by Rachel Leigh
Shay flashes a smile and pulls me toward the open French doors that lead to the pool. Blue neon lights are strung in the dark and the fluorescent glow of the pool is ambient. Music is blaring, and everyone is having a good time. Everyone except for Talon. I excuse myself when Shay picks up a conversation with a few girls from our class, then go back inside with the plan to leave out the garage door.
On my way out, I stop for a drink and make it an extra strong one in hopes of alleviating some of this anxiety. This whole situation is reminding me too much of last week. As the contents of my cup slide down, nice and smooth, I’ve already convinced myself that I’m skipping school tomorrow. I imagine half of the party-goers will be skipping too. It’s typical when Talon throws these weekday parties.
The pool of liquor that’s settling in my stomach has me welcoming the dark and quiet walk down the driveway. I stop at my car and look around before I grab the phone from underneath my seat and stuff it in my bra. The party can be heard in the distance, but it’s nice to be by myself for once. I’ve spent so much of my life alone that being around these people and these guys all the time has become a day-to-day misery that overwhelms me.
I’m not sure when I transitioned from being a socialite to an introvert, but I was starting to like it there. Now, I’m forced to be within arm’s reach at all times because someone thinks that I might slip up and destroy us all. They think I’m fucking stupid, but they don’t know me.
Wyatt is parked right where I told him to be with his lights off. Another car pulls down the driveway, so I move to the side. Normally, I would discern that it was suspicious to have Wyatt sitting there, and he’s probably shaking in his boots, but this liquid courage has my two fucks in my back pocket. I pull open the door and slide in, and before I can even shut it, Wyatt has the car running and we’re speeding off, tossing gravel in our wake. “Woah Andretti, slow down. No one saw us.” I go to tip back my half-empty cup, and he reaches over and grabs it. “Hey!”
“Come on, Marni. I know you’re smarter than that. You’re not drinking in my car while I drive.”
Wyatt is as law abiding as they come. Well, he was until now.
Pouting, and missing my drink, I tuck one leg under the other. “So, what’s the plan. Go to your dad’s office and break in?”
“We’re not going to the headquarters. We’re going to the CEO’s home office.” He smirks.
My eyes light up. “Wait? Your dad has one at his house?”
“He does now. I may have paid him a visit earlier today and snuck into the manufacturing room and taken one.”
“Holy shit.” I chuckle. “Where is my strait-laced bestie and who the hell are you?”
“I might be strait-laced, but I also hate those douchebags and would love nothing more than to watch you take them down.” Biting the corner of my lip, I nod in agreement. Though, inside, I’m so fucking terrified of what I’m about to find out.
We walk into Wyatt’s house and I’m still reeling from the effects of the alcohol. “Your parents home?” I ask, as I head straight for the liquor cabinet. Some of the bottles are half water, thanks to Shay and I always tapping into them. Wyatt’s parents don’t drink much, obviously, because if they did, these bottles wouldn’t still be here.
“No, but they will be soon, so we need to hurry.”
I twist the top off a bottle of Pucker and tip it back. The apple flavored liquor leaves behind a warmth in my stomach and a cloudy feeling in my head.
Carrying the bottle with me, I follow behind Wyatt as he leads the way into his bedroom. His room is a mess, as per usual. Kicking clothes under my feet as I walk across the floor, I flop my ass onto his bed. “Alright, let’s see the device that made your daddy famous.”
Wyatt bends at the waist and pulls open a drawer underneath his bed. I peer down and see the black box inside. It’s much smaller than I thought. It’s about the size of a Rubik’s Cube and has two cords attached to it. One of which has about a dozen different connectors.
“Do you have a card?” I ask him.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a small SD card and holds it up. “Like I’d forget the card.” He slides it into the slot on the box and carries it over to the wall outlet where he plugs it in. “You sure you wanna do this?” he asks, as I give him the phone.
I tap my fingertips together deviously. “Absolutely.” He plugs the phone in and powers it on. Then he hits a button and a green light comes on. We both watch quietly and minutes pass before a red light comes on and the device beeps. He unplugs the phone, turns it off, pops out the card and hands me both. “That’s it?”
“Yep. Pretty awesome, huh?” He pulls open his drawer and puts the device back inside.
“So what now? I just put this into my computer and the data will show up?”
“Pretty much. I doubt you’ll be able to read much of the data, but you’ll be able to see phone numbers and any photos or videos he has.”
“Perfect.” I waggle my brows. “That’s all I need.”
16
When I return, the party is still raging. Shadows of the swaying bodies dance off the walls in the dimmed living room. Voices carry through the kitchen and the splash of water and a girl squealing has me thinking that the peak of the party hasn’t even hit yet. There are more people here now than when I left. Trying to blend in and make an escape upstairs, I spot Lars bent over the center island in the kitchen. His arms are folded in front of him against the granite and his eyes are plastered on yours truly. The look in his eyes isn’t foreign to me, but it’s not one that I care to see often. Pointing his finger at me, he bends it back and forth, calling me over.
I take a deep breath, roll my eyes and obey the command. Talon’s phone is snug in my back pocket, and the SD card is tucked in my bra. Let’s just hope he doesn’t try to get touchy feely like he usually does. “What'd ya want? I’m tired.”
“I bet you are. You’ve had a busy night.”
Crossing my arms over my chest in an attempt to hide my third nipple, I pop my hip up. “You’re right, I have. Now if you’d cut to the chase, I’d like to go to bed. I’m half-drunk and really fucking tired.”
“Where’s your bodyguard? Haven’t seen him around. Now that I think of it, this is the first I’ve seen of you tonight.”
“Talon’s passed out and I’ve been laying low. I’m not exactly keen on the gossip going around about me right now.”
I’ve heard the whispers. She’s screwing all four of them. She’s only staying in that house because her dad kicked her out. No one wants the poor girl. Whore. Fortunately, I have thick skin, and I’ve never cared what anyone thought of me. I also have no problem socking a bitch if she steps too far out of line.
With both hands, he pushes himself off the island and circles around it until he’s at my side. “Fuck the rumors. They’re carried by haters and accepted by cowards.” With an index finger pressed to my chin, he tilts my head up. “We know the truth.”
Yeah, we do. And I’m not sure whose truth I’d prefer—theirs or ours. “Are we done here?”
“We’re done,” he nods, “go get some sleep.”
With squinted eyes of confusion, I leave. That was really weird. He didn’t make any sexual innuendos, and he even tried to reassure me where the rumors were concerned. These guys are so damn confusing, but the more I get to know them, the more I’m starting to realize that they have some depth beneath the surface.
When I reach the top of the stairs, I walk toward my bedroom door. My bedroom. I never would have guessed that I’d refer to anything in this house as mine. Unease ripples through me when I notice that the door is ajar, though Talon is still right where I left him. Bending over, I stick his phone into his pocket like nothing ever happened. I struggle with whether or not I should try and wake him now, but it’s probably best to just leave him and let him think that he passed out like this.
I shut the door behind me then strip off my clothes. Stepping into a pair of fuzzy pink pajam
a pants and pulling on a plain black t-shirt, I look at him again. My heart catches fire at the sight and I find myself on my knees at his side.
I wonder what the story is behind these scars. From the looks of them, it’s not a pleasant one. My finger trails featherlike over the rough edges and my breath stills. He’s so beautifully broken. Everything about his shell is perfect, even his scars. They’re a reminder to the world that he’s been through hell. It’s the ones on the inside—the ones the world can’t see—that serve as a reminder for only him. Those are the painful ones. I know; I have my own. Stretching over, I grab a blanket off of the bed and cover him up. For whatever reason, I press a gentle kiss to his forehead and whisper, “I’m sorry it had to be this way.”
My head is still in a fog from drinking and sheer exhaustion, and I can’t wait to climb into this bed and chase away reality. With only a flat sheet, since I gave Talon the blanket, I wrap it around me and settle in on my stomach.
Just as I’m about to drift away to another world, the door opens and light from the hall breaks through. A tall, dark figure appears, then disappears when the door shuts. Only, he’s not on the other side, he’s in my room.
Holding my breath, I listen for a sound that indicates where he is. It’s when the mattress shifts and a hand slaps over my mouth that fear ensues. I gasp and squirm to get free, but he’s strong. Much stronger than I am.
“Surprise, Little Thorn,” he whispers in my ear. His words roll off his tongue sweetly and innocently, but they are laced with bad intentions. Zed isn’t sweet. He’s acidic and pungent, and I know that me going to sleep with a smile intact is not his end game.
His face is so close to mine that I can feel the brush of his skin on my cheek. My breath hitches, and my pulse races as I remain completely still. Zed’s finger trails up my neck and around to my face as he traces the outline of my lips. Sweeping my hair to the side, he rests his chin on my shoulder. The full weight of his body is on my back as he lies flat against me. “Talon’s in here. He’ll wake up, and he’ll be pissed,” I say with no attempt to hush my voice.
“Talon. Talon. Talon. It’s always fucking Talon. He’s asleep, which you already know.” His breath smells like cinnamon mixed with whiskey. “Don’t you know that you should never drug a druggie.”
Every fiber of my being is pulled out of me in that instant. Dizziness ensues and I feel like I just stepped off a merry-go-round while I’m still lying down. “He’s ok. Isn’t he?” I manage to choke out. It completely slipped my mind that Talon used to be addicted to pills. I have no idea what kind of pills, but if I would have thought for a fucking second, I would have realized that this was not the best approach.
“He’ll be fine.” He brushes it off like it’s no big deal. “And, it gives us a chance to get to know one another, without him breathing down your neck.” Cold air hits me, sending goosebumps down my arms. “Tonight, you get me.”
“Can we turn on the light, please? I can’t see you.”
“What are you afraid of? Monsters? Ghosts?”
“Something like that.”
“Ya know, when I was a kid, my dad once told me that it’s not the things you can’t see that you should fear. It’s the things you can. My dad is also fucked in the head, so I would take what he says with a grain of salt. But, I always took it as him saying, ‘be careful who you trust. Your best friend could also be your enemy.’”
The light of his phone flicks on right in front of my face. “You have to be careful who you let inside—your head, your heart, your pussy, and your room. Because the world can see this and all it takes is one little peak and we want the whole package.” He taps play on a video. Not just any video.
It’s me.
In this room.
Nausea returns with a vengeance. I don’t respond. I just stare straight at the phone with my hands pressed firmly at my sides. Consumed with thoughts of nothingness. Unable to wrap my head around any of this.
“How did you get that video?” My words rattle, and it mimics my trembling body.
“Be careful who you trust,” he repeats the words he said only seconds ago.
Your best friend could also be your enemy.
Talon is far from someone I’d consider to be a friend, but I felt a connection with him. In some ways, I trusted him. Obviously, I gave in to his wishes that night. But I never imagined he’d betray me to this extent. Recording me. Recording us and then sharing it with the guys. I’m still not sure that I believe anything Zed is saying to me. But the reality is, someone did record me and even if it wasn’t Talon, I’m starting to realize I can’t let my guard down.
“How did you get that?” My body begins itching as red waves of anger ripple over my skin.
“Surprised?” I can feel his body next to mine. “You shouldn’t be. Talon’s using you.” He chuckles. “I mean, come on. He forced you to finger fuck yourself with a camera hidden in here. He’s always watching you. Well,” he pauses, “he was always watching. Until you stole his phone.”
“But, why? What could I possibly have that he wants?” Why am I even asking Zed? He’ll probably only feed me lies. He could be lying right now for all I know. He could have planted the camera. Attempting to lift my head, however far it will go, I look around the room for any sign of light from a camera.
Watching my every move through the light of the phone, it’s like he reads my mind. “It’s not on. I shut the cameras off.” He grabs the phone from my hand.
“How did you shut it off? I thought Talon said he changed the password.”
Flipping me over onto my back, Zed flicks on his phone’s flashlight and holds it up to his face as he talks. “I’ve got my ways.” The light reflects off of his shark-like eyes that are as black as coal, even with a beam of light hitting them. His legs cinch around my waist as he imprisons both of my arms at my side.
He must have watched me slip Talon the sleeping pills. All this time we thought he went rogue, and he’s been lurking around watching us—watching me.
“Whatever you think is going on with you and Talon is all a facade. A dream preparing to take a twisted turn into a nightmare.”
“Newsflash, Zed,” I emphasize his name, “There is absolutely nothing going on between Talon and me. In fact, I hate him just as much as I hate you.” My body reacts by shoving his body up and trying to squirm out from beneath him, but, as per usual, I’m too fucking slow.
“Lies. Lies. Lies. You think that I haven’t been watching every single move you make.” His legs swaddle me in, and his words suck all the air out of my lungs. “I know you, Marni. I know that you leave these curtains open when you sleep. I know that you sleep on your stomach and prefer to wear socks to bed with the blanket tucked all around you. Does Talon know these things about you? Does he even fucking care?” His voice raises with each word, and I lie there completely motionless. “No!” he shouts. “He doesn’t know these things and he doesn’t fucking care.”
“How long have you been watching me?” I manage to ask, though my words are jutted and cracked.
“Ever since you got here. Every single day. Every single night.”
I don’t respond. I can’t. My mind tells me to scream or to fight him off, but something holds me in place and my tongue fails me when I go to speak. When his fingers trail up my shirt, my heart stills. I hold my breath and close my eyes. Taking every sweep of his thumb as it grazes the flesh of my cleavage. Something comes over me and it sure as hell isn't a desire for him. It’s pure unadulterated hate.
His mouth crashes into mine, and I press my lips together firmly, while biting down on my teeth with immense pressure. But that doesn’t stop him, he pushes so hard that I can feel his teeth through the skin of our lips. Tears well in the corner of my eyes and my body fails to even try and fight him off when he pulls my pants down. It could be fear, or it could be the fact that all of my life I have fought to feel wanted. I’ve struggled to feel comfortable in my skin. To accept the reality that I have no one. Mom
is gone and she’s not coming back. Dad loves his job more than his family. Axel is happy and in LA. Who do I have? Where do I belong?
Zed leans back and I lick my lips; the metallic taste of blood present. Strong hands clutch at my sides as I lie there without a voice. Just like when I was thirteen and that old security guard used to visit me in the playhouse. I swore that if any man ever touched me again without permission, I’d be the one to kill him. A couple weeks later, I told Axel about it and the next day the sorry bastard went missing. I’m still not sure if Dad did the job or if Axel took matters into his own hands. Either way, here I am. Getting the attention I’ve always craved. I have no one to blame but myself. I put my body on display and reeled in these fucked-up men.
Wispy strands of hair tickle the insides of my thighs as Zed presses his lips to them, sucking the skin into his mouth so hard that I can already feel the bruise come to the surface. Again. And again. And again.
“No one was supposed to touch you outside of that one video. But Talon did, didn’t he?” He growls as his teeth clamp down on the flesh of my side. I go to sit up, but he pushes me right back down.
I gasp when his fingers slide inside me. Twisting and turning, poking and prodding. Rough and unwanted, but here I lie. Quiet as a mouse.
Sliding up my body, his fingers remain in me and his thumb rubs aggressively over my clit. I fight against the rush that courses through my body, begging myself not to give in. “How do you know all of this stuff about me?”
“I’ll tell you,” he sucks my earlobe into his mouth while his teeth graze my cartilage, “but not until I finish you off. I want you to come so fucking hard that it gushes.”
Shutting off my mind, I escape this room. I unfeel his fingers sliding in and out of me. I pinch my eyes shut and carry myself away to another time. I picture my family at Thanksgiving dinner when I was seven. When Dad kissed Mom on the cheek and she accepted it because she wasn’t whoring around just yet. A life before the affair she had. Before cancer struck and took her away from us. Though we didn’t see Dad much, he used to smile back then. Axel was still a little jerk, but never to me. If he knew what these guys were doing to me, there is no doubt in my mind that he would kill them all. That’s why he can never know.