(Sequel to Two Gangs and a Golden Girl)
***
"If you even think about touching me, I will literally rip off your arm," I growl when Xavier prowls closer. He doesn't stop. His poison green eyes drill into mine.
"I will have you, Marigold, and we will...
He was so handsome. Only a year or so older than me. With his black hair and grey eyes, I was useless to resist. But, unfortunately fate didn't think I deserved a happy ending. He didn't return the attraction and ended up handing me a debt I had to pay back.
Still desperate to feed my father and save up for university, I eventually agreed. I took the purple wig he handed me.
"You'll be an escort now. Don't worry, you don't have to sleep with anyone, you're my property now. Nobody is allowed to touch you," he said - which I found confusing, because he didn't want me, but didn't want anybody else to have me either.
And two years passed. Two years of being an escort and scraping up enough to leave my dad something every month, while still failing at saving for university. My biggest dream.
So, when I first laid eyes on Blake Bowmen, it was no surprise that my heart didn't ever stand a chance.
He was bad for me. Naturally, I fell for him.
With the black hair and silver eyes - something I figured out is a weakness of mine, I find myself meting whenever he looks at me. I know, of course I know, he drugged his own leader, Amber Marigold.
He's selfish, vain, egotistical, ignorant and yet somehow broken so thoroughly, he tries to convince himself he's healed.
But, as fate goes, Blake Bowmen would be in love with someone else. Blinded by her beauty, he can't see her faults. She's selfish, impulsive, emotionless and even if I can see myself friends with her with her witty remarks, she has a long way to go.
Maybe the old version of herself was as golden as Blake and Owen claims, but nobody, not even a golden girl, can stay pure once corrupted by gangs. This isn't some fairy-tale. This is real life. People die. People kill. People change.
"Can you take the wig off? I don't want to draw any attention once we're at the docks," Blake suddenly says from beside me.
I jolt back to reality - away from my thoughts. We're still in Blake's Black Bugatti, heading towards the docks and hopefully after that, the mall for some clothes - which I desperately need. I feel really uncomfortable wearing Amber Marigold's clothes.
"I don't like taking the wig off," I say.
Blake sends me a sharp look, and because I'm only tough when I have my statistics and data, I whimper in response and slowly pull the purple wig off. I feel exposed. Bare. Like one more look from Blake might make me break into tiny pieces. I try coming at my hair with my fingers and tying it up in a ponytail.
"How are things with Owen?" Blake asks and I bite my cheek. I have to remind myself that Blake is only talking to me in the first place, because he wants me to make Owen fall for me and get his attention away from Amber Marigold.
I suddenly can't help but to compare myself to Sterling's leader. What does she have that I don't? Oh right, a gang, respect, courage, looks.
And here I am with my hazel hair - never sure if it wants to be light or dark. And of course, my freckles that I constantly have to cover with concealer. The only thing vaguely good looking about me is my eyes, I guess. The fact that you have to look for hours to figure out what color it is.
Unfortunately nobody ever bothers with more than a few split seconds.
"I don't know how to crack that guy. He's not interested. Blinded like the rest of you," I mutter.
The Bugatti suddenly comes to a jolting stop. About a hundred meters away from the docks.
"Like the rest of us?" Blake asks with a scowl.
I find myself shrinking into the seat. Statistics, Myra. What statistics are there? None. None useful. It's not like I can use the fact that 'the average human will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools in their lifetime' to hide behind and seem strong.
"You can't deny that your judgement has become poor recently, with the drugging Amber situation," I croak out.
Blake suddenly becomes furious. Beyond furious and he grabs my neck - it's not the firm grip I'm used to with other men, but it does alarm my useless survival instincts. I might not be strong, or nearly as confident as I come across, but I spent an entire year mastering pressure points that I googled.
I jab at Blake's shoulder blade - not hard enough for the numbness to last long, but hard enough for him to let go of my neck. I gasp in air out of habit. Blake didn't really hurt me.
"Not this again!" Blake whines.
"You deserve it," I reply.
Blake lets out a sigh and leans back in his seat - staring off at the ships at the docks. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asks. I can tell he's frustrated for falling into my pressure point trap again. It's be at least another half an hour before he moves again.
"No," I answer.
Silence follows.
"You're right though," Blake admits.
I remember from earlier how Blake told Amber I'm right when I proposed she go back to school to spy on the other gangs. Before that, nobody had ever told me I'm right. Only facts did. And now, Blake Bowmen admits it again.
He turns to me with such intensity, that I feel like a little girl.
"I'm an asshole, I know. I was worse, believe it or not, but that girl, Amber, she brought me to the light. And now that she's gone, I'm falling all over. I lost my brother. I lost my father. Hell, I guess I lost my mother too, and now, I'll lose the girl that thought I was good enough to save. That, Myra, is the reason why everyone is so blind..." Blake explains.
He still holds my eyes when he says: "My judgement has always been shit. And being desperate, made me do things unforgivable. I was wrong about drugging Amber, even if my intentions wasn't to hurt her. I still can't forgive myself for being so stupid, so I beg you not to tell anyone. Besides, I think I finally found my answer in anyway."
My hopes shoot to the moon and back at those last words.
"You, Myra. You're the answer," Blake Bowmen whispers.
I nearly start crumbing - spilling my backstory and admitting that nobody has ever said I'm the answer, after so many years of giving the answer. But then, everything shatters, when fate throws out the punchline to the joke called my life.
"You'll help me get Amber back," Blake says.
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Hey goldies!
I know, short chapter, but I wrote it in like 15 minutes and it was just to give you a taste of Myra's character. She has a lot more coming. Any predictions about Myra? Do y'all even like her?
Love y'all and pleaseeee remember to VOTE and COMMENT, because they equal in super fast updates.
Shout out to Evie2941 and MayaW2 who both deserve more support with their wonderful books! Go follow them!
