There's a bit of bloody violence in this chapter, so here's a warning. It's not much, but I feel as though I should say something.
Lauren's heart stopped momentarily as she heard Jericho's words. It took a moment for her brain to even comprehend what he had said due to the shock she was in, but when it did she tried her hardest not to let Jericho know how she really felt as her heart struggled to escape from her chest with its furious beating against her ribcage.
''W-What do you mean?'' She meekly asked, hating how her voice came out so fragile, so fearful.
Jericho grinned and drank in Lauren's fear, he felt slightly giddy with excitement that he could finally reveal his plans.
''Well what better way to punish him than make him kill the one's that means so much to him? You made him think he can get away with defying me. You made him weak. You made him do this, if it wasn't for you, he wouldn't have to go through this right now. He would most likely be leading the gang if it wasn't for you.'' Jericho simply stated and Lauren flinched every time he emphasised the word 'you'.
He's right though, Lauren thought as she felt the first tear slipped freely down her cheek after she managed to reel them in for so long. It's all my fault Sebastian's in this mess.
Jericho was so convincing that Lauren actually believed him, and she was kicking herself because of the truth in his words.
''I didn't mean to, Ok? I didn't mean for anything to happen!'' Lauren insisted, her tone exasperated and worn out.
''Of course you didn't.'' Jericho soothed, going along with Lauren. ''It wa-''
''But I don't regret it one bit.'' Her tone was loud and clear, a finality in it and Jericho looked at her sharply.
''You mean you don't regret the fact that it is you who is killing your child? You who is causing Sebastian to do this?''
''No, because I won't be killing my child, neither will Sebastian.'' Lauren believed in her words, forgetting about her earlier conflict and she carried on, glaring at Jericho as she spoke every word so crisp, so sharp and so full of malice. ''It is you, not me. You who is making Sebastian do this. You made him join the gang in the first place. You made him into who he is today. You made him think he can defy you by pushing him too far. You are the one who thinks he will be killing my child by making Sebastian point the gun and pulling the trigger. It is not me, but YOU who is the cause of all mine and Sebastian's problems, you are to blame for everything gone wrong in his and my life. EVERYTHING IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT!''
Lauren always felt that if her parents hadn't joined the gang then they would have been a little more loving, and she would have had a better lifestyle. If it wasn't for the gang then Liam wouldn't have been taken away. If it wasn't for the gang then her and Sebastian could live a normal life with their child, not having to worry about her being taken away for revenge or payback on the gang. If it wasn't for Jericho then Sebastian would have a mother, he would have a better life, an easier life. He could have everything he ever wanted and wouldn't have to worry about whether the morning sunrise every morning would be his last.
Lauren saw it coming, but she didn't have time to prepare for the blow that was coming her way.
She felt like her face was caving in as Jericho's tight fist met her nose, and she heard the crack echo around the room along with her cry of pain. Pain exploded all over her face and she felt a headache drum at the sides of her skull immediately as the blood instantly rushed out of her nose. The punch rattled her and her eyes watered from the sharpness of the crippling affliction to her nose, making her lose her breath for a moment. It was so sudden, so sharp that her watery eyes soon turned into real tears. She had no idea how her brother and Sebastian can put up with being punched in the nose, it was agonizing!
''NEVER speak to me like that again! Do you hear?'' Jericho started, his voice a venomous snarl as he glared at the girl who was bleeding all over herself. ''I made him who he is today, yes, but you speak of him as if he had a choice in the matter? When he was born he was instantly to be involved, hence the reason why he was born. I made him into the merciless, strong man he is today. A killer. A leader. The perfect leader. He's grown into what he was made for and I did that. It was no fault of mine, it was a prosperous decision I made that, if you didn't come along, would have been very successful. And you will be sure to know that.''
Lauren couldn't believe his words, was this man delusional? By the way he spoke, so determined, so strongly, Lauren knew she would not be able to change his mind, and there was no point in even trying. She wanted to fight for Sebastian, but this man was far too gone to even try and change his mind.
One thing stuck out though, Lauren knew Sebastian had a sister who his father didn't care about, and she guessed it was because Jericho was being biased about the fact that she wouldn't be able to fit in the gang. But when she really thought about it, Jericho just wanted a leader, not a child, not a kid he could love and cherish like a father should, but an heir for his gang. Hence the reason why he ignored his daughter and paid attention to when his second child was born, who happened to be a boy.
To Jericho, Sebastian was born for a purpose, not just because he wanted to play happy families. But, Lauren knew that Sebastian's mother loved them, and that's the reason why Jericho killed her was because she was 'destroying' Jericho's prodigy.
That man was one sick bastard.
''Want to know what I am calling her?'' Lauren suddenly blurted out into the suffocating silence. After not giving him a reply, Jericho had sat down on the chair he had pulled from across the room till it was in front of her.
She didn't know why she chose what she had just said, it was the first thing that came to mind in her twisted situation. Plus, she kind of guessed she would get a reaction out of Jericho that would be worth it.
''Stop being so blind and realise you will not be getting out of this situation alive. Therefore, the correct term is 'was', not 'am'.'' Jericho stated, sending her a stern glare like a teacher would to his student after they had gotten something wrong. Lauren didn't earn him with a reply, she just raised an eyebrow and waited for him to go on, face flat and devoid of emotion. ''But yes, do share.''
Lauren waited a couple minutes as Jericho just looked at her with a mocking smile. If it wasn't for the fact Lauren knew he was poking fun at her, she would have thought he just looked like someone who genuinely wanted an answer for they were happy about the baby and were excited to know.
After a tense silence, Lauren revealed the name and immediately went on high alert when Jericho tensed up, his mocking aura immediately deflating to nothing. He was frozen with a blank expression on his face and Lauren wondered whether she had actually just made a huge mistake.
''HOW DARE YOU SAY HER NAME!'' His sudden shout scared Lauren, making her shriek and jump in fright. ''HOW DAY YOU SAY HER FUCKING NAME!''
Jericho jumped up immediately from his chair and stalked towards Lauren. She gulped in fear for what he was about to as he brought his face forward until it was only a centimetre away from her own, and she tried not to flinch when she felt his breath fan over her face.
''How. Dare. You.'' He whispered menacingly, his eyes never leaving Lauren's as he brought his hand up and gripped her chin tightly between his thumb and forefinger. She flinched this time, wincing when he gripped her chin tighter. ''How dare you ever say her name.''
Lauren was hoping for this reaction, but she never did think the effects it would also have on her. For instance, the bruised chin and the fear she felt quaking in her bones.
Or the slap to her face.
This time she didn't even realise she had been hit until she felt the vibrations of pain rattle against the skin of her cheek. She was sure there would be a bright red hand print painting her skin as the palm of Jericho's hand was already bright red as she stared at it in shock.
Lauren couldn't even move for she was frozen with shock. The rattling blow had caused her nose to start bleeding again after it had slowly came to a stop only minutes before, and Jericho only watched on as he heavily breathed with anger.
''Never.'' He breathed as if he was too tired to even speak. ''Say her name again.''
And with that he walked out the room without looking back, turning the lights off and slamming the door to the basement shut, leaving Lauren in the dark.
She sat there for about ten minutes, a million questions and thoughts going through her mind and leaving her more confused than ever. She expected him to react a little, but he surpassed any of her expectations. Never did she expect him to get that wound up, he had looked like she had physically stabbed him in the gut or something with the way he recoiled once she spilled her little girl's name.
When she felt something warm and slick drip on her hand, she came out of her daze. Another drip and she looked down but in the darkness she could see nothing. Lauren lifted her hand up to see what had fallen on it when she realised she was holding on to something.
''The phone!'' She gasped in excitement, immediately pressing the button to light up the screen and smiling in happiness when she saw the light fill up the room.
She knew she should have phoned the police, they would have been her best bet. But, instead of phoning the people who would have most likely not came in without a plan or a death wish, she phoned Sebastian just like Jericho had said.
''YOU BASTARD I'M GOING T-''
''SEBASTIAN!'' Lauren whispered sharply, keeping her voice down in case she wasn't meant to phone him whilst Jericho wasn't in the room.
''L-Lauren? Oh god, Lauren are you Ok? I'm so sorry, I can't believe I let them take you. This is all my fau-''
Again, Lauren cut Sebastian off. Only this time she couldn't bear to hear him say it was his fault, when it wasn't.
''Sebastian shut up and listen!'' She snapped. Lauren was surprised by how strong she sounded, she would have thought she would have been weeping by now whilst she was on the phone to Sebastian. ''I don't know where I am but I'm in a basement. Your fathers just ruffed me up a little, I'm fine.''
A silence took over the phone and Lauren held her breath as she waited for Sebastian to answer. She could hear the roar of an engine and knew Sebastian was in the car, she just hoped that he would at least think things through before he came in and rescued her if that was what he was planning on doing.
''I know where you are.'' She heard his quite mumble filled with pain and Lauren felt her heart reach out to him, she hated him being so upset.
''What's the matter?'' She asked, forgetting she was even being held captive as she wanted to make sure Sebastian was Ok.
Sebastian sighed deeply before answering.
''You are at the place where he killed my mother.''
It was silent for a few minutes until Lauren found her breath again and answered.
''That sick bastard!'' She snarled, her hate for the man reaching new levels. ''Are you Ok?''
''Yes. How- How's our little girl?'' Sebastian weekly replied, thoughts of what Jericho had done to Lauren and his little girl plaguing his mind.
''She's fine, little jelly beans doing good.'' Sebastian faintly smiled at the nickname, and he put his foot down as far on the peddle as it could go. ''I'll be there in about ten minutes. You Ok for that long?''
''Yeah, I don't think Jericho is going to be coming back for a while now.'' Lauren shamefully admitted, running her hand across her bump and smiling when she felt her little girl move a little.
Lauren was already feeling better about her Situation now that she was speaking to Sebastian, it was like he had washed all her worries away over the phone.
''What have you done? You better not have done anything stupid, Lauren!'' Sebastian raised his voice in alarm. He knew Lauren was quite witty when she wanted to be, and her pregnancy had made her extremely snappy sometimes. Some of the stuff she had said to him because she had gotten angry for no reason was an example of that, she never meant to say it but she did, and Jericho wouldn't just ignore it like Sebastian did.
''I-I just said some stuff he didn't like.'' Lauren mumbled and Sebastian had a hard time hearing her.
Sebastian sighed over the phone and Lauren took a guess that he probably just rolled his eyes too, she had a talent for doing that do him.
''Lauren, you can't be like you are with me and Liam to him. He will not hesitate to kill you or harm the baby!'' When Sebastian mentioned this Lauren snapped out of her stupor.
He was right, she wasn't thinking correctly, nor was she acting mature in her situation. One wrong move and he could kill her and the baby before Sebastian got there.
''I'm sorry.'' Lauren muttered and stood up. A little window on a wall gave her a small ray on moonlight and she walked over to it, gazing through the clear glass and wishing to be on the other side.
''It's fine. Just... You don't know what he's like, he will kill you just for looking at him the wrong way Lauren, I can't begin to imagine what you've said and done. You're lucky you're both not dead right now.'' Lauren heard Sebastian's voice crack at the end and she closed her eyes, breathing through her nose to keep herself calm and not start crying again.
She knew Sebastian blamed himself for this, but Lauren blamed nothing on him at all, it was all Jericho's fault. The only good thing Jericho had done was get Sebastian's mum pregnant with him, that was it.
''It's not your fault, I don't blame you.'' Lauren mumbled, looking up at the moon with glistening eyes. She was feeling extremely emotional right then. ''Y-You know that, right?''
It was silent for a few minutes and Lauren thought he had put the phone down on her if she hadn't of checked it was still on. Sebastian was fighting an internal battle, he didn't believe Lauren's words, it was all his fault. But, if he let Lauren know that he wouldn't hear the last of it, one way or another, even in the situation she was in, she'd make sure he knew that it wasn't his fault.
''Yeah, I know.'' He sighed finally and Lauren smiled faintly at his blatant lie and shook her head.
''You're not a very good liar, you know? Especially not to me.''
''Don't remind me.'' Sebastian replied and Lauren was about to scold him when she heard a squeal of tires on the phone and a loud thud, the phone crackled and it sounded like it was tumbling about before silence.
''B-Bast?'' Lauren whimpered when she heard nothing after a couple minutes. ''Bast are you Ok?''
She held the phone to her ear with trembling hands, and being unable to keep her weight up she collapsed to her knees as she nothing over the other side of the phone. It was still connected, and Lauren was shaking in fear for what she heard sounded like a crash. She knew Sebastian was going over the speed limit, and she knew if he would have crashed it wouldn't be good.
''Bast a-are you the-''
The sound of the door to the basement unlocking caused Lauren to freeze in fear.
She huddled into the corner of the shelving unit that stood by the window and held a hand over her mouth to stay silent, the other hand still holding the phone up to her ear to hear Sebastian if he spoke.
The door opened and she saw a dark figure enter the room, closing the door behind them and turning the lights on.
He looked towards the chair and his eyes widened a little so see it empty, but when he glanced around the room a grin spread across his face when he spotted her huddled in the corner.
Lauren felt a little sting in her chest when she recognised her old work buddy, but that little bit of hurt turned into anger when she saw him walk towards her like a lion stalking its prey, a huge smug grin on his face and an evil glint in his eye.
''Stay away from me!'' She snarled, holding the hand that was not keeping the phone to her ear over her stomach, protectively putting a small barrier between him and her baby. Who knew if Jericho and sent this man to kill her and her little girl?
''Now why would I do that, Lauren? I want a little bit of fun before Jericho has you.'' Kyle titled his head with a sickening grin and lunged towards Lauren.
She let out a small scream and dropped the phone, bringing her other hand round her stomach and trying to duck her head into the small space between. Only Kyle gripped her hair and pulled, making Lauren's head and body follow his movements to lessen the pain.
Once he had her standing, and Lauren was eye level only then did she see the malicious and sick glint in his eye. He had only started working at the diner a few months but Lauren found him easy to get along with and kind, never did she know that he was anything but, he was most likely there just because Lauren was and Jericho planned it.
''Take your clothes off.''
It was so sudden and intrusive that Lauren didn't blink, she could only stare at him with an open mouth at his heinous idea.
''Wh-What?''
A sharp, sudden slap caused Lauren's head to whip to the side, and she blinked a few times to make the tears disappear. She did not want Kyle seeing her cry.
''I said.'' He growled out, bringing his face closer to Lauren's, making her cringe back in disgust as his breath fluttered over her lips. ''Take. Your. Clothes. Off.''
''N-No!'' Lauren stuttered out, her heart beating rapidly in fear. She didn't know why he wanted her to take her clothes off, but she knew it would lead to no good.
With her hands still around her bump, she fell to her knees when Kyle punched her in the temple.
Lauren was pretty sure her face was going to end up black and blue in the end, instead of her usual flawless complexion, and she could already feel the swelling of her cheek and her eye start to close up. She was throbbing all over and when she spat, she saw a mix of blood and saliva drop onto the floor by Kyle's foot.
''I'd listen to me if I was you, Lauren.'' Kyle started in a menacing hiss, bending over so his face was closer to Lauren's hunched figure. ''I've been ordered not to touch that dear bump of yours but I've broken the rules time and time again before, what makes you think I won't do it now?''
''P-Please'' Lauren hated that she was going to beg, but if it meant not degrading herself and taking her clothes off, also not harming her baby, then she would do it. ''Please I-I-''
''SHUT UP!'' Kyle snarled and reached into his back pocket. Lauren watched on in horror as he pulled out something metal and flicked his wrist, drawing a blade out of its protective metal shell and pointing it towards her. ''Now, I won't ask again.''
Lauren eyes the knife and then Kyle's angry, snarling face. She didn't know which one she would rather face if she was honest, both wouldn't do her any good.
Doing something very stupid, Lauren didn't think before she ducked under Kyles arm that was brandishing the knife and ran towards the door. She stumbled as the weight of her bump dragged her down but frightened herself at the last second.
Kyle's startled shout made her heart's fast beat not drum from fear, but satisfaction but it didn't last long. Her own startled shout escaped and echoed around the empty room when she felt her already stinging scalp sting even more.
Her hair was in Kyles grip again and Lauren felt him pull her backwards until she was nearly against his chest and a sharp point was digging into her back.
She winced when Kyle leant his head on her shoulder, and her body quaked with fear, for her stupid decision would surely cause Lauren her death now.
''You have one chance left.'' He muttered in her ear and threw her forward.
Lauren didn't get a chance to steady herself, and she toppled forward into a metal shelving unit that sat against the wall.
She cried out in pain when her stomach hit a metal shelf, and when her chin hit the shelf above it, she felt a sharp shot of pain down her neck. Tears blurred her vision as she fell to the floor, cradling her stomach as the shelving unit rattled above her, letting a few of its contents fall onto the floor and luckily not hitting Lauren.
Sobs wracked her body as she led on her side, and Kyle just stood above her, impatiently waiting for her to comply with his demand.
He was about to lunge forward and pull her up by her hair again, and then threaten her with his knife until she begged for forgiveness and took her clothes off. But, what he didn't expect was for Lauren to lunge towards him herself.
She didn't know what she was doing when she lunged forward, it was like in instinct took over her and she picked the screw driver up, gripping it like it was her lifeline and chucking her hand forward.
With a sob, she let the screw driver pierce the skin of his throat. Not even flinching when a bit of blood sprayed out of the wound she was creating and over her face, mixing with her own that coated her delicate skin.
Nauseating gurgles escaped his throat as he dropped his knife and reached up to the screw driver that was now fully embedded into his throat. Kyle couldn't scream, couldn't breathe and his body was going into shock as he dropped to his knees, clutching the screwdriver with wide, frightful eyes.
Lauren watched on, her body still trembling with sobs as she held her stomach, towards Kyle who was letting out small, pitiful gurgles as the blood flowed from the hole in his throat at a tremendous speed.
Blood spilled from his lips as he clutched his throat, and it was over in minutes. He slowly fell forwards until his nose smacked the dirt with an echoed crack, and his body fell limp within a small, puddle of his own blood.
It was silent other than Lauren's frightened sobs. She had no clue what to do next, Seba-
''Sebastian!'' She gasped when she thought of him and how he would be the only one to help her now.
Rushing over to the phone, Lauren cradled her stomach and sat back in the corner, as far away from the body as she could and she picked the phone up, slowly raising it to her ear.
Her stomach dropped though and she found herself crying even more when all she could hear was sirens on the other end. It didn't sound good as the shouts of many people could be heard, but one sentence stood out most against all the other desperate voices.
''There's no one in here!''
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Finally!
I think this is the longest I've gone without updating, although, even though I've had ages to update I'm still not entirely happy with the chapter and I'm just so glad we are nearing this end as I can do a massive edit!
About three to four chapters to go I think.
I'm not writing on a plan and I have no idea what's going to happen next, I just write as I go and anything could happen really as new stuff comes to my mind as I write! So, even though I say it could be three or four, it could be two or five, or even six I don't know.
P.S- Can anyone guess her name? Obviously not her actual name but what it might be? Considering Jericho's reaction it hopefully should be obvious!