______________
Bailey's POV:
The drive was pretty silent the further we got from the venue and anywhere wasn't recognizable yet she didn't seem confused about our surroundings, she's probably been here before. I noticed little drops of water on the windshield and I smile seeing the light from the lamposts reflect on the raindrops.
I turn towards her seeing think, it's easy to tell if she's thinking hard or not and she's thinking like there's no tomorrow. "Are we almost there?" I ask she nods, "Mhm just a couple more streets." She says making a right turn into an unfamiliar town. It's too dark to see what's beyond these buildings and alleys, but they're kind of scary.
She parks on the side of the curb and I see a man walk into an alley making brief eye contact with the car, is he the client? "Um actually can you stay here in the car?" She asks turning the car off and I nod slowly, "Yeah that's fine it's raining anyway." I make an excuse trying not to show my want of going with her.
"Stay here don't leave. Okay just stay here in the car and don't step a foot out. Don't open door to anyone and don't crack your window open. I shouldn't be long." She says seriously and I don't think I've seen her this serious before. She closes the door and I watch her walk in the rain and disappear behind the corner of the alley.
The silence in the car dawns on me and I lower myself in the leather seat. I should text Carmen.
Skylar's POV:
"Malcolm, I got your shit." I look for the client in the rain, "You're not Sage." He points out, yes the fucking obvious. "No shit, do I look like a guy, payment?" I toss the hooded man the box and he looks at it for a few seconds then throws it back to me.
"What the hell man?" I step closer, I wipe my face down from the water hoping that whatever happens gets done and over with because I have something to do that's better than this shit. "Where's Sage?" He asks and I look around confused.
"Obviously not here, what's the matter with him not being here? I have what you need and if you can just pay me then we can move on with our lives." I try to push him to end this trade but he puts his hands in his hoodie pockets letting me know that he won't take the package.
"You look over dressed for a trade." He comments on my now damp suit that's starting to get uncomfortable. "Yeah I was just at prom so." I shrug and I hear him gasp, "You're only in high school?" His head tilts and I nod, "Yeah but I'm graduating soon, are you going to get this or not because I have to go." I shake the package and he steps closer to me.
"Why would Sage send you when he knows what I have?" He keeps saying Sage as if he knows him, "Look I don't know, I just want to get paid but it's clear that you're not willing to do that so goodnight." I spin on my heel but then he clears his throat.
"I don't think you want to leave just yet because if you know Sage then you know someone else." I hear him step closer to me and I turn around slowly. "I know a lot of people." I mention and I see his smirk from the shadow of his hood. "Right you see. I have information about someone that's important to Sage and probably you, the deal was he meets me and give me what I need in exchange for this lead." He pulls out his hand with a small folded piece of paper.
"Okay how about this? Let's reschedule this for another day." I tell him but he shakes his head. "That won't work it's either you get what you've been needing or you don't and struggle even more." He wagers. Why is he dragging this on?
"Fine what is it that I need to know so badly?" I ask, I have a need to turn around, a need to see if Beans is still in the car, safe. I've met some pretty nasty and creepy clients but that comes with this type of business. She's okay. "The whereabouts of Liliana Espisito." He clicks his tongue.
I froze at the name that just fell from his mouth. "You, you- how?!" I finally moved to get just inches from his face as his hood kept him dry but the rain only soaked through my suit. "How do you know her!" It wasn't a question it was demand.
"Hold on now, don't be too violent, I can see your knuckles turning white. I just need to ask you one thing." He shrugs his shoulders, my knuckles are about to turn red and it'll be because of him.
"What? What is it?" I shove his shoulders making him stumble back but he doesn't fall. "Chill will you, damn you fucking women are ruthless sometimes." He coughs then I kick his shin making him yelp falling onto the wet ground. "Not so dry are you huh, now what's the fuck question?" I step on his chest pressing my weight onto my foot and he wheezes loudly.
"Who's the girl in your car? She looks a little lonely." His wicked smile shines under the light and I feel my heart drop, Beans. I feel him pull my ankle and I ended up on the ground with him grabbing my collar with one hand, fuck I feel the pressure build in my hands as he stands on my wrists.
I kick my legs frantically trying to throw him off balance but I can't distract myself from the pain that's growing in my wrists down to my hands. "I'll teach you fucking Morozan's a lesson." He spits raising his fist.
Bailey's POV:
I lean my head against the window watching two raindrops race down to the bottom. Suddenly I see a body walking down the sidewalk and I slowly start sinking down into the seat. Maybe they won't see me. It's better if they don't. I sink until I couldn't anymore and I held my breath.
Soon the body came closer and I closed my eyes hoping it would just walk by but then I heard a knock, I opened one of my eyes jumping back in my seat after seeing the substitute who was really weird and who didn't give me a pass for my next class.
I slowly sit up rolling the window down. "Miss. Skeels?" He leans down and I shake my head, "Yeah right, I know it's you. What are you doing here?" He asks, this is very weird, I don't like it. "Uh I could ask you the same thing." I tell him fully sitting up and he lifts a shopping bag.
"I needed food." He says adjusting his collar, even in the rain, he wears a suit. I'm convinced he doesn't own a pair of sweatpants. "Now you know why I'm here, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at prom" He asks bending down to get a look at me.
"We left early." I shrug and he raises an eyebrow, "We? I don't see anyone else in the car?" He peeks around, "Uh yeah my date went to give something to someone." I say vaguely, should I go into detail or just leave it? I still don't really know who this man is but his eyebrow slits are pretty cool.
"I see, well I go before someone thinks I'm about to harm an innocent girl. See you around Miss. Skeels, tell Skylar I said 'hi'" He pats the top of the car and walks away. I still don't know his name. Maybe I should get it that way Skylar won't be mad or upset that I rolled down my window for a random man.
I quickly roll up my window and I step out of the car blinking at the darkness as the rain hits my dress, I caught a glimpse of his sillouete and I start walking after only to stop after hearing someone's foot slip. I turn my head into the alley, I immediately cover my mouth with my hands at the sight of Skylar.
Skylar struggling to stand as the man behind her hold her neck in his arms, they both look at me with different expressions. "So this who's been with you eh, pretty little thing if I do say." He smirks making her look at me. "Nice to meet ya, hope you know what this girl has done with her brother and cousin. It'll scare-" He groans as Skylar elbows him in the stomach making him fall.
I can't process what's happening, she's hurt, she got hurt by him now she's hurting him. My feet were stuck to the ground I wanted to move forward, backward, anywhere just not here where I see punches being thrown then a spray of blood splattered on the ground and the man stopped moving.
I could hear the beating of my heart, the light taps of the rain, and the huffing from Skylar who is now standing with her back turned to me. I glance down at her hand seeing it drip with a dark liquid, too dark for rain.
I finally heard myself breathe and out of habit I bring my hands under my eyes wiping the tears or the rain, I couldn't tell which it was. I couldn't tell if it's actually Skylar who's standing there.