. She's the one we need to shut up. However, I don't want to do that either. She is a mother now, as well as a wife."
"A wife to the man that you love, Natasha. She moved in like a thief and took Leonard away from you."
"Uncle, I had a gun pointed at Leonard. I wanted to throw him away for J. M Enterprises. I was not willing to kill him. I wanted to give him power. I had written him a letter explaining my actions. It was his posse that told him I wanted to kill him. I loved Leonard, as I still do. But as long as Graceona is around, there will be nothing between us. Do I accept this? I have to. What other choice do I have? What can I say about this? I came too late."
I sighed. "Just like that, you're throwing in the towel. Natasha, you're a fool. Trent has pulled major strings to get us out of the mess we were in. You need to think more about your own life instead of something that you can never have." Taking another bite of my burger. "Don't feed me the whole. You have no life outside of Leonard. Trust me, you do. Everyone experiences puppy love. Three weeks have nothing in four years. He has taken four years of your life. You can't get those back. Do you think he cares he has robbed you of your freedom? Probably not." Popping a fry into my mouth. "Besides, dear girl. Leonard may fall into your lap in no time. Speaking of which, you need to go check on him, make sure he is still breathing. We can't have him dying on us, now, can we? What would be the fun in that if he dies on the first day of our vengeance?"
The young girl looked at me with a sigh as I chuckled, finishing my cheeseburger, washing it down with my wine.
Natasha…
I walked from the room with my hands in my pockets. This was the coldest day we had this year. I got to the shed outside, opened the door, closing it behind me. I turned the overhead light on. I knelt to Leonard. He opened his eyes, looking at me. I sat down in front of him as neither of us spoke a word. He had to be cold, for I was freezing, and he has been in this shed longer than I have been. "Look, Leonard. I know you can't stand my guts, but I don't want to see you freezing here. Can we agree that we have some stuff to talk about over a glass of hot tea and honey? Before you go for the rest of your life hating me, I just want you to know our side? After that, you can take it into your hands and decide for yourself, not by the mouth of other people. I have proof of everything, from the affairs to everything I've done, as for the reasons. Your family has lied to you because of being misled by my sister. I just want you to know the truth of the affair and the murders."
He glared at me. "You, the woman with personality disorders, want to become truthful." He scowled. "That's funny."
"Leonard, I never lied about the Christian girl persona. I've always been a Christian. I admit I've made mistakes. I never claimed to be perfect. I have my faults."
He sighed. "You murdered someone as well as stolen. You have major faults that no woman making the claims you are making should have. Doesn't your God command to not murder as well as not to steal, did you not get that memo?" he bit deeper into his lip as I could see the blood forming. I sighed.
"Yes, but I'm not proud of it. I did murder, Audra. I know it was wrong of me, but I never took your money. That was a lie made up by certain people in your web of comfort."
"You're calling my family liars then?" he scowled.
"Not your family, but your wife, who is also my sister."
He looked at me with wide eyes. "Graceona is your sister." He regained his composer. "Has someone gone back to her web of lies? There is no way you and Graceona are sisters."
"Yes, she is my sister." I looked at him. Perhaps if I got him from the cold weather, he would be more tolerable. At least that was a hope that I had. "Look, I'm going to let you lose. I have a room here. It's about time you learned the truth."
I stood up, walking over to him, pressing a button as his torture device fell to the hard concrete ground. "I can't do anything about the needles. My uncle has to remove those." I walked towards the door as he sat still. "Are you just going to sit there? It's only going to get colder, and the needles are only going to get more painful with the dropping temperatures outside."
He said nothing as a sigh came from my lips. "Very well then, I wouldn't advise any sudden movement. Those needles can render you motionless, or if given the power, you wouldn't be able to go to your family. I don't want to see that happen. Just try to control your temper. I'm going to go get you some food."
I opened the door.
"Wait."
I turned my head to look at him. He sighed. "You have proof of everything, all the lies? How do I know you aren't lying?"
"Because I have nothing to gain, but everything to lose. I'm putting my safety on the line by doing this. I want you to know everything. The truth that my sister had covered up. I have nothing to gain. I would be a target for Jarrod. I can tell I'm walking on thin ice with his patience, as well as Graceona's. People do stupid things when they are in love." I walked from the shed.