Crushed Read Online Free PDF Page B

eyes.
     
    For two orphans who had grown up together in the system, Gerard and Susanne knew that they had very little chance of making it in the world. Once they'd turned eighteen their foster parent had left them to fend for themselves. They had barely graduated high school, and with no hope at paying for college, they'd ended up living at a homeless shelter. Both of them had been exceptionally bright in school, but there were just no opportunities for them in a world that only listened to people with money.
     
    The two of them had been together since they were ten years old, and they were the only family either of them had. As soon as they'd become legal adults, they'd vowed to stay together forever. However, staying together while facing the realities of being unemployed was nearly impossible. Gerard had eventually found work at factory that nearly sucked the life out of him, and the only kind of work Susanne could find was the kind that Gerard would never allow her to do.
     
    After four years of struggling, Cleo had come into their lives. She hadn't said how she'd found them, but she'd offered them a future that promised both a decent home, and an astronomically different salary. The price for such a change in their situation was the promise that they'd work for her…as thieves.
     
    Neither Gerard or Susanne had believed her at the time. They'd grown up on broken promises, so they knew not to trust others so easily. However, the life Cleo spoke of was intoxicating. If it was true, the world they'd been struggling to succeed in would open up, allowing them to start a new life as a couple who didn't have to half-kill themselves to pay the bills. They would be able to live anyway they wanted, and reawaken dreams that had been crushed under the weight their situation.
     
    While they'd initially pushed her away, Cleo kept coming. She kept promising, and she kept following up on her promises. She explained that Susanne had just the kind of mind that she'd been looking for, and that Gerard had proven himself to be the sort of worker she'd wanted. Cleo made them feel like they were needed, and that they would be doing something immensely important.
     
    Susanne had been the first to fall for the dream Cleo had created. In the beginning, it had been Gerard who had known that Cleo only wanted to use them. He realized that she'd been looking for the kind of people who desperately needed money, and who wouldn't feel ashamed to do anything for success. She wanted them because they were beaten down and alone, and because no one would notice them if they conveniently vanished from society. Cleo hadn't been dazzled by their so called "skills", but by their need for a better life.
     
    Yet, even while knowing that Cleo was using them for her own advantage, Gerard accepted her terms. More than wanting a wealthier lifestyle, Gerard felt like they needed this to preserve what was left of their faltering relationship. He wanted to give Susanne and himself the ability to breathe without feeling like the world was suffocating them. He wanted them to be happy, and to be able to smile without worrying about tomorrow.
     
    "I'm still not sure." Susanne whispered as she stared at the house in front of her. "Are we going to be able to do all the things she wants us to? We've never stolen anything in our lives."
     
    "We can do anything." Gerard answered confidently. "I'm willing to go to any length to give you the life I promised. If you don't want to do it, then I'll do all the stealing. You won't have to do a thing, just wait for me to come back home." He was happy with this arrangement, though Susanne would never accept it.
     
    "I said we'd do this together." She squeezed his hand tightly. "I promised."
     
    Gerard smiled at her stubborn frown. "I understand, darling. We'll do it together."
     
    They walked up the steps to the front porch, and Gerard carefully pushed the doorbell. They both could hear it ring on the other side.
     
    "Gerry."