After Dusk ✞ Gecko Brothers [1]

TWO

CHAPTER 2
STREETS

✞

   "TELL ME AGAIN, why it is that you insisted on taking her with us?" Seth asks as he drives, glancing at the girl that was lying down in the backseat of their car. "The fucks her name anyway?"

   "Her name is Ava," Richie tells his brother before offering up her photo ID, which he'd found among the things in her purse. "and she's got a brother that works at the border."

   Seth glances down at the ID, before he takes it from Richie. Ava Young, it reads. Brown eyes. Five feet six inches. Date of birth, February 23rd 1996.

   "Jesus - what is she like, fifteen?"

   "Eighteen."

   The first thought that comes to Seth's mind is that he's only ten years older than her. The second thought is that he's a fucking creep for the first thought.

   "Great," He mutters, tightening his hand on the wheel. "not only did you take the bank teller with us, but now there's a goddamn kid involved."

   "She's not a kid, Seth."

   His eyes narrow on his younger brother, and suddenly everything starts to make sense. Richie didn't take this girl because of her brother working at the border - no - he took her 'cause he wants to play some fucked up version of house with her.

   Richie pulls out the tube of sparky pink lip gloss, and opens it before lifting the applicator to sniff. It smells fruity and sweet, and he wonders what her lips taste like.

   "Gimme that." Seth snatches her things from his brother.

   Ava wakes with a start, scrambling to sit up and when she does she's hit with the realization of everything that had just happened. The liquor store. The Geckos. And then she learns that what had just happened is still happening. She's in the backseat of a car that she doesn't recognize, and in the two front seats she spots two familiar men ; Seth and Richie.

   "Rise and shine, sweetheart." She meets the Seth's eyes in the rear view mirror, and he throws her a gentle smile, zipping away her things.

   Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

   The first thing she tries is the door handle, hisses when she finds it's locked, and that same sinking feeling begins to creep up. She looks up and finds Richie staring at her, and it scares her.

   "Are you okay?"

   Seriously?

   "Uh, y-yeah."

He twists his body towards her in his seat, and she notices when he stares at her, he doesn't blink, like he's frozen.

   "I'm sorry about my behavior earlier. I didn't mean to scare you."