by LP Lovell
"Do you belive you deserve more, Ella?" Tobias asks, stepping away from me. I glance over him in his tailored suit, his blue silk tie.
"Answer him, Ella. Do you deserve better, or were we mistaken in believing you could be something of worth?" Preston steps back to stand beside Tobias. Two men, powerful and certain, animals—predators, and I am their prey.
My throat tightens and I can't find words. I open my mouth to speak. "Careful, little lamb. Don't lie. I'd hate to give you another strike," Tobias warns.
So I answer truthfully: "No...but I want to."
A deep frown inches its way over Tobias' face and Preston disapprovingly shakes his head. "I thought she was better than this," Tobias says under his breath, and my chest goes tight.
"She just needs work." Preston pats Tobias on the back. "She wants to be special."
On a deep inhale, Tobias pulls the cigarette to his lips and takes a drag. The way his lips wrap around the end of the cigarette, the way the smoke rolls from his mouth—it all seems too perfect. Everything about him seems planned and poised, rehearsed, like he's never unprepared, always anticipating. "Sweet, little lamb, if I had a heart, I do believe you may break it."
"Don't give up yet, Tobias," Preston says. "We still have three more days to save her."
Tobias nods, his eyes flicking up to mine as he tosses the cigarette to the ground. I want him to want me, to be proud and—what the hell am I saying? I swallow, my nerves bunching in my stomach. "Shall we play then?" he asks, turning to start down the alleyway.
Preston holds out his hand and I take it. He pulls me close to his side, his fingers skimming down my cheek. A small smile touches his lips before he leans in and kisses me. His warm tongue sweeps across my bottom lip, making my heart race. He moves away and leads me into the shadow of the alleyway. The darkness engulfs us and I hesitate as a shiver works down my spine.
"Walk with me, Ella," Preston demands. I do, until he stops at the end of the alley. I can barely make him out, his broad frame nothing more than a murky silhouette. "Game four," he says.
Something wraps around my ankle and I scream. An arm snakes around my waist, and I panic before a hand slams over my mouth, yanking me back against a firm chest. "Now, now, little lamb. You'll scare our friend here," Tobias' voice is a low whisper beside my ear. My heart pounds against my ribs and my breaths come in short pants, blowing across his fingers clamped over my lips. He pulls me to the side, keeping a firm grip on my waist as he slowly slips his hand away from my mouth.
A bright light flickers on. Preston holds out his phone, shining the flashlight toward the ground. There's a piece of cardboard leaning against the wall and beneath it, is a man. I can just make out the top of his head and his outstretched hand reaching toward me. His dark hair is matted to his head and he grins at me through a thick beard. Most of his teeth are missing and the ones that remain are blackened.
"Pretty, pretty..." He mumbles over and over again. "Smells like sunshine," he sings.
"He is a heroin addict," Tobias says, disdain heavy in his voice. "He chose to be inferior, and much like you—before us, of course—he has nothing. But he'll have no savior to pull him from the wreckage of his wretched life, unless..." Tobias' gaze strays over to me. "Do you want to save him, little lamb?"
I glance down at the man crouched against the building. He's filthy. He smells of piss and booze. Scabs cover his face, and pity drowns me.
"Ella," Preston whispers, "look at him. Look how disgusting he is." The words don't even seem to bother the man. He laughs and picks at one of his festering scabs.
Tobias exhales as he casts his judgemental gaze back toward the man. "He is what I refer to as a drain. A leech. An inferior. Worthless."
"He has no family. No friends," Preston whispers.
"Just like you, little lamb, he has no one," Tobias says.
"But, Tobias...Ella has us."
Tobias grins. "So, she has us and he has nothing." A deep laugh rumbles from Tobias' throat, booming down the dark and empty alley. He looks back at the hobo. "What do you want," he asks.
"I just need a..." the man swallows, still scratching at his sores, "I just need a little hit, just some money. Just a little hit..."
"See," Tobias says, "not food, or a shelter, clothes, or even a bath. All he wants is his vice. That is all his life is. He is a servant to his own fucking filthy desires. How much more worthless can one become?"
I know what he is saying is mean and cruel, but he says it with such conviction, such certainty that I start to believe him.
"Game number four, sweet Ella," Preston says, trailing his fingers over my throat and between my breasts before brushing over Tobias' arm at my waist. Their eyes lock over my shoulder, and I see something flash through Preston's dark gaze before his lips tip up in that easy smirk.
"This man," Tobias says against my ear, his warm breath tickles my neck, "is a waste of oxygen, a stain on humanity. A sickness."
So cruel, part of me believes he is a monster. A beautiful monster.
"Tell me, Ella," Preston says, "if you found a stray dog on the street and it looked as sick and disgusting as this guy," he shoves the man with his foot but he doesn't seem to notice. "wouldn't you put it out of it's misery?"
"I..." I stare at the man, slowly shaking my head.
"Well?" Tobias prompts.
"I wouldn’t want it to suffer, no."
They both laugh and Tobias gently strokes over my hair. "No, little lamb, you wouldn't."
"So innocent and sweet," Preston purrs.
"But you see," Tobias says with a frown, "the dog is merely a victim of circumstance, a bystander to mother nature. This," he stretches his arm over my shoulder, pointing at the heap of cardboard, "this is self-inflicted."
And my mind stumbles down that dark rabbit hole these two constantly have me tripping along. My stomach kinks and knots. "But he's a person, not a dog. He's sick. He needs help, not your judgment."
Tobias tenses. "Help, yes, Ella he needs help."
Preston pulls a small bag from his pocket and holds it up to the light. There's a tiny bit of white powder inside, and at the sight of it, the man is stumbling to his feet, reaching toward it. Preston, snatches the bag away. "This is all he wants." He places the baggie in my palm. "Give it to him."
"Yes, pretty, pretty," the man clears his throat, excitement cracking his voice. "Give it to me."
I wrinkle my brow, confused at what the trick to this is.
"Or," Tobias pulls a wad of cash from his pocket, flipping through it. "One-hundred, two-hundred, three hundred..." He continues to count out money, but the man's gaze remains anxiously glued to the bag of herion. "One-thousand dollars." Tobias hands the crisp bills to me. "Give him that."
I look at Tobias. "I don't understand."
"What is there to understand, Ella? You give him the drugs or you give him the money."
I glance at both in my hands then over at the man who's leaning against the brick wall, licking his lips. "Why would I give him the drugs?" I ask.
"It's what he wants," Preston says.
"Besides, what is he going to do with a thousand dollars?" Tobias laughs.
Inhaling, I take a step toward the man, clutching the herion tightly. I don't want to give him the drugs. I don't want to give him the money.
"Give him one or the other, or you lose," Tobias says impatiently. "It's not a hard decision, Ella. It's not like I'm putting a gun in your hand and asking you to blow his worthless brains out."
I narrow my gaze at the man. "If I give you this money, what will you do with it?"
"Food and clothes," he says in a rush.
"Would you go to a shelter and get help?"
"Oh, yes. Yes." His eyes well with tears. "I don't want to be like this. I used to be like you..." Hanging his head, he sighs.
Tobias groans and I glance over at him. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "Put him out of his misery, just give him the fucking drugs."
"Do wh
at's right, sweet Ella, I believe in you," Preston whispers.
I glance between the three men, my heart banging against my ribs. "Do you promise me you will get help?"
"Yes," the man whispers, his eyes falling to the money fanned out in my hand.
"You believe him?" Tobias asks.
Do I believe this man? No, I don't, but I can hope that he will at least try because I am not giving him drugs. If I give him the money, whatever he does with it is on him. "I don't know," I whisper as I hand him the money. He takes it and the second he does, he begins to cry. "God bless you," he says. "I promise, I'll get help." And he hurries down the alley.
"One thousand dollars won't help him, you know?" Preston says as we walk back toward the waiting car.
Chapter
As soon as the door closes, I want to get out. Tension pours off Tobias and fills the car. I glance nervously at Preston, but his gaze is focused out the window. Neither of them talk to me and I suddenly feel like a scolded child.
Dropping my head forward, I stare at my hands as I anxiously pick at my nails, tearing at the skin until it bleeds. Tobias releases an aggravated sigh, and then his hand covers mine. He drags my hand onto his thigh and holds it there. He's still staring out the window, drumming the fingers of his free hand over the door panel.
"Don't be mad," I whisper. "Please."
"I'm not mad, Ella. Disappointed." He sighs. "Anger is fleeting, disappointment—it marrs you." He glances at me with disgust written all over his face. His disappointment weighs heavy on me, much more than it should. "You made the wrong choice, Ella."
"Don't be so hard on her Tobias, you gave her the choice." Preston brushes his fingers over my leg.
"And she made the wrong one."
Preston's arm comes around my shoulders and he pulls me into his side. This is starting to feel all too familiar: Tobias' disappointment and Preston's warm embrace, ready and waiting to console me.
The car winds through the busy city, and the rest of the drive is ridden in silence. When the car pulls over to the side of the road, Tobias climbs out and holds the door open. Preston nudges me and I slide across the back seat, stepping out of the car. Tobias shuts the door and walks off without a word. Preston takes my hand, his fingers lacing through mine as we follow. Tobias along the crowded New York City sidewalk. And I can't help but think: they couldn't be any more different today. I watch Preston as we walk, taking note of how freely he carries himself, while Tobias walks as though he carries the world—not its weight—but the actual world as his own, on his shoulders.
Preston glances at me from the corner of his eye. "Keep looking at me like that and see what happens, sweet Ella," he warns in a low growl. I swallow and he chuckles, tightening his grip on my fingers. He lifts our clasped hands and brushes his lips over my knuckles, a cocky smirk plastered on his lips.
"Enough flirting, Preston," Tobias groans. I glance up and see him holding open the door to a shop.
Preston drops my hand, maneuvering around a family on the sidewalk as he leads me towards the door. Tobias' eyes lock on Preston, his expression completely unreadable. I hate this. I hate when he's angry. Even Preston's laid back vibes aren't enough to fend off this horrible sense of anxiety.
We're in a clothing boutique, high end with shiny floors and bright lights illuminating expensive dresses. I stare down at my jeans and converse, feeling unworthy of being in the presence of such beautiful garments. Prestons places a finger under my chin and lifts it, forcing my head high. Our eyes lock and he shakes his head infinitesimally. They want me to be worthy, and yet at every turn, my actions are somehow unworthy of their approval. They want me to be something I'm not, and perhaps I want to be something I'm not as well.
Tobias crosses the store and starts talking to a beautiful brunette in a very tight dress. She smiles at him, and I see the desire in her eyes, the lust that thrums through her body. I tense, an uncomfortable feeling tightening my chest.
"She wants him," Preston's lips are right at my ear, the warmth of his body brushing up against my arm. "Do you think he would fuck her, Ella?"
I swallow, clenching my fingers hard enough that my nails bite into my palm. "I...maybe."
His hand comes up and cups my face, twisting it towards him. His dark eyes stare straight at me before dropping to my lips. "Do you want him to fuck her? Maybe you'd like to watch?" I frown and then slowly shake my head, pushing away the images of Tobias and that woman, her tight body wrapped around his, her expensive dress on the floor. "Why not?" He whispers, so close that his lips brush mine. My palm comes to rest against his chest, the red hot heat of him bleeding through the thin material of his shirt.
"Because he's ours," I say quietly. His lips pull up in a smile and he slides his hand into my hair whilst pressing his other forearm into the dip of my back, wrenching me close.
"Ah, sweet Ella. You really are fucking perfect." He kisses me, thrusting his tongue inside my mouth and taking me by surprise. Preston kisses me all the time. So does Tobias, but never in public. In public I'm like their dirty little secret, their pet on a leash.
"Put this on." Preston breaks away from me but doesn't let go as we both look at Tobias now standing to the side of us and holding a garment bag out to me. The two of them stare at each other and I slowly slip from Prestons grip, taking the bag and slipping away. The brunette gestures for me to follow her to the changing room and I gratefully escape. The dress is bright red and the material feels amazing against my bare skin as it slides over my body. It clings to every single one of my curves with a neck-line that plunges well past my breasts.
Sheepishly, I step out of the changing room and into the store. No one else is here but us and I wonder if Tobias demanded privacy. It's not like he can't buy such things.
Preston and Tobias stand shoulder to shoulder, a wall of prime male, staring at me. I fold my arms over my chest, feeling self-conscious as their eyes rake over my body.
"You look beautiful, Ella,' Preston says, that amused smile pulling at his lips, making me feel as though I'm missing out on some joke. "Do you like the dress?" He asks before adding. "Remember, don't lie."
"It's a little revealing," I say.
Tobias says nothing but he doesn't have to. His displeasure reigns over everything, tainting the very air around me. "Tough. You wear what I give you," he says before turning around and walking out of the shop. Preston sighs, glancing at Tobias' retreating back. The shop assistant quickly helps me into a pair of strappy heels, and then Preston is taking my hand again and leading me out of the shop.
Chapter
Dinner. They've brought me to dinner. We sit at table on a balcony over-looking the Soho street below. The night air is cool, but a nearby heater blows a stream of warm air directly at me. We Preston sits beside me, Tobias across from me. Tobias focuses on his menu, ignoring me. Preston's hand rest on my thigh, his fingers gently scratching over my skin in a soothing motion. Isn't this what they always do? Good cop, bad cop? When one is horrible, the other is always there to make me feel as though I'm safe and cared for. And I know It's all an illusion, but I want to pretend it's not, so I allow Preston to be my safe haven, to shelter me from Tobias' storm. I lean closer to Preston until my arm brushes against the soft material of his suit jacket. Tobias notices the move and his eyes snap up, locking on our touching arms before gliding to my face.
I drop my gaze, feeling heat creep into my cheeks. He has this way of making me feel so small and insignificant, and beneath his scrutiny, I find myself reaching for Preston more. My hand lands on his thigh beneath the table and I feel his eyes on my face before he leans back, stretching his arm along the back of my chair.
"He's just being grouchy, sweet Ella," Preston says, amusement in his tone. He leans into my side and presses his lips beneath my ear. My eyes lock with Tobias as Preston's tongue gently swipes over my skin. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from the big bad wolf," he lilts.
I turn my gaze towards him, my eyes dropping to his
full lips, pulled up in a smirk. "You're just as much the big bad wolf," I whisper.
His smirk turns into a full blown grin. "Ah, but he bites. I just nip." He winks at me before turning towards the waiter who is now lingering next to the table. Tobias orders before then ordering for me. I glance at him and he cocks a brow as if daring me to argue.
I'm not going to. I'll eat the food he gives me and I'll sit here and play his game, because I want his approval and his disappointment eats away at me. Perhaps this is the game, me wanting them, wanting to please them? Maybe this is all just a warped form of manipulation? If it is, I'm too caught up in it to care. I'm too far down the rabbit hole. Down, down, down and there's no way out, only further in.
Chapter
After dinner I'm lead to the car again and again we sit in silence. I have no idea where we're going or what's coming next, but I know something is coming. This has been too easy, and there's no such thing as easy with them. After all, the game is seven days and each day counts. Each day is it's own twisted form of fucked up.
We come to a stop outside a door, plain black, completely non-descript in every way.
"Open it," Preston tells me. I glance at him and he gives me a small nod. I press down on the handle and the door swings open. The room beyond is completely black, the dim red lights from the hallway doing nothing to cut through the darkness. "Step inside."
My pulse is thrumming, adrenaline pumping already. I'm not scared of the dark, or at least I wasn't before I met Tobias and Preston. Now though, now the dark is so much more than a lack of light, so full of horrible possibilities.
I take a step forward on shaky legs, glancing at him over my shoulder. He steps forward with me, his chest pressing against my back. I instinctively reach for him, wrapping my fingers around his forearm and clutching it across the front of my body. He huffs a low laugh sending warm breath skittering over the back of my neck. The door closes, plunging us into complete darkness. I shiver, my nails digging into Prestons skin. His lips brush across my neck and a shiver dances over my skin. "Don't be scared of the dark, sweet Ella," he purrs, and then he slips away from me, pulling from my grip. I whirl around, looking for him, disorientated. I reach out blindly, but he's gone.