CHAPTER 2
STREETS
✞
"TELL ME AGAIN, why it is that you insisted on taking her with us?" Seth asks as he drives, glancing at the girl that was lying down in the backseat of their car. "The fucks her name anyway?"
"Her name is Ava," Richie tells his brother before offering up her photo ID, which he'd found among the things in her purse. "and she's got a brother that works at the border."
Seth glances down at the ID, before he takes it from Richie. Ava Young, it reads. Brown eyes. Five feet six inches. Date of birth, February 23rd 1996.
"Jesus - what is she like, fifteen?"
"Eighteen."
The first thought that comes to Seth's mind is that he's only ten years older than her. The second thought is that he's a fucking creep for the first thought.
"Great," He mutters, tightening his hand on the wheel. "not only did you take the bank teller with us, but now there's a goddamn kid involved."
"She's not a kid, Seth."
His eyes narrow on his younger brother, and suddenly everything starts to make sense. Richie didn't take this girl because of her brother working at the border - no - he took her 'cause he wants to play some fucked up version of house with her.
Richie pulls out the tube of sparky pink lip gloss, and opens it before lifting the applicator to sniff. It smells fruity and sweet, and he wonders what her lips taste like.
"Gimme that." Seth snatches her things from his brother.
Ava wakes with a start, scrambling to sit up and when she does she's hit with the realization of everything that had just happened. The liquor store. The Geckos. And then she learns that what had just happened is still happening. She's in the backseat of a car that she doesn't recognize, and in the two front seats she spots two familiar men ; Seth and Richie.
"Rise and shine, sweetheart." She meets the Seth's eyes in the rear view mirror, and he throws her a gentle smile, zipping away her things.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
The first thing she tries is the door handle, hisses when she finds it's locked, and that same sinking feeling begins to creep up. She looks up and finds Richie staring at her, and it scares her.
"Are you okay?"
Seriously?
"Uh, y-yeah."
He twists his body towards her in his seat, and she notices when he stares at her, he doesn't blink, like he's frozen.
"I'm sorry about my behavior earlier. I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay.."
But, it most certainly is not okay. She can't believe that they actually took her, that she even made it out of the liquor store alive, and then she wonders about everyone else, if they too had made it out.
The thought makes her feel uneasy, and she just needs everything to stop for a second.
"Pull over." She blurts out, putting her hand on the seat in front of her.
"What?" Seth questions, and Richie turns his attention back to her.
Flashbacks of what happened at the store swirl around in her head like a whirlpool, and all she can think of is all of that blood. So much blood.
"Pull over." She says once more, and this time she's more demanding, because she's got a feeling that if this car doesn't stop she's going to hurl. Again.
"Stop the car, Seth." Richie tells his brother, who rolls his eyes in annoyance. "She doesn't feel good."
Seth lets out a huff, and pulls over. The car comes to a halt, and the second Ava hears the click of the door unlocking, she stumbles out. Her legs almost give out again, but Richie's at her side with a hand to her waist, steadying her.
When she feels his large hand on her, she looks up at him and wonders how he can be so gentle and commit such monstrosities. He's violent, yet strangely collected, and he's always so so silent.
And that scares Ava. He scares Ava.
Her eyes dart to his left hand, and she notices it's wrapped around with duct tape. On instinct, she takes his hand and lifts her gaze to his and he's looking like he could swallow her whole.
"What happened?" Ava asks.
"A bullet."
She nods slow, her eyes flitting back to their hands as she runs her thumb softly along the tape.
Seth walks around the car, and stops in his tracks when he spots the two of them and watches. He watches the way his brother's fingers spread alongside her back, the way he's holding her close.
And he doesn't like it. Not one bit.
"Alright," He says. "love fest is over."
Ava lets go of Richie, and she turns to face the older brother, who's a lot closer than she'd expected.
"You okay?" He asks her, looking away from his brother.
She sees in his eyes that he's being genuine, that he's actually concerned, but that doesn't change the fact that right now, she kind of hates him.
Her eyes narrow on the gecko, as she folds her arms over her chest.
"Why am I here?"
"My brother says you got a relative that works down at the border," He tells her. "is this true?"
"Of course it's true." Richie interjects. "I know it is."
She doesn't say anything, mostly cause she doesn't know what the right answer is. So, she decides to deflect.
"What makes you think I'm gonna tell you?" Ava asks, and stares up at him with a defiance in her eyes, like she's daring him to do something. "You're not gonna kill me."
And she's not talking about Richie, because honestly, she's not sure he won't kill her. But, Seth is different. She knows he doesn't want to hurt her, that he won't. She saw the way that he was careful around the two women, around her - even the Texas ranger, he hadn't wanted to hurt.
And she's right. He doesn't want to. Seth has no intention of killing her, and he thinks that even if she were to ruin his plan, he still wouldn't have it in him to hurt her.
"Maybe not," Seth admits, lowering his voice. "but don't think I won't stop to pay your big brother, Officer Young, a visit."
He closes the space between them 'til Ava feels the car against her back, 'til they're dangerously close. She clenches her jaw and tilts her head back to meet his gaze, staring daggers into him.
Ava tries to bite back the tears that well in her eyes, but Seth sees the way they glisten.
Good, he thinks. That'll shut her up. He doesn't want to be mean, but she needs to know that she's nothing more than a hostage. That is her place. He's her captor. She does what he says, and she doesn't put up a fight.
"Get in the car." Seth says and backs up to give her some space.
Ava moves to get in the back, but he puts a hand over the door, stopping her. She lifts her head, and looks up at him, and she's pouting.
Seth nods to the passenger side door to the front, and she does as she's told without any hesitation and gets in. But, she makes sure to slam the door shut.
✞
AVA SITS in the front seat beside Seth and she feels much better with the cool breeze of the air conditioner blowing in her face. Seth reaches over her to the glove compartment where he pulls out an orange bottle of prescription pills, and she follows him with her eyes as he tips back a few pills, downing it with a flask.
She watches like she's fascinated.
Seth catches her staring, but she doesn't look away and he thinks she's the rarest, prettiest thing he's ever stolen.
Proverbs 3:15. She is more precious than jewels. And nothing you desire can compare with her.
Seth knows better. He knows she's only eighteen, but he's only a man and can't deny that he's attracted to her. It's fucked up though, he thinks. That's for sure.
Seth holds out his flask and offers her a sip, to break her gaze.
"Oh," Ava looks from him to the flask and shakes her head. "I don't - I don't drink."
"Wasn't asking, sweetheart."
She wants to stick out her tongue and tell him she's no sweetheart, but instead she glances at the flask and takes it from him. Ava swallows a swig of the bitter, fiery liquor that burns at her throat, without so much as making a face and Seth wonders if she was lying about not drinking.
In the back, Richie looks between them. Although he would have much preferred sitting next to her, the backseat turns out to not be so bad cause now she's directly in his line of sight. And he's watching. He's watching the way she bats her lashes at his brother, the way she licks her lips before she hands back the flask.
"I know who you two are." She tells Seth, and glances back at Richie. "Los hermanos Gecko."
Ava knows some Spanish, as she had to take the class for the last two years and although she doesn't know that much, she knows enough to hold a basic conversation.
"What did you just say?"
"You should really try learning some Spanish before you move to Mexico." She says. "I heard about you guys on the radio - the Gecko brothers. You robbed that bank in Abilene. My daddy kept having to change the station cause he didn't wanna scare my sister and I."
"Well, he had the right idea." Seth says. "You should be afraid of us."
She just rests her head back against the seat, and glares at him, pursing her lips.
Seth looks away from her, keeps his eyes on the road because he thinks that's where they should be, not ogling the eighteen year old girl beside him.
Ava feels someone else's eyes on her, and looks back to find Richie staring at her. His eyes flicker all over. He drifts from her eyes, to her mouth, down the expanse of her bare shoulders.
His mouth waters like he's hungry.
Ava quickly looks away.
She's uneasy whenever he looks at her for too long, when he touches her, but there's also this strange part of her that doesn't want him to stop.
The three of them fall into silence when suddenly there's a loud thump that comes from the trunk followed by muffled cries.
"What is that..."
"We should've just left her at the door, but for some reason you just had to bring her." Seth says, looking in the mirror to his brother.
And then Ava realizes it's the bank teller from Abilene. She's in the trunk.
"Nothing happened at that bank."
"Then why did you bring her to the bathroom?"
Seth doesn't know what to think anymore. He wants to believe that Richie isn't all gone, that he wouldn't do what Seth's accusing him of. But, he can see the craziness in his brother's eyes, the excitement he gets from being cruel.
Ava swallows hard.
"'Cause I had to piss, alright?"
"You and your goddamn rice milk. You came out of that john looking like Jack fucking Torrance."
"I want my knife back." Richie says.
"Something happened in that bank," Seth continues. "something that got you killing, and you haven't stopped since. Earlier, you said something's coming? What's coming, Richard? What does that mean?"
Richie turns away from Seth, and fixes his gaze on the woman that sits beside him. The one only he can see, and asks her, "You want me to kill him?"
"Kill who?" Seth asks, looking at his brother through the rear view mirror. "Jesus, Richie, who are you talking to? Richie."
Ava glances back momentarily at the younger brother. He looks like he's in a trance, she thinks to herself.
"Stop the car." Richie suddenly declares.
"What? No. I'm not -"
"Do it now!"
Richie suddenly leans over and grabs the steering wheel, abruptly swerving them off the road, past a small lining of trees. Ava can only shut her eyes, and brace herself for impact. But, to her surprise, there isn't one.
The car lurches to a halt, and before she can catch her breath, Richie storms out of the car and slams the door shut behind him.
She looks over at Seth, who turns curses under his breath before taking the keys out of the ignition.
"Stay put." He tells Ava, before he heads out to follow Richie. "Hey, you stupid shit," is all she hears before the door slams shut and she's left alone.
It takes her a moment to collect her thoughts, to catch a breath and then she too, gets out of the car. She staggers a bit, her legs still shaky with adrenaline.
A few feet away, past a ditch, she finds the brothers on the ground, fighting. Ava winces when Richie slams his fist into Seth's face, knocking him back to the ground. He hovers over his brother for a moment, before he picks up his glasses and clumsily stumbles away.
Seth sits up and lets out a loud huff when he spots Ava, rolling his eyes in annoyance.
"I told you to stay in the car."
Ava takes a few more steps toward him, until he's looking up at her.
"He's not okay."
She feels bad for Richie. He scares her something fierce, but when she sees the lost, hollow look in his eyes as he walks away from her, she can't help but feel bad for him.
"Really, now?" Seth retorts. "I hadn't noticed."
Ava doesn't break her gaze from his as he stands up, now making her feel small. She thinks she likes Seth better when he's below her.
She doesn't say anything, before turning on her heel to go look for Richie. But, Seth grabs her her forearm and tugs her back to look at him.
"I told you to wait in the car."
"Are you always this mean, or did you just save all this attitude special for me?"
Ava worries for a second that maybe she shouldn't have said that, but her nerves calm when she sees a smirk pull at Seth's lips, like he's impressed.
"All for you, sweetheart."
She rolls her eyes, before she pulls herself out of his hold and shoves past him. Inside the car, Ava huffs and leans back into her seat when she notices Seth's flask of liquor resting between their seats and picks it up.
This ought to help her get through the day.
Ava unscrews the cap, takes a swig and then another. And then one more for good measure.
✞
THEIR NEXT STOP is at a cruddy motel called, The Dew Drop Inn.
Richie waits in the car with the girls while Seth gets them a room. The bank teller trembles beside the older brother, no longer tied up in the trunk.
"I'm sorry." Richie says, breaking the silence and Ava knows he's talking to her.
She turns to look at him, and he sits up straight, leaning in close. So, so, awfully close.
"I know that I'm scaring you, I don't mean to."
He doesn't know if he's actually sorry for scaring her. He thinks he is, mostly because he's convinced she's going to be his and so he wants to her to be comfortable.
She won't be scared forever though, he thinks. One day, this will be her life. He'll make it her life. Once they cross the border, her new beginning will start with him and together they'll steal and they'll kill.
Richie is shaken out of his thoughts, when the door opens up and Seth gets in.
He tells the group their room is room 106, before he drives off to find a free spot in the parking lot. The plan is that Seth and Ava go out first, and after a few minutes Richie and the teller will follow.
The nearest empty spot is in front of room 112, and it's where they park. When Seth cuts off the engine, he looks over at Ava who's got a dreamy daze in her eyes.
"Showtime, princess."
Princess. She likes that.
They both get out, and Ava's stomach churns when she sees the bank teller look at her with tears in her pleading, desperate eyes. She swallows hard, and follows Seth across the lot.
As they walk, Ava spots an older man sitting in front of his room in one of those plastic lawn chairs, eyeing them. He tips back a beer, as he watches the two with suspicion.
Something just ain't right about what he sees.
Before she looks away, she suddenly feels Seth grab her hand. Her brows knit in confusion, but she doesn't say anything, and then her liquid courage gets the best of her.
If he wants a show, she'll give him one.
Ava smiles up at Seth, before she places her free hand to his arm and rests her head against his shoulder. Seth momentarily stiffens, uncomfortable and surprised by the closeness, but eases when he reminds himself that it's all just an act.
This girl is just a means to an end.
They still hold hands even after they reach the room, as he slides in the keycard and opens the door.
Once inside, Seth lets go of her and the door shuts behind them. The room they enter is large, with a kitchen, dining table and couch.
"Have a seat."
"What? You don't wanna hold my hand anymore?"
Ava plops down on the couch, exhausted. When she looks over at Seth, she sees him sneaking peeks past the curtains, looking out at the parking lot for his brother.
Her gaze shifts from him, noticing there's an adjoining room across from her, with only one king sized bed.
"We're not...gonna be spending the night here, right?"
The thought of having to sleep in one room, with one bed, terrifies her.
"What? You don't wanna have a sleepover with the Gecko brothers?" He bites back, in her same sarcastic tone, but then he sees the fear in her eyes and says, "relax, kid. I'm just messing with you."
He sighs, and moves to join her on the couch, suddenly finding himself wanting to ease her tension.
"Look," Seth tells her. "you just stick with me, and I promise you'll get out of this without any bumps or scrapes."
Ava nods, hoping that what he's saying is true. She wants so bad to get back to her family, and she can see in Seth's eyes that he means what he says. She just hopes nothing gets in the way of his promise.
The door opens to the teller, nudged into the room by Richie who's behind her. Richie looks to his brother who's got his back facing to him, hand on the head rest of the couch, encapsulating Ava who's looking all doe eyed and longing.
"Did you forget brother?" Richie asks. "Love fest is over."
Ava looks from Seth to Richie and the look on his face sends a cold shiver down her spine. For the first time, Ava thinks she sees a bit of anger in Richie's gaze.
His lips are pursed in a straight line, his jaw is clenched and he can't stop staring at the back of his brother's head, as he pulls out a map and sets it out on the table.
Seth gets up and joins his brother who asks, "you didn't even try and talk him down?"
"Richard, it's thirty percent to get into El Rey. Eternity and bliss drenched in the nectar of the noble blue agave."
The bank teller sits beside Ava, exchanging a glance with her. Both snap their attention to the brothers at the sound of a gun cocking.
"Sounds like a freaking Buñuel movie."
Seth doesn't reply, sliding a pistol to his brother, before he pulls out two more guns to reload them.
Ava's never seen so many weapons.
Richard quirks his brow. "The hell is this?"
"That is a Budd Boetticher picture." Seth responds. "And it's all you're gonna get. All right, I need thing one and thing two," he says, motioning to the two larger pistols in his hands. "in case I get into a scrape."
Uh oh, Ava thinks. Seth's going to leave them with Richie.
"You're not going out there. That's crazy."
"Gotta ditch and switch, and we gotta eat."
"I can't do anything with quick draw's... shriveled member." Richie complains, referring to the gun Seth had left him.
"You're not gonna need anything because Miss Monica here is the best damn teller in the west." Seth says, as he moves to pull up a chair and sit in front of the girls. "She knows all about customer service. Now, what is the, uh... First rule of customer service, Monica?"
With a shaky voice, Monica says, "the customer is always right."
Seth slams his hand down on the arm rest of the couch, startling both girls. Monica flinches in response, and Seth smiles.
Still, no matter how threatening Seth is being, Ava's not nearly as afraid of him as she is of Richard. The same goes for Monica, who was also another one of Richie's abductions.
"Winner, winner, chicken dinner." He says, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger. "Now, you see... me and Richie here, we are your most loyal customers. And we only want one thing... For you to sit there..."
As he speaks, he presses the end of his gun to Monica's knee. "And not move. Got it?"
She quickly nods in response, trembling with fear as she tries to bite back her tears.
Seth glances back at his brother as he asks, "you got it, Richie?"
"Just get me a burger already. And some, uh, sweet-potato fries."
Seth looks between Monica and Ava, before he gets up from his chair and says, "get up, princess."
Ava blinks twice, confused as Seth waits for her to stand.
"What - she's not going with you." Richie protests, as she gets up. "That's way too dangerous."
"Ava knows not to try anything stupid." He tells his brother, before looking to the girl who now stands beside him. "Right Ava?"
She eagerly nods, relieved that she's going to accompany Seth, but another part of her feels guilty because Monica isn't as lucky.
Seth puts his hand on his brothers shoulder as he says, "you've had a long day, Richie. You don't wanna have to worry about two hostages."
The truth is, Seth doesn't care about the long day his brother's had. After seeing the way Richard's been looking at the girl - like she's a piece of meat and he's starved - Seth knows leaving Ava would be a bad idea.
Richie's not stupid. He knows Seth thinks he's a ticking time bomb, that he's unstable and stupid. All day he's been nothing but condescending, just like everybody else.
Richie looks from his brother to the girl, and stares at her as he says, "but I want her here."
"Well, I don't care, Richard." Seth says, before patting his brother on the shoulder. "Relax, watch a movie, brush up on your Spanish... we'll be back in a bit."
Seth dismisses his younger brother - like he always does - and heads to the door with Ava who follows. As Seth opens up the door, Ava can't shake the feeling that something awful is going to happen. But, that doesn't stop her from leaving with Seth.
Richard watches his brother disappear with his girl, and can't help but feel jealous. Angry.
Seth is a simple man. Richard always sees the bigger picture. He can see that behind Seth's concern for the girl's well being, his true intentions are selfish, and no better than his own.
A/N - Thank you guys for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed! In the first version I didn't have a lot of Ava and Richie scenes and they weren't as strong as the Seth and Ava relationship, which I wanna work on this time around. Also, if you're new here, both Seth and Richie are Ava's love interests. Leave a comment letting me know what you thought! Also sorry for any errors/typos!!