Antecedent (Tex Sawyer)

Antecedent 6

A/N Thought I updated but apparently it didn't publish. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Anyway, number 6! It's not been checked so there may be some grammar errors and spelling mistakes poking around.

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Feeling a piercing scream catch and clog my throat, my body arches upwards, hands fumbling for the nearest thing to grip. Cold. I felt cold but as the water rippled and lapped around my body I could confess to myself that it was an understatement. It was freezing and as much as the sight of flesh gave me some reassurance I hadn't currently been in any way maimed, it was turning red and onto blue. Trying to concentrate and focus my breaths as the water moved around me, I couldn't take it and gripped onto the metal handle at my left side attempting to pull myself out. Ringing and water echoed my ears and surrounded the room. Soaked auburn hair clinged to my face blocking my view from anything in sight. I just knew what I could grip and how it felt. Coughing and spluttering, I felt something lift from under my arm and support me onto the ground, allowing me to catch myself on my knees which trembled and shook.
What the actual hell?
"Told you it would work." A voice rang as my head spun. Reaching upwards with both hands, I tried to straighten up but my body betrayed me and made contact solid and just as cold as I was. It offered no comfort as my teeth chattered and breath continued to be captured from the painfulness of my throat. I knew it would be a miracle if I didn't get sick after this.
"Wasn't me that doubted you." Another male voice replied idly and through that sentence alone I could garner my senses enough to know the voice of the blonde who had trapped us all here. "Alfredo did."
"Alfredo just wanted leftovers. Worse than a god damn vulture." Tink said dryly. Blinking a few times and pushing back the insistent strands of locks, I tried to focus on the light and felt only disappointment when it emerged through the mixture of blurs and colours as a lightbulb. I could see the legs of both men, one was leaning a little lower to my height as I pulled my legs to me. Quickly I became aware that while my flesh wasn't just tinted by the lack of temperature but that I was also covered by nothing at all. "Well, it definitely did the job."
"Welcome back sleeping beauty." Tex greeted resting his elbows on his knees with a wide grin. Not wasting time I wrapped my arm around my breasts glaring at him sourly. "Don't be like that, I only peeked a little."
"Just give her the damn towel before she actually does die, I've heard enough of your whinging." Tink instructed bitterly, walking over to the cubicle and sitting on the toilet seat. Tex just rolled his eyes and muttered a comment that even I couldn't hear. Bending to the side, he grasped at some material and threw it in my direction. Despite instinct wanting me to hold out and catch it, I remained frozen and still. Despite whether both men had seen me naked and they clearly had, I didn't want them to see it all again with me aware of the situation.
"C'mon Lori" Tex whined, "you're supposed to be the smart one out of your little gang."
"Between the two of us, I am." I bit back clutching at myself tighter and attempting to keep my pride in my stride. I had nothing else. I was aware of who and what I had lost and my eventual fate. At the very most this was most likely a game to them and if so it was one I did not want to play. If I could not have an escape in death then I could only continue to try in life.
"Being smart would be wrapping up warm." He pointed out reaching for the towel once again as if passing it a second time would break my resolve. Again I remained still against my best efforts. "You're just being difficult."
"Which I will happily continue to be. If I had my clothes and the privacy to get dressed I would. I have neither."
"Heck girl, two times you've made a runner now and you think you get to make the rules, that's either cockiness or stupidity." Tink interjected scratching the back of his head. "Starting to think it's the latter."
"You've thwarted both of those attempts and then tried to drown me."
"Drowning someone is no fun." Tex informed me, leaning back as he reached over, the faded pink cloth was placed against my shoulder, one to the other and draped over as much of my body as it could manage. "They just bloat and it ruins the taste. Besides, what exactly would you recommend to wake up someone when they've been out of it for two days? Nothing else was working. Even in your sleep you are one tough nut to crack."
"Am I supposed to be grateful?" I was anything but grateful but that. My thoughts splintered through the icy cold chill that lingered to my bones as I thought of Joel, of the fact he had been in this very bathtub and made to bleed out. So what was there to be grateful or thankful for? Living another day until they decided I was next up on the food chain...I expressed more gratitude when cats did a shit in my yard.
"Grateful? No. Conservative perhaps." The elder and dark haired of the two shrugged before pointing a metal hook in my direction. "Just do the ladylike thing and get dressed."
"Not that I mind."
"Into what exactly?" Ignoring an over eager blonde I kept my attention on Tink, as much as I hated to admit it, he was the easiest out of the lot to talk to.
"Into clothes dipshit." Rolling my eyes at him, he shrugged at the blatant and obvious answer. "Though I think Tex wants to make a deal with you and for once, do it without an argument." Inhaling I slowly turned to face the younger of the two.
""How much would you like your clothes back sweetheart?"
"How much would I like you dead?" Tex's eyes widened a little, his grin only spread further. Despite being frozen to the bone I wasn't willing to let myself become a mound of clay for him to sculpt and form. I knew where I stood in this situation, knew what they were capable of and I wasn't forgiving towards their nature.
"Oh that much huh, well then I think you will enjoy this little deal. You see, we have all of your belongings-"
"Get to the point."
"Simple, you continue to help out Junior and you can get everything you want. Well nearly everything when it comes to what you actually own." Leaning closer to me with an arm reached out I ignored the handshake he clearly wanted to make.
"You want me to help out your psychotic bro-"
Cousin." Tink corrected absently, it was clear he only was going to interject with that and even to an extent saw my argument. Again it reminded me out of the three family members I knew he was the one with a sharp mind and would be the biggest obstacle on getting the heck out of dodge.
"Cousin when he literally tore someone apart with a chainsaw and is wearing Troy's face? Why should I help any of you!"
"Because otherwise you'll be staying like that."
"With Alfredo around." Tex frowned at Tink clearly annoyed but blowing out some smoke after inhaling against his cigarette brown eyes connected with me "I think we both know that Alfredo has a score to settle with you now. Want to risk that? If so you're welcome to it but you're only hope in getting him away from you is right next to you. My little brother is territorial and as a family unit we respect that, most of us anyway." Glowering at him, I turned to Tex irritably. He was waiting patiently knowing that my resolve was fading with each passing second. It was true, Alfredo would most likely want to avenge his nose, head and lower regions. But being the object of Tex's territorial nature was just as skin crawling after all he had led us into.
"You'd keep him away?" I couldn't help but not be entirely sceptical, he had prevented Alfredo slapping me one in the kitchen after all but at the same time..
"Sure thing." Nodding with an angelic pout I felt my nose scrunch in disgust. It was like comparing an alligator to a shark. Both were dangerous in their own right and radius but one was more likely to attack than the other and being vulnerable was something Alfredo would be able to smell out lille a fresh blood trail. I wouldn't say that Tex was a better option, in his own rite he was murderous and psychotic and didn't understand personal space but when it came down to it...he was the least likely to kill me just because he could. Mainly because he hadn't recently attempted to."I can keep a very close eye on you honey."
"Keeping your brother away is plenty." I replied sourly half heartedly poking a hand out from the comfort of the towel. In contrast he enthusiastically shook his, "can I have my clothes now?"
"Nope." Popping the word out with a devilish grin, Tex replied childishly.
"Seriously?"
"They were all bloodied." Tex remarked, shrugging before straightening himself up with a gentle push of his knees. Continuing to keep my slitted gaze on him, I stayed still. "And being out of it for two days-"
"Didn't mean your bowels were." Tink snorted bluntly. Turning my head as the wet hair clung, I could feel myself gape mortified. Much as I wasn't thrilled by the ice bath, if I had been covered in such contents I was more accepting of the fact it had happened."What don't you think we've seen shit before? Now you decide to be ladylike."
"I hate you both."
"That's fine, you just have to hate Alfredo more." Tex stated simply passing a bundle of denim which had been draped over the sink. Without looking too intently, I knew it wasn't from my wardrobe. "Stop complaining, take it. Right now you should be grateful for anything." Bitterly I nodded. The options were limited and as my wish for death hadn't been fulfilled I was left with the fight option. Clutching against the towel I straightened up and gingerly held a hand out not wanting it to slip and expose what he had seen once more.
"Can you at least turn around?"
"Hey, I promised to keep a very close eye on you."
"Alfredo is starting to look appealing." I grumbled turning around myself after taking the denim from him. Tex looked offended and I found myself not caring all that much. Even if it was a petty little insult, getting under his skin was some form of satisfaction when I had little else. Tucking in the towel under my armpit, I focused on unfolding the bundle. It was hard to appreciate any gesture that came from them and expecting anything more out of a bargain seemed futile. Seriously though..."Just a shirt?" Despite their being a height difference between myself and the cowboy, I had areas a little more filling than him. The breasts and the buttocks being a prime example of what was more refined. Holding up the shirt deflated I saw a small bundle spill out to the floor and quickly reached down to pick them up. They had even been in my underwear, nothing was sacred.
"And briefs." Tink added as if it made all the difference in the world. "My little brother would have been fine not letting you have any."
"Oh so I should thank you?"  Muttering as I rolled my eyes deciding to tackle the underwear first. While they had clearly seen the lace when handling my valuables it didn't take away the embarrassment or disgust they had seen the garment in the first place.
"You're damn right you should."
"Thank you for running us off the road, killing my friends, rummaging in my underwear and waking me up in such sadistic fashion." While the sarcasm flowed sincerely in my tone, I heard Tink and Tex laugh.
"You're welcome sweetheart." Tex said.
"Bring your friends over anytime." added Tink.