"You're putting a lot of trust in a stranger, brother."
"I trust him with her a lot more than I do you at the moment."
"I didn't mean to hurt her!" he shouts.
"And yet you did. Not only when she hit her head, but also when you said your father had the right idea in locking her up. Now she thinks you think she's worthless because she's not a virgin."
"Shit, I didn't mean it that way. You know I didn't."
I shake my head. "I'm not sure I do. She doesn't belong to anyone but herself. No one gets to control what she does with her body, but her. I'm not sure you get that. You treated her like a possession. I don't give a shit what you saw this morning."
"You had your hand up her shirt, man."
"So you throw her into a dresser and punch me in the face? Did it look like I was hurting her?"
"It looked like you were taking advantage of her."
"You know less than shit about her, and nothing about me if you think I'd ever force myself on a woman."
"How am I supposed to know?"
"Because I know what it's like to have someone force themselves on you!"
I'm panting, and my palms are sweating. Never have I admitted some of the horrors I've lived. For years I've been treated like a possession. Legally, I don't exist. Without a name or identification getting a job or any life outside of Blackthorne Manor has always proven impossible.
This isn't the first time I've run away. Punishments often took the most humiliating or painful route possible. Damien made sure I was broken, that I no longer believed my life or body belonged to me. I wouldn't let that become her fate.
"I fucked up, I know that. I won't hurt her again. I'll make it up to her."
"That's going to have to be her choice. I'm not going to force her to come back here. I'm not forcing her to do anything."
"Will you stay away from her?"
Would I? My knee jerk reaction would be to say yes. I don't do relationships, and Raven doesn't strike me as someone who does casual. She's better off not being with me.
"I am not making you any promises besides this one. I'll protect her, even if it's from you."
He doesn't like what I'm saying, but the fight seems to have left him for now. "I guess I can understand that."
"I've got to get ready for work. There's some shit going down there, and that was why I was coming in this morning. Now isn't the time to talk about it though."
Moving to the door, he stops me. "Take care of her."
"I will, but not for you.”
"How is she doing?" I ask Ford.
"I laid her down in my bed, but she keeps mumbling in her sleep. How did it go with her brother?"
"I told him she wouldn't come back unless she wanted to. He's feeling guilty enough that he isn't putting up a fight."
Sounds like whimpering come from one of the bedrooms.
"That's her," he says. "I wish she could have gone to a hospital. I can't stop worrying that she needs meds, or the damage is worse than Carmen thought."
"Yeah, I've been having the same concerns. I'm going to check on her."
He follows me into his room, and we see her thrashing around on the bed. Not a lot, but enough that we can see she's in pain.
"I don't know what to do," he mutters.
Comforting someone isn't normal for me. I do the only thing that I can think of and sit down next to her. She rolls over closer to me and starts to relax.
"Damn, it looks like I don't stand a chance with her," he mutters.
"Is that why you're doing all of this? To get laid?"
"No, there's something about her that makes even assholes like us step up to be a white knight, isn't there?"
I glare at him. "I'm no one's white knight."
His eyes drop to where I'm absentmindedly brushing her hair back. "You sure about that?"
"I've got to figure out where to take her for at least a few days. If I'm right, she's going to forgive her brother and want to go back, but until she decides that on her own, I want to give her space."
"Shane," Ford leans his head outside of the room and calls for his roommate.
He comes to the doorway, and although he looks at Raven and I curiously, he doesn't say anything.
"Do you think your grandpa will let us use his cabin in the mountains for a few days?" Ford asks.
Shane shrugs. "We've got a long weekend starting after tomorrow. I bet I can convince him I deserve a reward. After all, I am working to join his business."
The thin walls carry the conversation he holds with his grandpa. Knowing we can hear him he shouts from his room. "We're on."
"The cabin is off grid. It has solar power, a rainwater collection tank, a septic system, and even better it's out of cell range. We'll have everyone leave their phones in their cars so we won't have to tell the girls not to take pictures."
Jess would be an issue, but one I'd deal with when I had to.
"I'm going to take Raven home now that her brother is gone. I'll just have to have her up early before he gets home from work."
Ford shakes his head. "No need. Ted and Amber have been hooking up. He already texted and let us know he would be gone tonight. I'll take the couch, you can stay here with her. I promise I won't come in and punch you in the face in the morning."
It isn't very late, and after he leaves the room the sounds of a game come from the television. He and Shane spend most of it arguing over who is going to win, and the stats of the players. Instead of joining them, I kick off my shoes and lay down next to her.
I'll have to wake her in an hour, but until then I watch her sleep. "You scared me, princess," I whisper.
Her eyes flutter open. "Sin?"
"I'm here. We're in Ford's apartment. I promise, your brother isn't coming here. Tomorrow we're going to hang out with your new friends for a few days at a cabin in the mountains."
"What about Lucien?"
"He's going to stay here. If you don't want to go back to the apartment, we'll figure something else out. I'm not going to make decisions for you anymore."
"Thank you," she says quietly, then her eyes close again.
I set an alarm for an hour and a half and wrap my arms around her.
I must have fallen asleep for a while, because my alarm wakes me up after what feels like only minutes passed. There's a light tap on the door right before it opens. Ford enters the room, and pauses. "I'm not excusing what her brother did, but I can see why he'd have a problem with that."
Once again, in my sleep, my hand has found its way under Raven's shirt. She protests when I slide it out.
"Nothing going on between you two, huh?" He smirks, and I fight a litany of curses I want to spew. Mostly, I'm ashamed that my unconscious self has sought her out again.
When I don't answer he continues speaking. "Has she eaten today?"
"No," I rasp. Neither have I for that matter, but I'm used to going without.
"I made some soup. We should see if she can eat some of it."
"Yeah, she needs to eat."
"Have you eaten?" he asks.
"No, but I'm fine. I'm used to it though."
Ford cracks his neck, and I worry we're about to have a moment. "Look, man, I know we got off on the wrong foot. I was pissed off about how you used Jess. That girl has issues, and we've all been trying to keep her from self-destructing. I get why you did it though."
"Do you?" That would make one of us. Other than the obvious reason, sex, I'm not sure what point I was trying to prove. That's a lie, I was trying to prove to myself I didn't need Raven. Needing someone makes you weak, and in my world that's as good as making yourself dead.
"We don't have the same background. You've been through some shit. You said you have been trained to kill since you were a child. Were your parents employees of her father?"
Talking about this shit isn't normal for me, but if he's going to risk his neck, he needs to know what he's up against. "I have no idea who my parents are. Her father is Damien B
lackthorne."
"Wait, isn't he running for governor? I read that he's a billionaire, but no one really knows how he's made his money."
"Guns, drugs, and people mostly," I answer.
"Shit," he mutters.
"I don't remember anything before I was around four or so. I'd been living in the compound before that, but I don't know how long. I don't remember who sold me. I've never been to school, or to the doctor. Legally, I don't exist."
"Yeah, that makes my shit look small time. So, this isn't just about her running away, is it?"
"No. I had the plans in place and was ready to run. Lucky for her I hadn't found my opportunity to do it yet. As soon as Lucien and I learned what her father planned to do we took her and ran. We couldn't go to the hospital, because I haven't had a chance to make her a false ID yet."
"I don't think you're a bad guy, just someone who hasn't had a chance yet. And if you've got computer skills, I might have a way you can make some money and not leave Raven."
My interest is piqued. "What would that be?"
"Let's grab some food and we'll talk."
15
New Friends
Raven
"Wake up, princess, you need to eat something."
My stomach rolls, but I'm not sure if it's because I'm far past hungry and now ravenous, or if it's the concussion.
Sin takes my hand, and pulls me out of the bed. "Come on, Ford made you some soup."
I sit down at the small table the guys have on one side of the living room. Ford places a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of me. "I figured if this works for a cold, it can't hurt a concussion."
"Thank you," I say. My voice sounds scratchy, and even though I only hit my head, the pain is radiating through my entire body.
Ford notices and sets a bottle of water and a couple of pain killers next to my bowl. "Concussions are a bitch. When your brain gets knocked around the nerve pain tends to radiate through your entire body. Those will only dull it. Sorry we couldn't get you a prescription."
"I'll manage. I'd rather not take opioids anyway," I say and then swallow the pills. He's right though, they don't do much to get rid of the feeling of being hit by a truck.
I see Ford and Sin studying something on an old laptop computer. It's odd how chummy they are acting when they seemed to be at each other's throats this morning.
"What are you guys working on?" I ask.
"It's nothing," Sin says and closes the laptop.
"I don't buy it. What's going on?"
They share a look, and my suspicions are heightened. "We're getting along, isn't that good enough?" Sin asks.
"No, it's too fast, and you hate everyone," I accuse.
"Didn't look like he hated you when I woke him up," Ford says laughing.
"Okay, you're both acting really weird."
Shane strolls in, shirtless, and rolls his eyes. "They've got some bromance thing going on. I think they've bonded over the fact they are the two moodiest fuckers I've ever met."
"It's no big deal. I was telling Jackson that he can make some money in erasing some things on social media. Some of the people we go to school with are there because of some dumb shit they did and now they've got to rebuild their reputations before they can move on to a university."
"Erasing what exactly?" I ask. I only remember bits and pieces from what I overheard them talking about this morning, but I don't know if their definition of erasing people is the same.
"Pictures of wild parties, nudes, sex tapes, that sort of thing," Sin replies.
"Ah, so you can really make that go away? I thought once it was on the internet it was there forever."
"Usually, but I can write a program to search for an image or still and destroy it every time it pops up. If I can trace back the original message and write a worm to follow every time those images were shared I can eventually erase all of the hard copies. If it is on a jump drive or was copied from the internet that will be harder, but as soon as it is viewed on a computer connected to wifi I can make sure it erases itself."
"Wow, I didn't realize you were that good with computers."
"I have more skills than killing someone," he says.
"I know, but there are people who are working in the government who aren't that capable," I tell him.
He looks away, and I'm surprised to see him blush. "Sin, are you a genius?"
"Don't be ridiculous," he retorts.
"Did you teach yourself how to do this?" I ask.
He nods. "Do you really think your father sent me to school?"
"No, I don't think he paid much attention to you at all. I bet even Lucien doesn't know what you're capable of, does he?"
His dark eyes hold mine, and I know I'm right. "Lucien knows what he needs to know. We might be as close as I've ever been to anyone, but growing up in that house, I learned not to trust anyone with all my secrets."
"And yet you're sharing this one with us, why?"
He shoves his hand through his hair. "I don't know."
"Trust is earned. I'm guessing he trusted your brother out of necessity, but when someone needs you for something they are motivated not to screw you over."
"I need him to keep me safe. Doesn't that put me in the same boat as my brother?"
"No," Ford answers. He's very perceptive, and Sin sits listening as if he's telling him the answer to a difficult math problem he's been working on.
"It isn't the same thing at all. In order for him to keep you safe, you have to place your trust in him. Answer me this, since you've been with the two of them, which of them do you turn to if you need something?"
My eyes move to Sin.
"That's my answer," he says smugly.
"Ignore him, he's a psych major," Shane hollers.
"So he knows too?" I ask Sin.
"Ford didn't feel right putting him in danger without him knowing what was going on. You needed help, and I was useless."
Really, it's only fair. Getting involved with us is a risk. Sooner or later something would happen and my father would send someone here. They shouldn't be in the line of fire without at least knowing there's a danger.
"What about Teddy?" I asked.
Ford shakes his head. "No, he's our friend, and we trust him, but he's a shit liar. When he's around you have to pretend to be Alice."
"Why Alice, anyway?" Sin asks what I know he's been wondering the entire time.
I grimace. "Ford was actually right when he guessed it was the fairy tale character. Since I left with you and my brother I feel like I'm living through one of the Hatter's tea parties. Up is down, and everything is just inside out. Also, Alice isn't a princess."
Sin chuckles. "You really hate when I call you that."
"Princesses need to be saved. They wait around for a man to get them from a tower, or wake them up with a kiss. That's not going to be me."
"And who are you going to be?" he asks.
"I'm going to be the one who burns the world down."
Blinking up at the ceiling I try to get my bearings. Voices in the living room remind me we aren't in our apartment. Like the other times, Sin is sleeping soundly next to me.
In his sleep the walls come down and he clings to me. I try not to read anything into it. I'm starved for affection, so it wouldn't be hard for me to let go and believe these moments, but he's determined to push me away during all the hours he's awake. Something seems to have changed between us since I got hurt, but I'm too afraid to trust it will continue.
Waking up every two hours has left me with a lingering feeling of exhaustion. I try to leave him sleeping, and slip out of his arms, but he tenses when I move and pulls me tighter against him. His nose brushes up my neck, and my pulse starts to race.
"Where do you think you're going?" he croons.
My heart sinks. His hand is once again on my breast, and his erection is pressed against my ass. I'd love to be the cause of his current state, but I know it's just a biological reaction to being in bed with someone
of the opposite sex. Likely, he doesn't even realize it's me.
"I'm going to use the bathroom," I whisper.
Looking over my shoulder I watch his eyes blink, and sleep loses its hold over him. Just like I thought, he pulls back from me.
I take the chance and run from the room. Amber, Tessa and a girl I haven't met yet are sitting around. Amber and Teddy are battling over a video game. Tessa is loading food into a cooler, and the other girl is making breakfast. Thankfully, Jess, the girl Sin hooked up with isn't with them.
The new girl wipes her hand on a dish towel and approaches me. Her smile is wide and genuine. She's very pretty in an effortless way. "You must be Alice. Amber told me all about you. I'm Jen."
Recognition hits me. I heard them mention her a few times the other night. She's Shane's girlfriend. My smile becomes real, and I take her hand. "Nice to meet you. I've heard Shane talking about you."
"Have not!" he shouts from his room. "I wouldn't say anything about someone as mean as her. A man can die from blue balls, Jen!"
"You big baby, I'm making breakfast."
He rushes out of the room and scoops her up. Spinning her quickly he plants a kiss on her mouth and sets her down. "I forgive you. Are you making bacon?"
He winks at me and proceeds to the kitchen to load a plate up with food.
"You want to know the secret to keeping a man happy? Balls and bacon. That's all they care about," she laughs.
"That's not true," he speaks around a mouthful of food. "I care about my dick too. Especially, when you–"
"Oh, Jesus stop!" she laughs.
I duck into the bathroom while he's describing exactly what he likes her to do with his dick. Finishing my business quickly, I wash my hands and find Sin waiting.
He doesn't say anything, and enters the bathroom after I exit. I guess I'll have to find out what is going on from someone else. Everything from yesterday is fuzzy.
Pretty Monsters Page 11