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Chapter Six
The girl's stare was bold and exuded confidence. She was dressed in a revealing outfit that left little to imagine, but in her opinion was conservative. Her signature, devious smirk was present, and she looked unstoppable.
That girl was me.
Tearing my eyes away from the mirror, I walked out of the bathroom, and into my new room. I frowned a bit, before pulling on my ankle boots. My hands rested on my lap and I pushed away the nerves that were beginning to tingle in my stomach.
I let out a sigh and glanced at my phone, feeling my heart sink when I saw that Danny hadn't called or even texted me for that matter.
"Come on love!" My head moved and I stared at the door. "We are ready to leave."
A flame ignited within me as I walked down the stairs. I felt my confidence roll in like waves, and my eyes sparkled mischievously. I felt that flame turn into a fire when I took in their reaction.
Callum and Mason's eyes widened and Sebastian's lips parted while his eyes shamelessly looked me over. Studying my nails, I let an uncaring expression take over my features.
"And what do you think you're wearing?" Sebastian's voice was hard, and there was a hint of annoyance there.
I let myself look up, making direct eye contact with Sebastian. His jaw was clenched, and I instinctively bit my lip.
"I'm wearing what I would usually wear," I told him casually, acting as thought it wasn't a big deal.
Sebastian was displeased by my answer, but didn't push the subject. Meanwhile, Mason and Callum couldn't get their eyes off of me, which was only fueling the fire within me.
I was ready to meet Sebastian's challenge and prove myself.
"When you are all finished checking me out, we should probably leave if we want to get there in time." I smirked and placed my hand on my hip, enjoying the way Callum and Mason both looked away at the same time, their eyes now going everywhere but me.
"Don't get too cocky." Sebastian warned.
I deepened my smirk before responding. "So what's the plan? I get the guy, take him out back, you kill him?"
They all laughed at that, which only confused me.
"Babe, unlike your old gang, we don't deal with those druggies who are behind payment." I frowned and crossed my arms, annoyance taking over.
"Surely you have people behind on their payments." I snapped, glaring a bit.
Sebastian stepped forward, looking amused. "Despite our gang's ranking, yes, we do have those complete idiots who think they cheat us, but I let my lower ranks deal with them."
I remained silent as I processed what he just told me. The anger I had from him insulting my gang had long since faded when I realized what he was saying. Of course Sebastian King wouldn't deal with those kinds of people.
"Then what is the plan?" I asked stiffly.
Sebastian looked back to Callum and Mason, before he finally turned back to me. From his expression, I could tell that he was holding back, and immediately tensed up.
"His name is Chuck Forrest," Sebastian said. "He's a dealer who has been trying to sneak into our territory for months."
"Why go after him now?" I asked.
Sebastian's jaw clenched once again and his eyes flashed at me. "He's getting arrogant. Telling people that Kings isn't what it used to be, that we are a weak gang."
By now, Sebastian was standing in front of me, his body towering over mine. My breathing halted as he leaned down, his eyes staring deep into my own.
"Kings is not a weak gang." His voice was low and rough, and I sensed the danger that dripped into his tone. I just nodded in response; unsure of how I should reply to that.
Of course Kings was far from weak. To think otherwise would only prove your stupidity, and for this dealer to be going around and saying that to others- well he has sealed his fate. Chuck Forrest was doomed for death now, and I was going to be a part of it all.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked, aware that he has yet to answer my question.
"I want you to bait him, get him to take interest, then ask to leave with you. You will agree to it, and then we will handle the rest." Sebastian stated vaguely.
How in the hell was that a plan?
"Alright," I muttered, deciding to just go with it. Something told me that this job was dangerous, but I was eager to prove myself to Sebastian and his gang. I was still yet to be a part of Kings and even though I didn't exactly want to be in the gang, I didn't like having nothing at all.
"Let's go then!" Callum announced, clapping his hands. Following Callum and Mason out the door, I felt someone grab my arm from behind, and stop me from moving forward.
"What do you want, Sebastian?" I asked, irritation leaking into my tone. His fingers dug into my skin and I hissed in pain.
"This job is important, don't fuck it up." He told me.
"I'll try not to." I spat out viciously, yanking my arm from his grip. Turning away, I marched down the stairs of the porch and made my way over to the car. I was on edge and slightly worried. I've dealt with many people when it comes to baiting, but this wasn't any normal job.
I knew Sebastian had picked this job because he wanted to see me struggle, and I could not let that happen.
Evelyn Summers does not fail. Never has, never will.
I didn't know where we were going. This area was foreign to me, and only made me more uncomfortable.
"What's going to happen to London's Eyes territory now?" I questioned. It only dawned on me then that since Danny and the rest of the gang was gone, no one would be running our territory.
"Until they can return, that territory is under Kings." Mason informed me. I nodded quietly, concealing my disappointment.
Danny had worked so hard to be able to get where he was, and seeing how everything was just taken away from him made me angry. He was miserable therefore I was upset.
"Here we are," Callum announced, giving me a small smile. I took very little comfort in it, and masked my anxiety with a composed expression. I slowly climbed out of the car, and observed the reactions of the people nearby.
Everyone cowered in fear.
People literally ran away from us as we made our way to the entrance. We entered easily, into the unknown club. There really wasn't anything different about this club than the one I normally worked at. The flashing lights, deafening music, and crowds of drunken people either drinking for the fun of it or trying to escape their reality.
"Follow me," Sebastian said gruffly, his long fingers wrapping around my wrist in a tight grip. I kept close to him while we walked, making our way up the stairs into a private level of the club. It was a large room with its own bar, and had a couple of couches along with a large table.
"This is where I will be with Mason and Callum," Sebastian told me. He gestured to the tinted glass that allowed us to look out into the club. It reminded me of the VIP room where Danny would stay, and watch out for me during every job.
"Hey, Sebastian," Mason called out, drawing our attention to him. "He's here."
My body stiffened and I instantly began scanning the floor, looking for anyone who could possibly be an overconfident drug dealer. I jumped slightly when a hand was placed on my lower back. I turned to glance up at Sebastian, who was staring at me intently.
"That's him," he whispered, his head lowering next to mine. With his hand still firmly pressed into my back, he pointed down to a man who was making his way to the bar.
Chuck Forrest was not what I was expecting. He looked like he was in his mid twenties, and looked like any normal guy. His expression was serious and he barely glanced at anyone, even the girls who were desperately trying to get his attention.
"Good luck." Sebastian's whisper sent shivers down my spine and I pushed away from him, feeling my confidence flow back into me.
I can do this.
"Bait him, get him to want me to go home with him, I've got this." I said, walking towards the door. A smirk danced over my lips and I threw a look back to the boys.
"This is going to be too easy."
I exited the room and made my way down the stairs, catching the eyes of almost all the men in the club. Not only was my outfit strategically picked out to catch the attention of this Chuck Forrest, but also my mischievous smirk and bold expression had everyone staring at me in awe.
Making my way onto the dance floor, I made sure to make eye contact with him, a feeling of pride shooting through me when I noticed that he was staring at me.
I began moving my body rhythmically to the beat. All eyes were on me and a seductive look graced my features, making men growl with lust.
I was in my element.
I threw Chuck a teasing smirk, watching the way his eyes darkened and how he shifted in his chair. Accomplishment filled my being as he finally pushed away from the bar, and began walking over to me, maintaining eye contact the whole time. Just as he got close enough, I surprised him by walking past straight past him. My body pressed up against his when I went by, making him stiffen.
I walked up the bar, and pretended to be calling for the bartender, when I felt a presence behind me. A pair of hands firmly gripped my waist and a body pressed up against me.
"Little tease, are you?" His grumbled out, moving closer. I managed to twist my body around, now facing him. His hazel eyes were dark with lust and he ever so slowly trailed his eyes over my body.
"I haven't seen you here before," he stated, his eyes bright.
"Is that so?" I whispered out, my hands resting on his chest.
"Trust me, love," his voice lowered and he smirked. "I would have remembered you."
I raised my brow before grinding my hips into his, emitting a groan from his parted lips.
It was easy to see that I had Chuck Forrest wrapped around my little finger.
"The sex would have been great."
A laugh escaped my lips at his insinuation. This man truly was just as bold, cocky, and careless as Sebastian had described him. Being all those things could get you killed.
And unfortunately for Chuck, that's exactly what was going to happen.
"Great?" I finally spoke, leaning up to hover my lips just under his ear. "It would have been mind blowing."
Chuck seemed temporarily stunned for a moment, before he managed to recover. His fingers dug into my hips even more, and I was sure they were going to leave bruises.
"I don't suppose you want to get out of here?" It was an offer, but at the same time a demand. From the way he was holding me, I could tell that he was eager to get out of here, with me by his side.
"It's like you read my mind." I said softly, a devious look glinting in my eyes.
He intertwined his fingers with mine, and pulled my body into his. Ignoring the hungry looks from the other men, I glanced up at the tinted glass, a cocky expression crossing over my face.
Like I said, this was too easy.
We maneuvered our way through the crowd and finally were able to slip out the exit. Once we got outside, my smirk faltered and I realized that I had absolutely no idea what to do next.
We will do the rest.
I didn't see Sebastian anywhere, neither Mason nor Callum.
"Hey, come on." Chuck said, pulling on my arm. I winced and looked around once more, unsure of my next move.
"Seriously," Chuck snapped, giving my arm a harsh pull. I let out a whimper and stumbled into him, unable to fight against him as he pulled me down the end of the block.
I continued to look around, searching for one of the boys. By the time we stopped walking, we were far from the club, and in front of a small black car.
"Get in." He said, smirking at me. I stared at him blankly, before he rolled his eyes and opened the door, pushing me into the car.
Was I supposed to go home with him?
I was confused, and for the first time ever, I really didn't feel safe. Everything about my situation was screaming danger, and I felt the nerves shooting around in my stomach, making me sick and nauseous.
The car ride was short, and Chuck busied himself by telling me how much he wanted to tear my clothes from my body. His words went right over my head though, for I could only focus on the hand that was tightly gripping my knee, and the thought that I was all by myself on this one.
"Love, we're here." He whispered in my ear.
I barely had time to react before he was by my side of the car, eagerly pulling me out. His hand gripped my wrist tightly as he entered his run down house, and I observed the dull insides.
Without a second of hesitation, Chuck Forrest had me pinned against the wall, his body pressing fully against mine. His lips attached themselves to my neck, and he began sucking and nibbling my exposed flesh. Fed up with not knowing what to do, I began pushing him away.
"No, no," I muttered. "Stop it."
He pulled away slightly, his face now contorted with anger.
"Oh so that's it, huh? You're just some teasing slut?" I flinched at his words, before growing angry.
"Let me go." I hissed out, placing my hands on his chest. He snorted and grasped my wrists with one of his hands, slamming them onto the wall above my head.
"You can shut the fuck up now." He snarled, his lips busying themselves my attacking me again. I squirmed under his grip, trying to find a way to break free of him.
I managed to send a kick to his shin, which resulted in him backing away from me and howling in pain. I took this as an opportunity to rush towards the door, but found my head snapping backwards as he grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked on it.
The pain that radiated from that action made me scream in pain, and a few tears pricked my eyes. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I barely even registered what was about to happen before I felt my head turn to the side, pain erupting on the side of my face.
He hit me.
Now, I have been hit before. I can take a hit, and this was no different from the other times, that it, except for the fear that I was filled with this time.
Before, I always knew I had back up. That would give me the power to be able to endure whatever happened because I knew it wouldn't be long before Danny, Nate, or Will came. But this time, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and it felt as if I had been set up.
Did Sebastian really want me to fail?
"You think you can just get away with all those games at the club? Huh?" He screamed at me, shoving me up against the wall.
"Well?" He roared in my face. I flinched, and quickly held my hands up to my face; just barely blocking the blow he sent my way. My wrist throbbed from the punch it had just received, and I hissed in pain.
"Baby, I don't want to hurt you." His voice was now soft and almost caring, which scared me even more. It was as if the abusive, demanding Chuck Forrest had now been replaced by someone else.
"Then stop." I snapped out, using my uninjured arm to shove him away.
"You know," he growled out, "I don't think you know who I am."
I replied with silence, and only stared at him. I was willing to hear whatever he had to tell me, as long as he wasn't hurting me anymore.
"My name is Chuck Forrest, and I am one of the most dangerous drug dealers in the area." It took almost everything in my power to keep myself from rolling my eyes at him.
"Have you heard of Kings?" He questioned, a smirk plastered on his face.
I nodded my head, waiting for him to continue.
"I've been walking over them for months." He said lowly, moving so that he was now right in front of me once more. "They fear me."
The bitter laugh that escaped my lips was uncontrollable, and made Chuck go mad. The force of the slap sent me to the ground, and a groan of pain left my mouth when I fell on my injured wrist.
"That's enough."
I lifted my head just in time to see Sebastian emerge from the top of the stairs of the house, followed by Mason and Callum, who were both carrying boxes.
I'm not sure if relief would be a good way to describe what I was feeling. Sure, it was nice to see that I hadn't been abandoned, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel like just a pawn in Sebastian's game.
I felt used.
I built up the strength to push myself backwards against wall, and used it to help myself stand up.
Chuck looked horrified as he stared at Sebastian, and I felt courage explode within me.
"Chucky, I thought you said they feared you." I teased, a harsh edge to my voice. His eyes tore away from them and back to me, as realization washed over his features.
"You little bitch." He snarled out. Anger emitted from him and I watched as he lunged at me, ready to finally be able to get revenge for the way he had been treating me.
No one pushes me around.
I side stepped Chuck and had him slammed up against the wall by his neck before anyone correct.
"You're exactly right." I hissed out, purposefully digging my nails into his throat. His pathetic shriek of pain made me press down even harder, my previous pain being transferred to him.
"Evie stop it." I ignored Sebastian's warning, not caring that he was now making his way down the stairs. A large hand tugged my hand away from Chuck's throat, and I shook Sebastian off instantly.
"Get this over with," I snarled. Callum motioned for me to follow him outside, which I did reluctantly. For once, I actually wanted to see someone die. Cynical, I suppose, but something about Chuck Forrest made me that way.
Their large black car had been parked across the street, and I watched as Mason and Callum placed the boxes in the trunk.
"What are those for?" I asked, letting my curiosity get the best of me.
"These are files on all of his client's, as well as information about other gangs in this area." Callum informed me, while opening the car door to let me in.
"You know," Mason said, as we sat in the car. "You have serious talent."
A smile perked at the corners of my mouth, and I shrugged nonchalantly. "I've been doing this for a while, of course I do."
Callum laughed while Mason looked on at me with amusement.
"You had his attention the second you entered the dance floor." Callum told me.
"You'll be a great asset to Kings."
I hadn't even noticed that Sebastian had opened the door to the driver's side, and was now sliding in. I diverted my eyes over to Chuck's house, avoiding Sebastian's gaze in the process.
"Are you just going to leave the body there?" I asked, my eyes still focused on the house.
"You'll see." Sebastian said, starting the car.
My brows furrowed in confusion as we made our way down the empty street. It was silent in the car, and I felt the urge to say something, when a deafening noise erupted from behind us.
I whirled around in my seat just in time to see Chuck Forrest's house go up in flames, while chunks of the house flew in different directions.
"We may have set up a few small bombs here and there while you distracted him." Mason said, winking at me.
My body tensed at his words, and my jaw hung low due to my shock from what just happened.
The boys started up a casual conversation while we made our way back to the house, unaware of the internal battle I was fighting with myself.
I hated how I had to pretend that I was okay right now.
I was shaken and scared, despite my confident and brave exterior. My heart was pounding mercilessly within my chest, but I couldn't let it show. I knew my brother wanted to do what was best for me, but I had never felt this unsafe in my life. It was only now that the reality of it all was settling in, and I sure as hell wasn't comfortable with it.
When we arrived back to the house, Mason and Callum invited me to celebrate "our" victory with them, but I simply excused myself. I needed to get upstairs and maybe take a shower or something to get rid of my shaken state.
I knew Sebastian was following me, and prayed that he was going to his room instead, but unfortunately, the sound of someone knocking on my door came mere seconds after me closing it.
"Evie?" The door opened.
I was facing my drawers, my trembling hands firmly gripping the edge.
"What's wrong?"
My body stiffened and I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to push away the whirlwind of emotions that were destroying my insides.
What was wrong?
"Hey." The contact of his hand touching my waist made me jump with surprise, and frantically move to put space between us.
"Go away King, I'm tired." I said icily, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Watch it," he warned me, his large frame approaching me. "You did well tonight. I don't see why you're so upset."
I guess he saw through my casual 'I'm fine' act, and that only made it worse.
"Upset?" I barked out a laugh. "Upset would be an understatement, Sebastian. You left me without alone with that abusive maniac! I had no idea what to do and you gave me nothing to work with!"
Sebastian's eyes moved to my cheek, then back to mine. "You're upset that he hit you?" His incredulous tone was one that made me see red.
"Of course not you fucker," I snarled out, clenching my fists. "I'm upset that you left me like that."
Sebastian didn't waste a second and had his hands wrapped tightly around my arms.
"Listen Evelyn, if you don't start respecting me..." he trailed off, although I received the threat quite well. "I didn't leave you. You're just going to have to trust me."
I squirmed in his grip, and felt his fingers loosen around my already bruised skin.
"Trust isn't something that is just given away," I spoke quietly. "It's earned."
Sebastian's eyes flashed with an unrecognizable emotion, and he stepped away from me, granting me the space that I so badly needed.
"I'm sorry that you felt unsafe tonight. I had no intention of making you feel that way." His words were firm and honest.
Unsafe.
I had never actually told him how I felt, and for him to just know, well, it scared me shitless.
"Go change," he told me, "I'm going to get some pain relievers."
I watched as he exited the room, my body in a state of shock. I finally made myself change into a large t-shirt, and slowly climbed into the bed, whimpering when I leaned too much onto my wrist.
"Here you are," Sebastian said as he re-entered my room. I looked down at the two tablets in his hand, and gratefully took them along with the glass of water he held out to me.
I tried to remain unaware of the way he studied me, which was something he did quite often.
As I fell asleep that night, I realized something.
Sebastian and I were not that different.
In fact, it seemed as if I spent the same amount of time trying to decipher him, as he did with me.
My eyelids were growing heavier by the second, and I barely reacted when I heard the door open to my room. A figure approached my bed, and crouched down to my level.
"Sebastian?" I murmured, my eyes struggled to remain open.
"Sh..." he whispered.
My eyes were just beginning to focus on him, although the darkness that surrounded us wasn't helping.
"I really am sorry," his voice was soft. "I promise to never do this to you again."
By the time he exited the room, no longer was I on the verge of falling asleep, but as of that moment, I was very much awake.
After sitting there, soaking in my confusion and fighting against my inner turmoil, I finally came to one conclusion.
I was going to need to find a way to make sense of Sebastian King and the way he was, for the sake of my sanity.
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