by KC Kean
Stepping back from him, I keep the gun in place at his temple as a numbness washes over me like I’ve never felt before. His hands rise slowly in the air, but I’m prepared for any sudden movement, making sure the external safety switch is off.
He looks shocked that I’ve been able to get out of his hold, but the blood trickling from his nose isn’t going to make him stop.
“Move,” I shout, pushing the barrel of the gun further into his skull, encouraging him to move towards the opposite side of the small room from the door. I feel beyond uncomfortable acting like this, but survival is all that rings in my ears.
“You’re going to regret this, little girl,” he growls but takes the hint.
I can hear footsteps pounding on the floor above us as shouts filter in through the open door. Something is going on, and it seems to have everyone here spooked. I don’t want to be here to see what trouble they’ve all got themselves in. I want to go home, to Luna, my guys, even the fucking Aces.
Frankie said I was a bargaining tool for Maverick but does anyone even know I’m gone? That I’ve been taken by these savage fucking animals? I stormed from that building, and jumped in the back of that SUV without a moment to spare. Has anyone tried to contact me?
Meeting his gaze, I take a step back, placing myself on the other side of the chair I was sitting in moments ago. His dark eyes widen with rage, not enjoying being the one in a weaker position. His patronizing tone pisses me the fuck off, but I’m surprised there isn’t a tremble in my hands beneath the weight of the gun.
“How about you hand that gun over, and I’ll walk you back to your little mattress without fucking you upon arrival, huh?”
His words send a chill down my spine, but I edge closer to the door, refusing to give in to him.
“Is that how you get hard, asshole?” I goad, unable to stop my rambling mouth as his words don’t even make me cringe like they usually would. “Fucking unwilling girls to get off?”
He sneers at me, his hands braced on his legs, and I see the moment he thinks he can overpower me, gun or not. He takes a step forward, and the world darkens around me. Only his face fills my vision.
The sweat on his brow, a loose piece of hair out of place on his forehead, and his upper lip curled in disgust. I see it all.
My grip tightens on the metal in my hands, and before he can take another step, I tighten my finger around the trigger, pulling without another second of hesitation.
In what feels like slow motion, the bullet leaves the barrel, sailing through the air and piercing the skin right at his heart. Falling backward, he slumps in the corner of the room while I watch as his breathing stutters and the life leaves his eyes. The blood that instantly begins to pool around him makes it all a reality.
Holy shit. Holy. Fucking. Shit.
I think I’m going to be sick. The gun clatters to the floor as I rest my arms on the table to my left, dry heaving as wave after wave of nausea crashes through me. I just killed someone.
“You do whatever is necessary to survive, Red. Remember that.”
I give myself a moment to bask in the memory of Luna’s words. Letting them pull me from the darkness I’m drowning in before I gather myself. I need to move. Looking down at my wrists, I lift them above my head, and just like Roman showed me, I pull them down, hard and fast, and my hands break free.
I remember him saying to tighten the zip ties first, but these fuckers had them tight enough. My wrists are raw, red, and cut, but I don’t feel any pain. Not yet anyway, and I know that’s the adrenaline pumping through my veins. The grip this fucker had on me hurts, making it even more painful than usual.
Looking at my legs, I know I need to lose some material, so my movement won’t be restricted. It breaks my heart, but I gather the material in my hands and pull, watching as the sequins separate and the sound of the fabric tearing fills my ears.
The shouts and movement from the floor above grow louder, and I have no time to lose. Grabbing the gun at my feet, I edge towards the door, taking a deep breath before I peek my head out.
Empty. Not a soul. I can’t be this lucky, right? Spying the fire exit at the opposite end of the hallway, I put one foot in front of the other and run, praying there aren’t any additional locks I’m not aware of.
I’m not sure if my body can take this, but I refuse to give up now. Not when I’m this close.
The chaos that surrounds me has my heart pounding in my chest and my blood pumping in my ears, the concrete floor beneath my bare feet offering no support as I push myself to go as fast as I can.
With the gun in my right hand, I stretch out my left hand, wrapping it around the bar of the exit, and push. The sound of the lock disengaging and the feel of the cold night air that greets me forces a sob past my lips.
I panic an alarm might be about to sound, killing my chances of escape, but I don’t hear anything.
“Oi! Get back here, you little bitch.” I hear someone growl behind me, but I refuse to stop.
I notice trees straight ahead, and I continue running. Branches and stones cut my feet as I hear the footsteps of someone following me. Surrounded by darkness, I glance back over my shoulder at the building to find a two-story warehouse before me. A movement to the right makes me pause as men dressed head to toe in black come bounding around the corner, preparing to enter the warehouse through a larger set of doors further left to where I came out.
But it’s the beast of a man at the edge of the trees, heading in my direction that has my heart rate kicking up a notch.
“You're dead,” he growls, and I push myself to run through the pain.
I have no fucking idea which way to go, just letting my feet lead me through the trees. The wind whips through my hair as I grip the gun tightly in my hand. But I don’t know if I’m more scared of dropping it or having to use it again.
I can barely see a thing, low hanging branches pelting at my arms as I fight my way through the darkness. My body screaming in pain with each step I take.
“Where are you, whore?” I hear the guy yell, sounding further behind me now than I expected, but I keep my pace.
My lungs burn as my heart beats rapidly in my chest, fear coursing through every fiber of my being. Glancing over my shoulder again, I don’t see the fallen branch until it’s too late, and I fall through the air, my hands and knees sliding through the debris.
Fuck.
Scrambling to get to my feet again, I hear his footsteps get closer, and I cower behind the tree at my right, the rough bark scraping against my skin.
“Where the fuck…” I hear my chaser growl, standing still as he tries to listen for my movements, and I hold my breath. “You can run, but you can’t hide,” he sings, taunting me with a cliche line from every horror movie that ever kept me up at night.
I hear twigs snap, moving closer to me as I try to hold my hair from flying around in the wind. My other hand tightens around the gun, but the tremble remains. My senses are heightened with my sight lost to the darkness, and every hair on my body stands on end as I feel him getting closer.
The shrill ringing of a cell phone breaks through the air, and I hear him curse as he answers it. “I’m in the fucking middle of… Fuck. Okay, but the girl… Alright! Shit, I’m on my way.”
My hand clutches my chest, a silent sob racking my bones as he retreats, heading back to the warehouse.
Oh god. Oh my god.
Clutching the gun tight in my hand, I wait for what feels like an eternity before I gain the confidence to move. My body aching from head to toe.
I won’t die here today. I’m going home, back to campus. Alive.
I just don’t know where the fuck that is from here.
Fuck. My feet hurt like a bitch, yet they’re numb at the same time. Each step becomes more labored, but I refuse to stop moving. About a mile back, I stumbled onto a road, recognizing the diner I go to with Luna and her guys, and that’s when the tears started.
I’m close, so damn close to campus
. I can almost feel the attitude of Featherstone from here, and as much as I hate it, the familiarity beckons me. I feel frozen to the bone, but I’m sure I would feel much worse without the adrenaline that still courses through my veins.
I’ve been walking for what feels like hours, but I have no idea what time it actually is. Not since I left the party, and that almost feels like years ago. Walking through forest-like grounds, I was almost thankful for the darkness so that I couldn’t see the state of myself.
I don’t know how I have managed to stay on my feet. I have stumbled numerous times over the smallest rocks or twigs in my path, but I somehow managed to keep walking. Thank God because I don’t think I would have the strength to stand again.
Spotting the gates to Featherstone Academy in the distance, another cry leaves my lips, but I force myself to hold it in a little longer. I’ve been alone, lost in my thoughts, thinking about my life.
I need to reach out to my father again. I’m scared that there’s been no response, and I’m thanking all of my lucky stars that I’m still alive right now, and that must be for a reason. My mother, on the other hand, I need to wash my hands of her.
I can picture her as if she was standing back there with me. ‘Do you know what you look like right now? Straighten yourself and make yourself presentable to this man.’ Her claws are still sinking into me, even in my darkest hour.
Stumbling a little, I try to pick up speed. The quicker I get to the wrought-iron gates, the faster I can get to Ace block. Although, Thomas is going to have to help me inside because I have none of my belongings.
The light from the security office burns my eyes as I approach the booth, and a guard instantly stops me.
“This is private property. I suggest you carry on,” he grunts, and I almost wish I hadn’t dropped the gun a while back. His attitude deserves a bullet to his kneecap right now.
I feel his eyes assessing me, likely detailing the cuts and bruises already covering my face. But since this is Featherstone, he doesn’t seem too surprised. I’m glad he can’t tell I’m dead inside.
“I’m Jessica Watson, Ace block,” I murmur, my mouth too dry to raise my voice, and he stares me up and down for a beat before stepping back inside. I hear him talking, but I can’t pick up the words, and I’m too tired to strain myself.
A moment later, he pops his head back through the door. “Your guardian is on-site. They’re coming to collect you.”
Halle-fucking-llujah. I need that level of love right now that only Juliana or Luna can seem to offer me. My shoulders sag, knowing I don’t need to injure my feet any more than I already have.
Only a few moments pass before headlights approach from the other side of the gates, and I almost crumble to my knees in relief. Thankful my nightmare is over.
The clang of the gates as they open sounds like heaven, and I walk towards the car before they can continue through the gates, not wanting to waste any more time.
The windows are tinted, but I wave my hand, telling them to stay in the car. As my hand wraps around the back-door handle, my mind stalls on what the security guard said. ‘Your guardian is on-site.’ It’s such a strange term to use. Who would he say that about?
Swinging the door open, I learned my lesson, sticking my head in first to make sure there are no monsters inside. And it’s just my fucking luck to see the face before me. As if I haven’t been through enough to last a thousand years.
Patent red shoes shine in the footwell, the hem of a tight black dress rests against bronzed legs, with perfectly manicured hands clasped together in her lap. Blood red nails are tapping in a familiar, controlled manner.
“Lucienda.”
Jess
Why the fuck do I think of my mother, and she suddenly appears? Yet, I’ve had dick on the brain since school started, and it doesn’t always magically appear when I want it to.
“Why in the hell do you look like that?” She gasps as I continue to stare at her, not yet climbing inside, even though every muscle in my body aches. “Nevermind. Get in the car, now.” Raising her eyebrow at me, she fakes patience for all of five seconds before she rolls her eyes at me.
A scoff leaves my lips, and I’m shaking my head in an instant. “I’d rather walk, but thanks.”
Stepping back from the car, I’m just about to close the car door when her words halt me.
“If you ever want to see your father again, I suggest you get in the car. Now.”
My eyes widen as I stare her down, and the gleam in my mother’s eyes has me slipping in beside her without question. I know that look. That is Lucienda’s classic ‘I always get what I want’ look because she did something fucking shady to get it.
I don’t want to climb in. I don’t want to be alone with her, but I can’t turn away when she threatens my father’s life.
Someone slams the door shut behind me, and it catches me off-guard, making me flinch slightly, but I don’t pull my gaze from hers. “Where is my father?” I grind out, but she just plasters on her fake smile.
“You don’t think I’m going to just offer up that information without getting you in line first, do you? Do you know how much money I had to offer the security on the gate to call me when you arrived back at the academy?”
Closing my eyes, I try to calm the dizziness in my head. “Can you take me to the medical center?” I murmur, and she simply huffs.
“I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, but I am not paying those medical bills.”
My hands clench in my lap as the car starts to move, turning us around and heading further into campus. This woman is so fucking toxic. I don’t even want to look at her. Any mother would see the state I’m in, and their maternal instincts would kick in. But she just sits here with disappointment in her eyes because I don’t look perfect.
Bitch, do you even have any idea of what I’ve been through tonight?
“And what is it you expect me to do to fall back in line?” I ask. “You do realize you no longer have parental rights over me?”
“I am your damn mother! Nobody tells me what I can and cannot do when it comes to you!” she yells, and I feel her anger vibrating through the space between us. I watch as she pats down the invisible wispy hairs around her face as if yelling made her hair a mess.
I don’t want her to dictate my life anymore, but the fear for my father’s life compels me to follow her orders. “So, what do you want?”
Running her hands down the front of her skirt, she faces forward again. “In time, but first, we can discuss the blatant disrespect you have shown me since you left our home in August.”
I bite my lip, stopping the retort from bursting past my lips because I know it’ll only cause more angst between us. Distracting us from the actual topic here. My father and his whereabouts.
I know to soothe her, I’ll have to agree with her mindset. “I apologize. I don’t know what came over me.” The words taste like ash on my tongue, but I push through, hearing the hum of approval come from her, just like I expect.
The car comes to a stop outside of Diamond, and I stare out of the window in confusion. “I don’t stay in this block anymore, mother. Everything I own is in Ace.”
Tutting, she opens the car door and steps out without responding, making me follow after her.
“I’ve decided you are going to continue your time here under my bloodline, as a Paul.”
I brace myself against the car, frozen in place at her words. Is this woman crazy? She’s on par with Barbette Dietrichson’s level of crazy. She can’t just turn up here and start changing everything. Not when I’ve started to build a new life for myself.
Completely oblivious, she walks towards the entry of Diamond block like I hadn’t just spoken. Despite my body’s protests, I chase after her, my body singing with pain.
“Mother, did you—”
“I heard you, but you will return to your original room here. I will allow you to get your things tomorrow, but this is where you will stay.”
“Where is my dad?” I ask, but she continues as if she didn’t hear me. Frustration builds inside, and I want to throttle her.
The elevator doors open on my old floor, and I take a deep breath, following after her. I have no belongings in this room. What does she expect me to do right now?
Nearing the door, it surprises me that it’s already open until Reece comes to stand in the space. My heart stops as the sneer on his lips widens. The smug glint in his eyes as he leers down at me sets me on edge. I can feel his eyes trying to undress me, even in my current state, as he licks his lips.
“What is this?” I ask, trying to remain calm as I come to a stop, but they can likely hear the fear in my voice.
I look to my mother for an answer, and that’s my mistake. The second I do, Reece moves in, wrapping his arms tightly around my already aching body, and pins me to his chest.
“What the fuck are you doing? Get off me!” I yell, swinging my legs around, but it’s no use. Trying to throw my head back, he manages to avoid my attack. Why is there never anyone around to help me?
“Enough!” My mother screams, and I freeze in his arms. “If you want to save your father, you’ll get inside your room.”
Save him? She didn’t say ‘save’ before? What has she done to him?
All the questions are running around in my head, but I’m unable to voice any of them. Reece carries me inside, his lips caressing my neck, and I think I’m going to be sick.
Glancing around my old room, my body stiffens at the sight of a twin mattress on the floor. I feel like I’m back at the warehouse with Frankie Winters. There is no other furniture in here, which makes sense since no one lives here anymore.