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Chapter Nine
It had been ten days since I first met Sebastian. Ten days since my whole life was turned upside down. Ten days since I last talked to Danny, or any of London's Eyes for that matter And ten days since I was emotionally intact.
Because let me tell you something, right now, I am a complete mess- and I hated myself for that.
Ever since the attack at the club, I had barely seen Sebastian. I ate by myself, if not at all, and trained every day with Callum. It has been uncomfortable between Mason and me for the last week, and I purposely avoided him like the plague.
At least with Sebastian, he was constantly out, and rarely was ever at the house. I assumed he was working very hard, obviously still on edge about what happened at the club. The few times I did see him, he was downstairs with Mason and Callum, discussing something quietly.
I had accepted the fact that he wasn't going to tell me anything, and that my new place in this gang was just being the clueless baiter.
Three days ago, I had another job, and instead of actually going home with the man, Callum and Mason intercepted us just as we were about to enter his car. I stood from a distance, and listened as they beat the man until he was on the verge of death, which occurred later that morning.
With Mason, he was continuously trying to find ways to talk to me, and had even gone as far as to sleep in front of my door- a plan that failed miserably when he overslept, and I left to train before he woke up.
I felt tired, worn out, and just drained as I walked down the stairs this morning. The house was filled with silence, apart from the sound of my footsteps. I made my way into the kitchen, when I felt a certain presence behind me.
"I heard you've been training hard."
I brushed the hair out of my face before firmly gripping the edge of the counter. My fingers strained and I felt my heart jump inside of my chest.
"You're point?" My voice was clipped and tight and I leaned into the counter, hoping to distance myself from him. The large arms that appeared on either side of me acted as pillars, enclosing me into a small space, with nearly no room to move.
"Today I will train with you." His face was dangerously close to the left side of mine and I wanted nothing more than to be far, far away from him.
Giving the counter one last squeeze, I twisted around suddenly, nearly clashing my head with Sebastian's lowered one. He took a small step back, his eyes focused on mine.
"Why? Why do you suddenly want to spend time with me?" I snapped, my frustration showing.
A smirk slowly formed on Sebastian's lips. "My sweet Evie, you must've mistaken me! I merely only wanted to train with you, but it seems as If you are now suffering from abandonment troubles."
My eyes narrowed; I didn't like where he was going with this.
"If you really missed me that much, all you had to do is say so." His voice was taunting, and his eyes held a mischievous glint in them.
I growled and placed my hands on his arms, attempting to push him away. His arms didn't move an inch, and he continued to smirk at me.
"Do you want to train or not?" I snarled, growing angrier by the second.
Sebastian was back to his old, cocky self. He was acting as if nothing had happened, and it pissed me off to no point of return.
"Of course, love." He said sweetly, taking a step back and lowering his arms. I held his eyes for a moment longer, before leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs.
I changed into my workout clothes, and let out a dramatic sigh.
I always knew that I wasn't one to be easily deciphered, and seeing as how I could barely understand Sebastian at all- I guess you could say that I was getting as taste of my own medicine.
I reluctantly went back downstairs, just as Callum and Mason entered the house. I greeted Callum with a tiny smile, and gave Mason a short nod, which surprised both of the boys.
"Just give me a minute Ev," Callum told me, unaware of Sebastian's change of plans.
"Actually Callum, that won't be necessary." Sebastian said, "Evelyn will be training with me today."
Callum and Mason shared a look, and instantly Callum looked to me, as if he were asking if I was okay with this.
I wasn't.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Mason asked worriedly, his eyes moving between Sebastian and me.
Sebastian shrugged. "I don't see why not."
The fury inside of me had now reached its boiling point, and I gritted my teeth. Either Sebastian was an oblivious twat, or he was just simply ignoring me, for he grabbed his keys and motioned for me to follow.
Crossing my arms tightly across my chest, I was grateful that I no longer had to wear my brace anymore, meaning that I wouldn't be restricted when going against Sebastian.
The tension was thick as we drove to the gym. Bored and annoyed, I decided to observe the familiar route we were taking, remembering Sebastian's words from the day I moved in.
"There is a code on every entrance and exit in this house, and every room in here can be locked on the outside." His words could have been interpreted as useless facts, but I sensed the underlying threat.
"You're in an area you don't know." He stated, leaning closer. "I saw the way you were looking around, Evelyn."
It was like he thought that I was going to try to escape.
Escape.
I hadn't ever actually considered it, to be honest. Sure, the thought of escaping had crossed my mind a few times, but actually trying to do so was completely out of the question for me.
I mean, what if Sebastian decided to wipe of London's Eyes because of it? And there's no doubt that he would come after me, and capture me within a short matter of time- no thanks to Mason.
"Are you coming or not?" He asked. My body jerked in surprise, for I was too lost in thought to notice the car had parked, and Sebastian had already gotten out. Slightly embarrassed, I unbuckled myself and hastily climbed out of the car, nearly speed walking into the gym.
I felt my cheeks warm up at the sound of Sebastian's chuckle behind me, and I cursed myself for reacting that way.
"Have you lost weight?" Sebastian asked as we entered into the secluded room that I always trained in. Once again, the gym was filled with Kings, which I could only assume was a result from the attack. This whole week I had been seeing more and more members training, as if they were building up for something big.
Not that I would know. Sebastian likes to make sure that I stay the oblivious little girl in the gang.
I shrugged and looked down, my eyes trailing over my pale limbs. I had been training pretty hard with Callum, and I guess I wasn't eating as much as I used to, but I hardly thought I looked different.
"I want you to go work on the weight machine to start. You need some muscles on your twig-like body." I frowned at his words and looked myself over again, my frown deepening.
I had always been pretty thin, but had enough curves to get by. For the first time ever, I felt almost self-conscious, my eyes scrutinizing my reflection on the wall sized mirror across the gym.
Large hangs grasped my waist, and I let out a small gasp and tensed up. Sebastian was now standing directly behind me, his eyes focused on the same mirror. My breath caught in my throat, and I shook slightly. His hands slid up so they were resting just above my upper ribcage, his fingers dangerously close to my rapidly rising and falling chest.
"Don't look at yourself like that." He said quietly, his head angling downwards so that his mouth was brushing against my neck, just below my ear.
I remained still, my eyes transfixed onto the mirror as if I were watching a horror movie.
"I just don't want you to get hurt."
His words seemed to awaken me, and I jolted away, my body stumbling forwards as I distanced myself from him.
Without another word, I made my way to the weight machine. I stood before it, my eyes looking over all the different exercise options it gave me, but my mind was elsewhere.
"I just don't want you to get hurt."
What in the world did that mean?
Sebastian infuriated me like no other, and I have never disliked someone so much before. He was incredibly uncaring, which was something that I was used to- being part of a gang, I never had many heart to hearts with people. It was different with Sebastian though. He knew how to push all my buttons and I couldn't figure him out for the life of me.
"Here." My head snapped up, and I pressed my lips together in a firm line.
You really have to stop zoning out like that, I scolded myself.
Sebastian motioned for me to lie across the bench, just under the bar. He placed a few weights on each end, and then placed it into my awaiting hands. I sucked in a large breath of air, and proceeded to lift the bar up and down, my muscles straining.
Sebastian had moved away from me, and was violently attacking the punching bag in the corner. There was an unbelievable amount of power packed behind each punch, and I couldn't help but watch in awe. His tight gray shirt was quickly darkening due to the sweat that drenched him.
I startled cry left my lips as my arms gave out, and the bar came crashing down, just narrowly missed my head.
Sebastian's eyes were wide and shocked as he whipped around. Within seconds, he was leaning over me, his eyes roaming over me with the slightest bit of concern coating his features.
"Good God Evie," Sebastian muttered, helping me up. I scowled out of embarrassment at my actions and took a couple steps away, trying to catch my breath.
"I- I... shut up." I stuttered, my heart still pattering speedily inside my chest. Sebastian only shook his head at me, before returning to the punching bag, pulling his shirt off in the process.
His glistening back required all of the will power within myself to tear my eyes away and work on lifting weights.
After a couple more minutes, Sebastian walked back over to me, a ghost smirk shadowing over his lips.
"Ready for the real stuff?" He asked, a challenging look taking over his expression.
I raised my brows at him and scoffed, entering the ring eagerly.
I had been training with Callum this whole week- I was ready to finally show Sebastian that I wasn't some hopeless little girl that he deemed me to be.
Sebastian seemed very amused by my reaction, and began to bounce around, warming himself up. I examined his actions before taking stance, my heart rate increasing.
"I won't go easy on you." The familiar mischievous look was back in his eyes and we circled each other threateningly.
"I wouldn't expect anything less." My lips pulled back into an animalistic like snarl, and I shot at him, our bodies colliding.
My blood pounded in my ears as we fought viciously, both of us struggling to gain the upper hand in the fight.
We broke apart, and began circling each other again. My eyes inspected his movements thoroughly, waiting hopefully for him to slip up, to make a mistake that would allow me a chance to strike.
In this fight, there was no predator versus prey feel to it. We were both animals in that moment, blood thirsty and hungry for control.
"Come on, Evie," he taunted me. "Is that really all you've got?"
I spat out a bitter laugh at his attempt to make me snap. "Good try King, but you're going to have to do better than that."
His fist flew towards me, which I easily dodged. Our movements were swift and rapid, and my chest ached from my labored breathing. In fact, my calves were throbbing from my constant movement, and my arms felt heavy, making in difficult for me to continue.
But I wouldn't let Sebastian win this one.
I smirked at him, my eyes narrowing. "Really Sebastian? You're a gang leader! Is this really the best you've got?"
A growl erupted from Sebastian, and he lunged at me, his eyes blazing with unleashed fury.
I knew I had hit a nerve, and was now in deep trouble.
I was able to avoid his first attack, but nothing prepared me for him to spin back around and tackle me onto the hard mat. A gust of air left my lungs and I lay underneath Sebastian, winded and dazed.
"Fighting words, Evelyn." He hissed, his furious face inches away from mine. "Fighting words."
"Did I upset you?"
Leave it to Evelyn Summers to push someone beyond their boiling point, and then continuing to further anger them.
Sebastian rolled off of me, his figure towering over my body.
"You want to play it like that?"
"That's exactly how you've been going about it." I retorted, propping myself up into a sitting position.
Sebastian scoffed, looking away before meeting my determined blue eyes.
"I had a meeting last night," Sebastian told me, now walking around me. I remained unmoving, my body tensed in anticipation. "Since the attack, our numbers have gone up. The drug rings are bringing in much more money than before, oh and- we were even able to get a few new girls."
He casually walked in circles around my motionless body.
This was now a predator versus prey situation.
Sebastian had stopped in front of me, crouching down to my eye level.
"New girls?" I asked, my tone icy and cold.
His eyes searched mine before he spoke again. "Yes of course. See, we had to find someone to take Sarah's spot, and in our midst, we came upon two others also."
Have you ever gotten so mad, that you actually shook? Because at that moment, my body was trembling with pent up anger.
So I let it loose.
It was my turn to tackle Sebastian to the mat.
A grunt of surprise left Sebastian as I released a flurry of punches his way. His hands captured my wrists after I was able to get a few good punches in, and he flipped us over again, so that he was once again on top.
"Did I upset you?" He mimicked my previous words, which made me feel like an idiotic fool.
My lips dipped into a frown and I felt my face heat up with frustration.
"Come on Evie," Sebastian drawled out, heaving us both to our feet. "You're too predictable."
"You fucking prick." I shoved him away from myself, fury pumping through my veins. "How dare you! You're ruining the lives of innocent girls."
"Very dramatic, love." He drawled out, taking a small step towards me. "Now why don't you cut the theatrics and show me the girl everyone seems to rave about."
I stared at him blankly, before I gave in to the darkness that consumed my soul. I felt my face morph into a dead, expressionless look. My eyes hardened and my cold exterior took over.
"Whatever you want, King." My monotone voice rang out, and I quickly stepped forward, my fist flying towards him.
He dodged my fist, but wasn't coordinated enough to avoid my strong kick to his side, which resulted in him stumbled backwards a few steps. I didn't hesitate to advance towards him, a spark igniting inside of me.
My impulsive attack was what was fueling me, and it was because of it that I hadn't realized how foreseeable my actions were becoming.
No, to me, I was on fire. I was winning a fight against the one and only Sebastian King, and nothing in the world could have made me feel more powerful.
Leave it to Sebastian to knock my straight off of cloud nine, and not bother to cushion my fall.
He expertly steered clear of my punches and kicks, and managed to deliver a forceful blow to my stomach, successfully winding me.
I lost my footing and staggered back, which gave Sebastian an advantage over me- one he happily took.
Before I knew it, I was in the corner of the ring, Sebastian's much larger, sweatier body trapping me into the overbearingly small area. Our breathing was loud and came out as desperate gasps for air, but Sebastian stood victoriously, his eyes gleaming with pride.
"You're a good fighter, Evie, I'll admit that." His voice was steady and calm. "But don't forget one thing-" he leaned down, his lips merely inches away from my parted ones, "you will never be able to beat me."
He waited a couple moments, almost as if he were listening to my heavy breathing, while his eyes took in my horrendous state.
"I can try." My voice came out as a shaky whisper, but Sebastian still heard it. I noticed the small smile that appeared and he nodded his head.
"See Evie, that's what I admire about you." He backed away a bit, allowing me some room. "No matter what I say or do, you seem to never want to back down, or give up. I commend you for your unfaltering defiance and determination."
I stared at him in shock, before composing myself and scowling. I pushed past him and stepped out of the ring, listening to the sound of his footsteps just behind me.
"You have a problem, you know?"
I turned around so quickly that I nearly fell, but was able to hold myself upright and glare at Sebastian.
"I have a problem?" I snapped, my hands forming fists at my sides. "You think that I have a problem?"
Sebastian rolled his eyes at me and nodded in an annoyed manner. "Listen Ev, I have witnessed you be the girl everyone claims you to be, and also the girl that not many know."
I scoffed and gave him a lethal look. "Oh! So that's it! You think you know me? Huh?"
Sebastian sighed and muttered something along the lines of 'for fuck's sake' before his voice rose in a full response. "If everyone saw you wrapped up in a blanket, crying about some girl you barely knew, do you actually think you'd still be one of the most feared girls in London? Hell, I'd reckon that you are the most feared girl in London right now."
I processed his words before running my hand angrily through my hair.
"What's my problem then?"
Sebastian studied me closely before speaking. "Your problem is that when you get into your whole 'gang Evie' persona, you forget how to turn it off. And then, then there are times when you need to be that person, but you aren't, and instead- to be frank, you are this emotional girl who I just can't understand."
My lips were pressed together in a tight line, and I thought over his words, despite my stubborn side telling me to fight back and tell him he was completely wrong.
But the thing is; he was right.
It had always been in the back of my mind that I had no control over myself, but I had always just blamed it on my impulsive ways, and never thought to look into it.
But apparently Sebastian did for me.
"Who should I be right now?" I questioned, "Gang Evie, or emotional Evie?"
There was a glint of amusement in Sebastian's eyes. "I'd prefer to avoid all the emotional crap for now, but gang Evie is a little bit too intense for the moment, don't you think?"
I cocked my head to the side, my eyes drifting over him. "And what would that moment be?"
Sebastian shrugged before placing an arm around my waist and turning me around, his large hand on my lower back.
"Let's just get home."
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The car ride had been filled mainly by old music playing on the radio, and it would have remained that way if I had not thought to ask the one question that was invading my mind.
"Is it true? What you said about the three new girls you and your men took?"
Trafficking camps made up a large part of gang life, and the idea of them wasn't exactly foreign to me, but more like repulsing. Being part of a gang my whole life, I had learned to accept the cruel reality that came along with it, but there was something about trafficking camps that made me sick to my stomach- as it would have the same effect on any normal person.
See, Sebastian's thoughts about the camps he had weren't unusual, and in fact, some gang leaders actually pride themselves in their camps, whereas others couldn't care less, or just don't have them at all.
"No," he finally admitted, stealing a quick glance in my direction.
I stayed silent for a while, trying to think of reasons as to why he would say something like that to begin with.
"I don't know," he spoke again, "I wanted to make you angry."
I stared at him, giving him a look that told him to continue. That answer wasn't good enough and we both knew it.
"You just absolutely infuriate me sometimes, and I guess I just wanted to do the same to you, out of spite I suppose."
If only he really knew how angry he makes me.
"Well congratulations then," I remarked dryly. "You sure got me, bringing up camps and all."
Sebastian looked at me again, as he drove, biting his lip while watching me.
"Don't be like that."
I scoffed. "I'll be however I want."
The sound of old music was once again the only thing that could be heard in the car. Sebastian jaw was clenched and my arms were stubbornly crossed over my chest, neither one of us willing to speak.
By the time we exited the car, Sebastian was well aware of my plan to ignore him, and even went as far as to threaten to lock me out if I continued my childish game. I only shrugged in response, and looked away uncaringly, annoying him even more.
We entered the house loudly, the sounds of our footsteps echoing throughout the quiet house. Mason emerged from Sebastian's office, a stack of papers in his hand, and warily stood from a distance, unsure if he should approach us.
"Do you have the information?" Sebastian asked, leaving me by the front door. Mason hesitated, his eyes flickering to me.
"Of course I do." They walked into Sebastian's office, closing the door behind them.
Stupid little fucks.
My eyes zeroed in on the keypad on the door, the numbers taunting and teasing me. I felt my fingers twitch by my side, aching to at least try to find a way out of this place.
Could I escape if I wanted to? I'd like to think that if I tried hard enough, I would find a way, that is, if I planned on escaping for less than a day. I knew Sebastian would have me dragged back, and either tortured or killed, probably both.
Letting out a small sigh, my stomach growled hungrily, and I walked into the kitchen, flinging open the refrigerator door. After standing stock-still for a few minutes, I settled on an apple in the fruit bowl on the table, giving up on the few foods and extreme amount of beer in the fridge.
"How was training?" Callum had now entered the kitchen, his hair damp from a shower I assume.
I shrugged and gave a nod with my head. "It was okay, you know."
"But you like training with me better, right?" He smirked at me, his eyes gleaming playfully.
"Only because you're a pussy, and don't put up much of a fight." Callum laughed loudly as Sebastian and Mason entered the room. Sebastian's statement made me roll my eyes in irritation.
Sebastian's change in mood only confused and angered me, and I wanted so badly to smack that amused expression right off his face.
"Wait, you're only seventeen."
For the love of God.
"Good job Callum! You just proved yourself to be the idiot I always thought you were." Even Sebastian seemed to be entertained by my sarcastic, rude response, while Callum just scowled and Mason laughed.
"Oh shut up," Callum snapped at us all. "What I meant was, did you never graduate from school?"
Everyone seemed interested in my answer, for reasons I don't know.
"I dropped out after missing a bunch of days because of jobs." I shrugged nonchalantly. It wasn't a big deal to me. It wasn't like I even had any friends, so there wasn't really much holding me back from leaving.
Being the mysterious, dark girl, no one dared to talk to me, but that was something I got used to.
"Well," Sebastian clapped his hands together, breaking the silence that had followed my brief answer. "Kings is now the new owner of the club down on Calvert Street."
Mason and Callum cheered at his announcement, whereas I just rolled my eyes and inspected my nails.
"Is Evie giving you the silent treatment?" Mason observed, looking more than amused as he asked this. Sebastian's scowl told them all that they needed to know, and once again, Callum and Mason were laughing.
I frowned and grabbed my half eaten apple and headed up the stairs, eager to get away from them.
After I took a shower, I was informed that the boys were going out tonight. Unsure if I was invited or not, I decided to stay back, knowing perfectly well that there wasn't anywhere I could go, even if I tried.
I collapsed onto my bed, absorbing the ache the washed over my body as I relaxed my muscles and closed my eyes. Aware that the boys wouldn't be back until very late, I decided to get some rest, and enjoy the time alone that I had.
I faded into a blissful oblivion, my entire being calm and relaxed.
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I wasn't exactly sure how long I was asleep for, but the next thing I knew, I was screaming bloody murder and fighting for my life.
A layer of sweat ran over my body and my heart was pounding relentlessly against my ribcage, making me gasp and struggle to breathe. Light flooded into my room and my screams increased as a figure made their way to me.
Strong arms lifted me up, and I was pressed into a hard chest, my body curled up into a fetal position.
The person whispered into my ear, telling me to calm down and try to breathe. I frantically clutched the person's shirt, my hands forming fists around the material as I leveled my breathing.
"Good job, Evie," he whispered, "That's right, breathe just like that. It was just a nightmare."
His voice was low and gravelly, and even with my eyes screwed shut, I knew exactly who it was.
Soft whimpers left my lips, and I found my eyes opening in an attempt to escape the darkness that haunted me.
"I th-thought you left." I muttered, as I slowly calmed down, my body still pressed against his.
Sebastian peered down at me, shaking his head. "I didn't want to leave you here alone."
My eyes fluttered and I bit my lip. "I'm fine."
"You are now."
I stared up at him, desperately trying to read him. "I don't need your help."
Sebastian stared at me in response, before speaking. "It's okay to need help."
"You can't help me." I blame my still dazed state for making me utter those words, ones that temporarily stunned Sebastian.
"I can try."
For the second time that day, Sebastian mimicked my words. Except this time, instead of the mischievous glint that normally was laced into his expression, there was something else there.
I knew at that moment that I was not in the right state of mind, and if I had been, I would have pushed Sebastian away; thrown some nasty profanities at him, then order him to leave my room.
I suppose Sebastian was just as out of it as I was, for he wouldn't have ever comforted me, but instead, tell me to get it together and stop being so hopeless.
As I sat there on Sebastian's lap, cradled into his chest, I said a barely audible goodbye to the last string of sanity that I had been clinging onto for those ten days.
Ten days was all it took to convince me that I needed to escape.
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