The tension in the room was unbearable, the only thing that kept me standing was Ajax at my back. I was pressed against him, leaning for support as the two queens faced each other. There were no words being spoken but there was enough being said in the silence to have me begging to run. Ajax massaged my neck, leaning forward toward my ear, "It okay. No one hurt." His voice deep and gravely. He was trying to support me the only way he knew how but it didn't do much to quell the fear I felt. My beast was just as antsy as I was, turning up her teeth at everyone in the room in our shared distress.
Octavia stood tall in front of her desk, the twins standing behind her like indestructible towers. Madame Lao had her hands stuffed into the sleeves of hanbok, face completely serene. She looked around as if unimpressed with Octavia's trappings of wealth. Her rather unphased attitude towards Octavia seemed to piss her off greatly. I wondered if these two queens had ever truly met before or simply heard about each other in passing.
Octavia narrowed her eyes, tongue gliding over her teeth as she prepared to break the silence, "Why are you here?" I noticed the way her gaze shifted to me for a moment. She knew why the Madame was there even without the question but she was going to make a thing of it. I could practically feel her teeth scraping at my skin in agitation.
The images of how she had dealt with Jonesy flickered through my mind like a bad movie. I couldn't help the shiver that moved through me, causing Ajax to fix his hand tightly on my hip. His thumb drew lazy circles, that did nothing to calm me down. Octavia would find a way to punish me for all the trouble I was causing her, even if it was inadvertently. Once I could run around freely again I would be made an example of. No bruises meant very tired feet.
"You take my girl." Madam Lao kept her calm demeanor. I tensed at her words, wanting shrink as small as I could. The dominance in the room spiked at the purposeful jab the Madam had made at the Queen in her own throne room.
Octavia rolled her neck, bones popping softly. She was preparing to strike if necessary and I didn't want to witness such a fight, "Last I checked. My brand was on her, not yours." Her words were hissed through clenched teeth. The twins remained motionless behind her but I could tell by the way their eye swept across the room they were agitated, ready to back up their queen in an instant.
Madam Lao clicked her tongue off the roof of her mouth, like she did when one of the girls did or said something silly, "You brand as if they cattle on ranch. No minds to think, no mouths to speak." She looked around the room lazily, her expression deceptively demure.
"Excuse me?" Octavia's voice dropped to a low growl as she gripped the desk she was leaning against in a position of pretend ease. That jab had hit the mark and it was a surprisingly sore one from the looks of it. I hunched my shoulders slightly and Madame Lao lazily turned her head to once again look at Octavia.
"It why I make more money than you. I give my girls voice, give them mind to think." I could see that the Madame was playing with her, poking at the overly emotional beast beneath her skin. She knew that Octavia cared about her wealth, her empire. It was all she had amassed during her life, something I was certain she had fought every inch for. To have someone deride it, to insult the means of it, well that was a heavy poke from a very sharp knife.
Octavia huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "And you live in a beat up little hovel in a tiny slice of neutral territory that I could take over in less than an hour."
Madame Lao snapped her fan open and waved it softly as if the air was stuffy. She gave a smile that made the features of her face sharper, "I like see you try. My boys like my hovel. My girls like my hovel. Sutton like my hovel." We had all witnessed first hand what type of loyalty she had in her neutral territory. Benjin shifted uncomfortably. He had been taken down and from what I had seen, no squatters or ferals had been seriously harmed. Skill did little against sheer numbers and Benjin knew it.
"She is not yours." Octavia snapped harshly, unable to keep her agitation hidden behind her usual mask of indifference. It was the slip up that Madame had been waiting for, despite how she held herself, i knew her tells, she had a line of satisfaction lifting her shoulders just a fraction.
"She is. It why you mad." More poking from the Madame. I only hoped that she had a long stick because if she pushed Octavia to hard she wouldn't be able to control herself and I had seen just what kind of damage she could do.
I looked over Madame Lao and I still wasn't sure what type of damage she could do. She had come here to face off Octavia alone so I knew she had sharper teeth than what she flashed. The dominance in the room was almost too much for my beast and I ground my teeth together to keep my legs from buckling. Ajax held me a bit tighter to his side as if to support me. I appreciated it.
Octavia's lip curled up as she tried to hold back a snarl, "I am not mad. I am agitated that you dare come into my tower after threatening my Beta-"
"Four. Your floor is fourteenth. It bad floor." Madame Lao pulled her hand out and pointed at Octavia's desk. "Write in red ink, bad omen. Bad sign to write in red ink." She blinked slowly before tilting her chin up slightly, "Maybe it why bad man take your girls. Write names in red ink."
Octavia rolled her neck again, upset over the interruption, "Your superstitions don't mean shit to me...If you think you and your girls will be safe from Revan because you're on neutral territory then you're not as clever as I thought you were." It was a warning and a backhanded compliment wrapped up in one. I was curious about what play Octavia was trying to make with Madame Lao. I knew she had to be scheming something by the hard look in her eyes.
"I keep my girls safe from bad man. Bad man take girls in your territory, not mine. Maybe worry about your girls more. Mine less. Akteeveeah lucky wild man Sooton mate. Keep away from bad man. " Madame's posture was deceptively lazy as she delivered the line. I could tell from the way Octavia flinched that Madame Lao's words had burned her. I understood better now the way Octavia felt about me and I knew that she had felt helpless during the time I had been missing, to what extent I didn't think I would ever know but I knew it was there all the same.
"Yes, well that will never happen again. Sutton won't be leaving this tower until I have Revan's head hanging on my wall." She pushed out quickly, glancing towards me with a leveling stare. As if she was making it more clear than it already was that I was trapped in her damn tower. I didn't need a reminder. Gilded bars still meant I was in a cage.
"You think tower keep safe? Keep you above others, because you see down on them?"Madame Lao questioned in a mocking voice, shaking her head as if scolding a child. She lifted her hand and pointed her finger, "You not goddess, Ohteeva. This tower burn easy like bad man's."
Octavia stiffened, "Are you threatening me, Lao?" The words were delivered on another wave of dominance that seemed to almost make the air too thick to breathe.
"No threat. Just truth." Madame Lao tilted her head slightly as if curious to how Octavia could have taken her words as a threat.
"Did you come all the way here to lecture me?" I almost let out a laugh at Octavia's question. It was certainly in the realm of things that Madame Lao would do. I had been on the receiving end of her lectures more than enough times to know how obnoxious it could be, but I always took it because I knew she was coming from a good place. Even now, I could tell she might have been poking at Octavia but it was like a mother trying to teach their child something seriously important.
Madame Lao craned her neck a bit, the only sign that she felt any tension, "I come talk terms."
"Terms for what?" Octavia snarled the word out, her eyes darting to me before landing on Madame Lao. There was a flicker of realization on her face that darkened her expression.
"You want bad man gone. I want bad man gone." Madame Lao gestured between them gracefully as if she were giving the words and taking something back. She served tea like that as well. It was a very diplomatic gesture. "You want keep Sooton safe. I want keep Sooton safe. Terms."
Octavia narrowed her eyes, though clearly understanding where Madame Lao was taking this train of thought, "So you want to discuss terms of an alliance?" She said the word as if were something awful to be spit from her mouth. It must have really grated on Octavia to know that she was not the only queen, that it was possible that someone stood above her even with all the power she had.
Madame Lao gave her a sly smile, "Same enemy make friends."
I watched as Octavia looked away from the Madame to Benjin who stood near Ajax and I. They seemed to be communicating with each other, words not necessary. I was sure that he had already told her about the army of squatters at Madame Lao's disposal, how easy it would be for her to crush any one of the Doyens if she decided she wanted more space. Her neutral territory wasn't nearly as neutral as she had presented it to be.
I watched the bones shifting under Octavia's flesh as she held her beast at bay, "Fine. We can talk terms, but we do so in private. Just the two of us." I watched the twins stiffen up at her words but they kept their lips sealed tight. They might not have be happy about her choice to go at it alone but it was probably for the best. It didn't matter if they liked or didn't like each other, they had a common enemy. Madame Lao had understood that and now so did Octavia.
Madame Lao bowed her head slightly in both agreement, "I say goodbye to my girl." She couldn't help but take one last jab at Octavia, before turning to me. Her expression that had been a mask of controlled peace and demure happiness softened into something much more maternal. I wondered for a moment if Madame Lao had ever had any of her own children, or if the girls at the brothel was all she'd ever had. If that was what made her so protective over them.
She closed the small space between us and Ajax tightened his grip on me as uncertainty flooded him. I pinched the skin of his hand, "Let me go." I said in a low but firm tone, reluctantly he loosened his grip on me and I moved away from him. Trying to keep my shaky legs from showing.
Madame Lao embraced me in tight hug, hand rubbing my back much like my mother had done when I was upset or sick, "No worry, Sooton. Auchteeva find bad man. Mama help. We keep safe. No more bruises." I felt tears flooding into my eyes but I did my best to hold them back. I didn't want to cry in front of all of these people but after everything I had been through her kindness was breaking through all my control. She pulled back, keeping her hands on my shoulders. Her strong gaze holding mine, willing me to be strong as well, "We find bad man soon. Bring my girl back home. Sooton belong with Mama and girls."
She let go of me, turning her eyes toward Ajax. She lifted a finger at him, "Wild man take care my girl. No bruises. None, or I no use slipper next time. I use teeth. " She snapped her teeth together as if the point needed to be more clear.
Ajax let out a low rumbling growl, reaching out and grabbing me again, trying to stake his own claim on me. "No hurt. Sutton given by moon. She mine." His hand on my hip tightened. His response seemed to pacify her enough.
I watched as Madame Lao tucked her hands back into the sleeves of her Hanbok, looking at peace even as the dominance surged around the room, "We see wild man. Mama watch you very carefully."
"Benjin take our runner and her wild man to their room. I'm tired of looking at them." Octavia snipped, her eyes catching mine for a moment before she turned away from me. I wasn't sure what the look meant but I didn't have time to figure it out.
Madame met my gaze as Benjin moved to us, "No bruises." She whispered for him to hear as he passed. He turned his good eye toward her, giving a nod of his head though his body was stiff as a board. She snapped her teeth together in his direction before she turned away from us. I thought I caught a brief smile on her face before she moved toward Octavia as Benjin ushered Ajax and I from the room. I wanted to know what was going to be said behind those closed doors, what type of war they planned to wage but when the door slammed shut I knew that I was exactly where they meant for me to be. In the dark and completely clueless.
Benjin tossed my backpack of clothes at me and I scrambled to catch it before it hit the ground. I glanced toward him to see his face fixed into a deep frown. I wanted to ask him about what he thought was going to happen next but from the aura surrounding him I thought better of it. I followed beside him in silence with Ajax nipping at my heels.
We walked down the hallway, until we arrived at a guarded door. The men posted there had be more blue bloods by the way they scowled at me. I shifted uncomfortably on my feet, my own beast lifting her lips in a show of teeth. Ajax growled a low warning at them and they averted their gaze back to Benjin, "No one is to come in or go out unless Octavia or myself has authorized it, understood?" He growled in a firm tone that reminded me why he was Octavia's Beta. They nodded their heads.
He held their stare for a moment longer before, looking down at me. His hand landed on my shoulder as if in a reminder of my place, "Do not leave this room." He knew I was good at escaping, good at running. I let my shoulders sag as I nodded my head feeling defeated. He gave a look toward Ajax like he might say something but decided against it, instead he snorted almost as if finding some hidden amusement about the situation before his hands squeezed my shoulder slightly and he stalked away.
The bedroom that Octavia had given to Ajax and I to share was much larger than the attic apartment back at the brothel, which was nice but unnecessary. Me and my beast liked the smaller space because it belonged to us. This den was simply being loaned out for the time being. The walls were painted in a deep blue, the curtains hung heavy in front of the window. The material reminded me of velvet, I hadn't seen velvet since Haven but the reminder didn't bother me as much as it would have years ago.
Honestly, the room was fit for a queen with the large canopy bed that sat in the center of the room. I suspected that even if she hadn't said it in words, this was Octavia's way of trying to ask for my forgiveness for all her harsh treatment. This was all that she could truly afford to give me other than my freedom and that was not something was not negotiable. The only way I would ever remove the brand on my neck was if my debt had been paid or I was dead.
Ajax pulled up the material of my shirt, fingers brushing against the small of my back. I batted his hand away as it left a trail of fire on my overly sensitive skin. I hated the way that my body seemed to be so attuned to his touch, as if it had been waiting my entire life for him, "Please stop. I just need a little space, Ajax." I tried my best to keep my tone even.
"Why?" His questioned much like a child. Why? Why? Why? It was always why with him. I swear to all that gods that may or may not exist that if I never had to hear the word again in my life I would die a happy woman.
I let out a tired sigh, it had been a long couple of days and I was more than drained, "Because Ajax, I need room to breathe. I just need to breathe without someone hovering behind me. Please." I tacked on some faint pleading at the end, hoping that would get through his thick caveman skull. I felt him move a step back, and without turning to see I knew he was pouting. He really did not like being told what to do, especially if what he was being told was not to touch me but it seemed so far I was the only one he was willing to listen to.
I closed my eyes and breathed in a deep calming breath. It felt good to not be bombarded by his overwhelming presence for a moment. It was so hard to focus on anything when he was suffocating me under the weight of our bond. A bond that I had no idea had to handle at the moment. I had been so certain that I would never have a mate that the fact that I did have one was more than a little shocking. He completely unsettled my mind. All my thoughts before had been focused on the goal of buying my freedom and getting the hell away from the city. Now, I had other thoughts. Thoughts I knew that I couldn't let myself think about or I might lose sight of my actual goals.
I opened my eyes slowly, walking towards the bed on tired feet. Right now I would focus on the simple tasks. My mind needed a break from all of the thoughts and questions racing through my head. I dropped backpack that Quinta had packed for me, reaching out of the zipper. It eased it open and began to pull out my clothes without much care, piling them onto the mattress. I was happy when I noticed my familiar leather jacket. I snatched up and folded it to my chest, the material crinkling slightly.
I took in a deep breath, the familiar scents helped the tension in my body to ease up. I buried my face into it, feeling a surge of emotions rising up in my chest. I wanted to cry even though I knew it wasn't going to do me any good. I was happy. I was sad. I was scared. I was angry. I felt everything and I felt nothing. A small sob escaped my mouth, the jacket muffling the sound.
A warm hand wrapped around my arm, dragging me into a firm chest, "No cry, Sutton." Ajax sounded pained by the fact that I was hurting, hurting in a way that he couldn't fix. I wanted to push him away but his arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, making that impossible. He rubbed at my back as I burrowed my face deeper into my jacket, swallowing back my urge to cry harder. I needed to hold myself together long enough to at least make it to the shower. If I was going to cry that was the place I would have my privacy to do so. I willed myself to focus on that thought. I only had to wait a little while longer, just a little while.
I relaxed against Ajax, lifting my face from my lucky jacket, "I'm okay. You can let me go now." I spoke in a soft voice. He let out a low growl obviously not agreeing with my desire for freedom, holding me tighter to his chest. I pressed my hand to his firm chest, "Ajax. Let me go." My voice was firmer now.
He dropped his face down to my shoulder, nuzzling through my tangled and dirty hair. He breathed in my scent as his teeth scraped against the soft skin of my neck. I remained motionless. This was something I was beginning to see helped calm down his beast. I didn't enjoy how it made me feel but if it meant that he was going to give me my space then I would make the compromise for the time being. Though I hoped in the future we would be able to work out some other kind of less invasive system. Slowly, his grip on me relaxed enough that I was able to step away from him, happy to be free.
I sucked in a breath, meeting his dark gaze for a moment before looking away. It was hard to look at him when it felt like he could peel back all the layers that kept me protected. I didn't like feeling so exposed. So vulnerable.
He moved toward the bed, coming to stand as close as he could without touching me. I rolled my eyes as I dropped my jacket to the small pile of clothes. Ajax reached out and grabbed a piece of clothing that was hanging out of the backpack. I practically shrieked when I released what it was he was holding up, pink silk and lace. Fucking lingerie. I was going to kill Quinta. I snatched it quickly from his hand, balling it up and tossing it across the room in a slight panic.
He looked to me with lifted brows, eyes full of curiosity over my actions. I turned away from and started pulling out the rest of the clothes she had packed, only to find piece after piece of skimpy lingerie. My face burned with embarrassment and anger. I was seriously going to kill her the next time I saw her. Ajax snatched the little red number that I had balled up in my hand. I let out a cry of distress as he held it up out of my reach this time. He gazed up at it with a furrowed brow, twisting it one way and then the other. I jumped up to get it a couple times but he easily evaded my attempts.
His gaze moved from the lingerie to me, sweeping down over my body in a way that had my face growing hotter than it already was. I felt like he was undressing me, my arms raising up and shielding my breast on instinct. He let out a low growl in the back of his throat that had me tensing up, "This no clothes. This nothing." He dropped the piece of cloth as if it offended him.
"Little moonbeam is ours. We no like others looking at what is ours." His lip curled up, and I shrank back a bit. He reached out for me and I dipped out of his grasp, edging myself back towards the wall. He let out another growl as his eyes narrowed, "Sutton no like touch but let others look at what is ours? Little ribbon never leaving our sight again." He was clearly very upset by the thought that I was parading myself around the city in lingerie. I had to hold back a hysterical laugh. I was most definitely going to kill Quinta the next time I saw her for putting me in this situation.
"Ajax, it's not what you think..." I floundered for the words that might reach him, "Those aren't mine."
He paused, glancing toward the pile of colorful lace and silk, "In Sutton's bag." He was making a good point but he was missing half the information.
I nodded my head, swallowing back the urge to scream in frustration, "Yes, yes but I didn't pack that bag. My friend, she put them in there to be funny. It was supposed to be a joke, Ajax, because she believes she is hilarious." She wasn't and she would find just how funny I found her little joke to me when I caught sight of her next.
He seemed to relax slight but still his face was a mask of confusion, "Joke? Not very funny one." He mused as he picked up another little slip of fabric, this time a green one.
My heart was still beating heavily against my chest from the rush of adrenaline but I relaxed some now that he had calmed down, "No it wasn't very funny." I mumbled it out as I imagined different ways to murder Quinta and make it look like an accident.
Ajax held up the green one out toward me, moving his eyes from the slip to me and then back again. He let out another growl but this time it didn't sound angry. It was deeper, hungrier and it sent goosebumps scattering across my arms. He tossed it into the pile with all of my clothes, "That one we keep. Rest go back." I felt the heat surge up the back of my neck to my face at his proclamation. I didn't want to think about what thoughts were going through his mind. That was going to get buried somewhere deep beneath all of my clothes, hopefully to never see the light of day ever again.
"I'm going to shower." I blurted out as I moved across the room, snatching some clean clothes from the pile. I was done dealing with life at the moment, a hot shower seemed like the perfect way to escape everything that the universe was throwing at me. Ajax moved to follow me but I spun around with a warning growl, "You're not coming with me."
He growled back, "Sutton no leave our sight. No trust not run. Sutton ran before." Perhaps that was why he hovered so badly. He was still afraid that I was going to run away from him, of course I had run from him twice already. I couldn't promise that I wouldn't try to run again but at the moment I was in complete lockdown. I wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon, unfortunately.
I let out a heavy sigh, lifting a hand to rub my temple, "I don't know if you realized this but we're not guests here, Ajax. We're prisoners. I couldn't run away even if I wanted to. There are guards posted up at every entrance and exit. I am not going anywhere but to the shower. And you are not coming. Understand?" I had to be firm with him. If I wasn't than he didn't take my words seriously, something else I had learned about him.
He didn't look pleased by the thought of anything separating us but he gave a nod of his head, as if I had needed his permission, "Sutton take quick shower. We wait outside, keep safe."
I gritted my teeth together in annoyance, eye twitching slightly, "How kind of you."
He gave me a proud smile, all his teeth on display. He had once again not understood that I was being sarcastic. With another sigh I turned away from him and dragged myself into the adjacent room, closing and locking the door behind me. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make it through all of this with my sanity still intact.
I began to strip out of my clothes, pulling my shirt up over my head. It felt good to be out of the grimey material. I reached up to undo the clasp on my bra, twisting around. I let out a shriek of surprise when I found a face staring in the window at me. I scrambled quickly for the shirt I had dropped from my body to cover myself. It took a moment for me realize that I knew the face looking in at me. Miles gave me a sheepish grin that had me tearing across the room and opening the window. I reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, "What the hell do you think you are doing?" I hissed at him under my breath. He was lucky I hadn't thrown him from the window.
He pried my hand away as he eased himself up into the large bathroom, sidling past me, "I was in the neighborhood thought I'd spring you from this joint but now that I see you've upgraded yourself to the executive suite, princess, I don't think I should." I knew he was teasing me. He had never planned to break me out of Octavia's tower. It would have put us both in danger and that wasn't his style. I knew he was really here because he had been worried about me, wanted to see for himself that I had made it back to them in one piece.
Before I could speak a response, Ajax was pounding on the bathroom door, "Sutton, okay? We heard scream." He sounded agitated and I was certain he would break down the door if he thought he needed to. Miles gave me a look but kept his mouth shut. I knew it wouldn't take him long to figure out who was standing on the other side of the door if he didn't already know.
I felt frantic at the thought of Ajax coming into the room and finding Miles in the room with me. I darted across the room to the shower before spinning the knob. The spray of water rushed out, wetting my arm as I pulled back. I hoped the water would somehow cover up any sounds.
"Sutton?" Ajax growled through the door, banging a little harder.
I bit into my cheek as I met Miles narrowed gaze, "Uh, yes. Sorry. I, uh, thought I saw a mouse..." Miles rolled his eyes at my excuse. I cringed at it as well. I wasn't great at thinking up things on the spot. I was much better at simply running away from my problem. Except at the moment I was unable to run away, which put me in a very awkward and vulnerable position.
There was a pause of silence, "Need help?" I felt a warmth blossom in my stomach at the fact that he wanted to help save me from the imaginary mouse. My lips twitched, it was a sweet notion.
Miles made kissy faces at me, mocking the obvious reaction that must have been on my face. I glared at him, "No. I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute." I listened carefully as he padded away from the door a few minutes later, neither one of us moving or speaking until we were sure he had gone.
"So it is true then? Princess went and got herself a prince." He crossed his arms over his chest, "And here I was worried that you were being turned into mincemeat by some psycho." Even though he was saying it in a teasing manner I knew he was upset. He had been worried about me, really worried from the dark look in his gaze. His beast was right there with him.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold myself together even as I felt myself falling apart, "It's not like I planned to get myself kidnapped, you idiot. Do you have any idea what I've been through the past couple of days?"
Miles rolled his eyes, "Always so dramatic, Princess. Look you're alive ain't ya?"
I felt my chin wobble as my emotions surged, tears started to fall from my eyes but I reached up and wiped at them with the back of my hand. He let out sigh before he reached out for me, pulling me into a hug. I sunk into his arms, feeling a different type of security and comfort then when Ajax touched me. This one was more familiar. It didn't make me feel like I might lose myself under the flow of it.
"Shhh. That's enough now. I know you were scared but I would never have let anything happen to you. Octavia, the pirate, even that scary Korean lady you live with...they would have burned this whole city to the ground to find you. I saw the fireworks display Queenie put on the other night for you, so you know what I'm saying is true. As scary as it was, Princess, none of us would have let that psycho touch a hair on your pretty little head." He whispered to me softly. I tightened my arms around his waist, as much as I wanted to disagree with him about what he was saying I couldn't. Everything over the past couple of days since I had returned had proved that I wasn't as alone as I thought. That there were people who wanted to protect me. People who cared about me as if I truly was part of their family.
I pulled away from him with a couple of sniffles, "Thanks. I needed that."
"I know." He gave me a wink and I rolled my eyes.
He leaned back into the wall, "So what's the deal with prince charming? He really your mate?" He raised an eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at his mouth.
I let out a heavy sigh, "Yes and I really don't want to talk about that right now. He is the last thing I want to be thinking about." Miles chuckled softly under his breath, looking very amused. I narrowed my eyes into a frustrated glare, "What the hell are you looking so smiley and relaxed about? I don't know if you realized this but you're kind of standing in the wolves den. If you're not careful you're going to get yourself bagged, tagged, and branded. I'm sure Octavia would love to get her hands on someone with skills like yours." He waved off my words like he hadn't a care in the world, pushing away from the wall. I didn't understand how he could move through his life on the downworld so damned relaxed.
"You worry too much, Princess." He moved closer and pulled out a marks card before tucking it under my bra strap. The action had me holding the shirt up again as my face flared red. "Buy yourself something nice." He winked at me before he moved to the window and pulled himself out of it.
"You don't worry enough." I snapped back, to which he rolled his eyes.
"Stay out of trouble, and say hello to your lover boy for me." I flipped him off as he blew me a kiss. I watched him drop down out of the window and into the shadows. I rushed to the window, sticking my head out to catch sight of his body as it moved soundlessly down the fire-escape. I couldn't help but smirk to myself as I pulled back into the bathroom, closing the window and locking it. He was a complete idiot for coming into Octavia's tower. If he had gotten himself caught because of me I would never have forgiven myself.
A knock came at the door, "Sutton?"
My smiled dropped, "Five more minutes." I shouted as I pulled the marks card from my bra strap. A flashing five thousand rested on the top and had tears burning my eyes. I set the card down with a trembling hand before I pulled off the rest of my clothes and stepped into the shower. The water was excessively hot but I simply hissed and endured as I grabbed a cloth and started scrubbing at my skin.
There was another knock on the door and I let out an aggravated sigh. I was never going to know another moment of peace until Revan was nothing but a smear under Octavia's high heels. Honestly, as much as I hated the violence I prayed that it would be sooner rather than later.