𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝟏𝟖+

6. liar

POPPY ELLISON

✥

Rexx decided that we're going out for lunch today as a 'family'. That word makes me feel physically sick, especially when it comes out of his vile mouth. How he can call us a family is beyond me.

I'd rather sit home and stick pins in my eyes. Literally.

Tristan flashes me a sickening smile across the kitchen counter as we wait for Rexx to be ready. I attempt to ignore his glares but the way he looks at me is predatory. My stomach churns when I think about what he might have done to me if Rexx hadn't ordered none of them to touch me.

"Nice ass in those jeans, hotstuff," his eyebrows wiggle up and down, a toothpick lodged between his teeth.

I grimace at his words and feel hot under his eyes as they drape down my body. "You're a pig," I grumble under my breath.

He barks out a laugh. "Pig?" He repeats. "I know you'll be screaming when I'm done with you."

My jaw grinds down against my teeth and I choose to ignore him. Except, I have to spend the rest of the evening in his company and Rexx. I glance over at him and he opens his mouth to speak again when someone walks towards us.

"Tris," Sanger, Rexx's other worker, snaps his name. "Rexx wants to see you in his office."

He grunts out a response and pushes himself off the counter before prowling away. I watch his steps making sure that he's out of sight before Sanger makes his way over to me. "You alright?" He asks.

I nod. "Being crude and disgusting as usual."

Sanger rolls his grey eyes. "He'll never change."

Out of all of Rexx's workers, Sanger is my favourite. He's nothing like either Rexx or Tristan. I don't entirely know why he works for him but I get the gist that maybe he was in the same situation I was.

Captured and forced to work for him or be killed in the most brutal of ways.

He doesn't sneer and make nasty comments like the others. He doesn't even roam his eyes over my body in a vulgar gesture. He's helped me out a fair few times, convincing Rexx to let me off of things I've disappointed him in.

Without Sanger, this entire experience would be a thousand times worse.

"Why are we going out for lunch?" I ask curiously.

We never go out together. It's a strange occurrence and I can only guess that Rexx is up to something or the other.

Sanger breathes out through his nose sharply. "Something to do with sussing out the new owners of this diner. Part of me thinks the guy has lost the plot but I don't argue. Seems to think that something dodgy is going on and it'll affect him in the long run."

My eyes narrow at him as we speak. "Sounds great," I say sarcastically.

He flashes me a knowing smile. Neither of us want to be here. But Rexx is a deadly man and has far too many people working for him to try and betray him again. I look down at the scars on my knuckles and I remind myself that it's not worth it.

Not after how much pain I was in.

When Rexx and Tristan return, we head out. I stay silent in the car journey as Rexx rants about something or the other. I usually zone out because quite frankly I don't care and I hear his voice far too many times a day to care. It's annoying at the best of times.

I close my eyes and drone him out as we arrive at the diner.

It's located in town, near Dark Suite because I remember seeing the luminous sign at night. As I hop out and we walk towards the restaurant, it's fairly quiet at this time on a weekday. The waitress shows us to a booth and we sit down.