Echo^^^
Rion POV
"Are you sure it's okay to leave him with her in the room?" A deep voice whispered. I wanted to open my eyes, but it felt as if they were glued shut.
"Of course. She's fine right now. Besides, Arson is there to stop anything crazy from happening." I picked up the other voice as the girl with the British accent. Jinx.
"That's what you said last time, remember?" The other voice rushed a bit heatedly. It was then that I realized that my eyes were covered with a soft material. I couldn't open my eyes and even if I could, I would still be in this twisted predicament. Aside from that, my hand were tied together and my feet to the chair I was currently sitting in.
I felt a hand brush through my hair. I felt myself suppress a whimper as I began to wonder who it was. Maybe it was Alex. Yeah, that definitely had to be it. He was going to save me.
"We have things to do, Milo. Get your ass going or I'll kick your teeth in." I heard Jinx bite out.
With a growl and a slam, the ambiance grew quiet. Where was I?
"Who are you?" I whispered hoarsely.
I felt the material loosen and fall to the ground. I didn't want to open my eyes. I didn't want reality to consume me.
If the smell was anything to go by, I'd say a five year old was petting me. This person smelled like pure candy and fruit spray. Taking this as some possible good sign, I decided to open my eyes. Squinting them slowly I managed to make out the colors black, pastel blue, and pink. I blinked some more and let the image of a girl seep in.
"Boo." She giggled.
I breathed in deeply as she continued to play with my hair. She had a short bob style cut. Her hair color was split vertically with black on one side and pastel blue and pink on the other. Her attire was definitely like a five year old. She was like a teenage porcelain doll.
"What are you doing?" I breathed.
"Playing with your hair. It's very nice. Soft. I try to play with Arson's hair sometimes but he doesn't let me. He has the scariest glare! Besides it's too shaggy. But your hair! It's so fluffy. I just have to play with it!" She laughed. I looked over to the right and saw a stoic Arson. I would definitely bet that his kid wasn't even eighteen yet.
"Where am I? Where have they brought me?"
"I was told not to tell you. Jinxy would kill me."
"Please I need to know. Wait how did I get here? I remember getting in a car... and then..." I shook my head as I attempted to regain my memories.
"Ooo they probably slipped a pill or two when you were crying. Jinxy said you were bawling your eyes out. I'm really sorry about your house. Arson, you're such a jerk!" She glared over at the young boy who merely shrugged.
"This can't be happening to me." I whispered incredulously.
"It's okay! You're safe here. That's why it's called the safe house. Oh!" She covered her mouth as if she had confessed the secret of a life time.
"I know that. That doesn't exactly give away the location." I grumbled.
"Oh okay, good. I'm safe too. See, the power of the safe house!"
I merely stared at her in confusion.
"I am Echo." She smiled. "That over there is Arson, but you know that. He burned your house down." She smiled. I wasn't too sure if she was oblivious or insensitive, or perhaps a balanced combination of the two.
"I need to talk to Alex. Do you know where he is?"
"Nope." Echo replied popping the 'p.' "But that's okay, cause we can just hang out here."
"I'm kind of stuck..." I stared down at my tied feet and hands.
"Oh right!" Echo began to walk towards me when Arson grabbed her arm gently, shaking his head in disagreement. This kid was beginning to get on my nerves.
"Oh come on Arson! Look how cute he is! He wouldn't do anything. He likes us. Don't you...um... say I never got your name." She tapped her chin.
"Rion." I muttered.
"RION! THEE RION? Oh my gosh it's so nice to meet you! That's why you want to talk to Alex. Okay. It all makes sense now. I still don't know where he is though. We can't leave until Jinx and Milo come back." She sighed.
"Where did they go?"
"We got a message saying they needed their presence stat."
"Who's they?"
"You know the big ones. We don't like to speak their names so much." She whispered.
"Why am I here? Can't you let me go? Are you going to kill me?"
Echo laughed. "Of course not. Alexion would castrate us. Besides, it was his only condition when staying. A man named Rion was to be left untouched. Until you became a bit of a liability of course. Which you did. Voila here we are."
"So what does that mean for me?"
"I'm not sure." Echo hummed. "Maybe you get to stay here with us forever! That'd be fun."
I grimaced at the thought. Even though I didn't really get any ill treatment from this girl, it was obvious that she wasn't innocent. She is involved like the rest of them. I needed to get out of here.
"Hey! Where's my dog?" I always seemed to remember OB at random times. I am such a bad owner.
"Oh the puppy! He was taken to another room. We don't see many dogs around here so they're probably playing fetch or something. I mean, I would."
There was a knock on the door and a man came in. He was tall with broad shoulders. He had a scar across his left cheek.
"Milo! There you are. Rion here asks a lot of questions, doesn't he Arson?"
I looked over at Arson and noticed that his eyes began to wander around the room while he dug his hands deep in his pockets.
"Well anyways, look at him! Isn't he just the most adorable thing?" Echo pinched my cheeks.
I shook my head to avoid her misplaced gesture of endearment. Clearly all of these people were insane. At this point I didn't even care what would happen to me. I had nothing else to get back to. The only thing that would make me feel better is seeing Alexion's face.
"Well, well. Looks like sleeping beauty is up. How was your nap, love?" Jinx entered the room smirking at me.
I merely glared at her. I think of all of these criminals I was most terrified of her. She seemed disconnected from emotion. I doubt she had anyone left that she cared about. Perhaps that's why all of these people were here. It's difficult to tell.
"Alright then. Two mutes is fine by me." Arson's face reddened at the comment. I'm not sure why he didn't like to talk, but it sure wasn't for the same reason as me. "Alexion wishes to see his little toy. I suggest we take him to the living room. Untie him, Milo. Can't have Echo messing up another one." Jinx squinted her eyes at Echo, whose eye brows furrowed.
"It was not me! I've already told you!" Echo stomped her foot.
"Right." Jinx finished. The large man named Milo began to unbind my legs, leaving my hands tied as he picked me up to kick away the chair. "Come, now." Jinx stepped out the door into a white room full of old-fashioned furniture.
"Free his hands. It's not like this kid knows how to fight." Jinx ordered.
"A kid? Do I look like a kid to you?" I bit out. This woman had some nerve.
"You sure throw tantrums like one." She began to serve herself a drink.
"Where is Alex?"
"Oh I'm so tired of that name! He is so troublesome. Alex this, Alex that. Do you know how many hours of the day have been dedicated to that idiot? Far too many for my liking. Besides if it were up to me I'd let Arson set you on fire and call it a day while I shoot a bullet into his skull. Bye, bye Alex. And goodbye liability." She drank angrily as she slammed the glass on the counter.
You sure piss off the right people, Alex.
"Is that so?" I hear a voice laugh. I look towards a doorway to see the man of the hour. I didn't know whether to yell at him in anger or cry of happiness.
Jinx groaned. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."
"Good to know you're happy to see me, Jinx." He looked over at me, winking. That set me off. How dare he act like this whole situation was okay. I should chop his head off.
"Where the hell have you been. Do you have any idea what these people have done to me?" I growled, not caring about the other people in the room.
"You're right. It is my fault. But I couldn't leave things how they were. They know who you are now. We can't just leave a painted target over you."
"Right, and bringing him straight into the action surely does help. Good one Alexion, you're so smart. Such a sharp tack. Kind of like the knife I want to jam in your eyeball." Jinx finished as she began to serve herself another drink.
"Oh no you don't. You can't inundate yourself this early." Milo lectured as he took away her glass.
"Please, you don't understand! This is the absolute only way that I can stay sane in the presence of all of you. No offence." She looked around the room.
"None taken!" Echo smiled.
Arson rolled his eyes.
"Don't care. We need to make sure everyone is at their best. We have to be prepared for everything."
I could still feel my blood boil as Alex smiled at me. I didn't want to be here right now, and I sure as hell didn't want to be here with him.