Page 113 of Gideon
“Oh, that’s rich, Kai. We all know you’re the one who —”
Whatever else Ollie was going to say was cut off by the sound of the front door slamming open. Levi and Ruth’s voices could be heard down the hallway, speaking in hushed tones, but the emotion was clear as day.
“Levi, just talk to me,” Ruth muttered out in a rush as they came down the hall.
“No,” Levi’s gruff voice huffed in response. That tone was not a good sign. Not in the slightest.
“Levi, glad you could —” Zeke began, but again, Levi cut him off.
“We have a problem.” I looked over at my eldest brother, taking in the sight of him. His clothes were wrinkled, his face paler than I had ever seen it. There was a spot on his shirt that hadn’t been there earlier during the workday as well. His hair was disheveled, like he had run his hands through it a million times without a care.
Ollie and Zeke moved from the table, making space for Levi and Ruth to sit down. Ruth sat next to Delilah, but Levi refused, choosing to pace the floor erratically instead.
“Levi, what the hell is going on?” I asked, worry for my brother taking precedence over any other thought in my head.
“I’m going to be sick,” he muttered, making a run for the bathroom down the hall.
“Levi,” Ruth called, rushing after him. The rest of us sat there in stunned silence over Levi’s actions.
“What in the actual fuck is going on?” Ollie muttered to himself. We all wore the same expression, wide-eyed confusion and concern. This wasn’t like Levi. He was the man with the plan, the one with all the answers securely fixed under a veneer of confidence and assuredness. If he was losing his shit, then it was about to hit the fan.
Dread filled my stomach like a lead weight, making me feel nauseated with worry.
“I’m sorry, everyone,” Ruth apologized as she walked back into the room. She turned back to look down the hall where Levi had disappeared to. “He’ll return shortly,” she explained, sitting back down at the table, looking marginally worse for wear.
“What is going on, Ruth?” Delilah asked quietly.
“Hell if I know. He came home and was like this. I met him on the front porch and watched as he got out of the car and immediately vomited all over the bushes,” she explained, looking a tad pale herself.
“Is he sick?” I asked, trying to piece it all together.
“Not that I know of. He was fine this morning,” she shrugged, taking the water that Zeke brought in from the kitchen for her.
“He seemed fine at work, too,” Ollie added quietly.
“Nothing happened at work?” I asked. Naomi squeezed my hand under the table, offering me her silent support and comfort. I smiled at her, a silent thanks.
“No, other than the Reverend asking to speak with him after work, but…,” he trailed off in thought. “Jesus fuck, what happened in that meeting?”
Levi walked in a moment later, pulling all of our attention as he sat in the chair beside Ruth with a heavy thud.
“I need a drink. Now,” he stated, a little shakily.
“I’m not so sure alcohol is the best —” Malachi began.
“I said now.” Levi’s voice was a low growl, his eyes narrowed in a way that I had never seen from him. He was always the voice of reason; calm, cool, and collected. This was something unknown, something foreign, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.
I had a million questions I wanted to ask him, but thought better of it. Instead, we all sat silently as Malachi poured him a glass of something. I caught a whiff of brandy as the glass passed in front of me.. He would tell us in his own time. Pushing him in such a state would only make matters worse.
“I’ve been given an assignment,” Levi stated carefully, hissing at the burning sting of the alcohol he gulped.
“What kind of assignment?” Ollie asked.
“Have they given you any other information?” Malachi asked, leaning forward in his seat. This was more concern than I had seen from the man since we had first begun this plan of ours.
“Did they give you information that we can use?” I asked, unable to stop myself any longer.
“I don’t know — will you guys let me fucking talk?” Levi snarked, putting his glass down with a loud thud and splash as the liquid sloshed over the rim.
