"It's not that bad." I tried to convince myself. The room I was dragged into was by far the the most intimidating place I had ever been. The wooden floor cracked under my feet and there were literally pieces of paint that were supposed to be in the walls instead. The layer of sticky black dirt seemed to have spread to every single spot I looked at and even though I tried I couldn't help observing the lack of vocal hygiene the tall blond man here making sure I didn't escape had.
As I continued pacing I noticed some glasses fallen from an old broken chandelier and another door behind the guy, which was surprisingly not as shabby as the other.
"Don't try anything funny or I'll take you directly to the night club. Maybe you won't manage to satisfy me, but you will to many other men."
Did he just said "N-night club? Am I going to be ta-"
"Shush! You're much hotter when you're silent." His attempt of smirk making me gag.
Well, if he covered his face with cow shit he would still look much better too and I don't see anyone criticising him.
"Okay", I started an inner dialogue "do not panic, you've been tought what to do in this situations. Step one, try to call 911." But I don't have my phone with me. "Right. Nothing to worry about, you just don't have the most important item with you when you most need it."
The next thing I did... Well, yes. I panicked. I'm human. I was scared and locked in a room with a creepy vampire looking guy who wanted to take me to a club full of old bored and desperate men. And to top it all, although I was trying to plan my escape, a big part of my attention was focused on ignoring the sound of whatever dead animals' bones made when paper-guy stepped on them purposely just to tick me off.
I tried to put into practice what I had learnt in self defence classes but chickened out when I spotted a gun mid hidden in his waistband.
Hundreds of textbooks I had had along the academic years opened in my mind, but they were of no help. That's when I started to think about what do we really learn at school and uni. They are supposed to prepare us for the labour market as well as for the big bad world, but why do we need to know what the xylem and phloem are for if we aren't even able to protect ourselves.
We've always been told that studying is a process. But you only learn to memorise and do more complex exams over the years. For sure, that is exactly what will lead us to later on have a good job and pay the bills, but it is just too sad.
They don't really teach us the laws except the most obvious ones, but hey, if you break one, be ready to pay or go to jail.
I'd always been under my family's wing and there was no mistake they couldn't pay. It didn't seem so bad then. Now I don't know what to think about my own family's ways. If your actions define you, then what are my parents? What does that make me?
Paper-guy received a text and after reading it he instantly straighten his posture. I was in the corner of the room facing the door behind him when the door swung open to reveal a tall, bald man around his forties.
"I have JC waiting in the other room, it better be important because God help me I will rip your balls with my bare hands!"
Paper-guy shifted unconfortably "I caught this outside the office sir." Great now I'm definitely feeling degraded.
The bald man finally noticed my presence and lifted his chin as to show who was in charge here. He was wearing an expensive looking black leather jacket with a plain yellow shirt and radioactive-green tight jeans. He clearly hadn't learnt what having a sense of fashion meant.
"Well would you look at this doll, who do we have 'ere Mitchell?" Asked the bald man while getting closer and closer every second.
"She claimed to be with a friend or something, not that I paid too much attention." Wow, paper-guy was a total keeper.
The bald man's eyes were only on me and Mitchell took advantage of that moment to peek through the door. I knew who was in there as I knew he was going to be furious if he caught me right now cornered by a potential stalker and a potential serial killer. Though something told me he already knew I was in trouble.
"Oh and you brought friends with you! You know, the more the marrier. A doll face like you must have beautiful friends, perfect for my-"
But a shout coming from the other room cut his sentence "are you gonna cut the chit chat or keep me waiting while I rot in this hellhole Gabriel?"
Gabriel, which I assumed was the bald man, exhaled clearly bothered by the disruption. Then he grabbed me by my romper and dragged me to the room next door. He sitted me on a chair and when Jaxon's eyes landed on me I could see the anger dancing in them. But it wasn't directed to me this time, it was more directed to Gabriel and paper-guy. I knew I shouldn't be staring at him, I should have looked away to protect ourselves from this two maniacs. But I couldn't tear my eyes away from him, at that moment of confusion he was the only one I could rely on. A gasp finally interrupted our stare down.
"I should have known! The great JC would have never broken a single rule. No, he would never do that, unless he couldn't help it. Unless there was something else to the story, or in this case..." he looked at me "someone."
Then I realized what this was about. It was about the night of the fight, at the warehouse. Jaxon had come to pay the price, the price I should be paying, not him.
"That's bullshit! You know it was Stephan, or don't you rely on what Mitchell tells you?" He blurted out and my knuckles turned white due to the strong grip I had on the back of my chair. That was a lie. I mean, if Gabriel wasn't in the fight then paper-guy was, which meant he was the one who told Gabriel. But why would he lie? It was crystal clear who broke the rules, me.
Gabriel moved closer to the chair I was sited in and placed his hands on my shoulders. He squatted in front of me and after a long, silent minute he talked. "Interesting... what's your name?" He asked me while he stood up again.
At that moment I didn't know what to answer. Should I tell him my name or just come up with one? But what if I lied and he found out that wasn't really me and he came back to hurt me or anyone. Though even my name wasn't really my name, so it wouldn't hurt anyone else if I lied right?
I was about to open my mouth when Jaxon beat me to it "That's none of your fcking business." He growled. "Let her go she's not even worth the effort of putting a bullet between her eyes."
He's not serious about that. He's lying. He's just trying to protect you. But...
"Fine" Chuckled Gabriel raising his arms in surrender. Not a light chuckle definitely. "Just one little thing, just one thing I would like to know and this time I want an answer because we wouldn't want sweet Lynn to suffer the consequences, right?" His malicious tone mocking us.
His smile only became wider when he saw Jaxon stiffen and clench his jaw.
"Here's my question, what is an uptown girl like you mixing with a scumbag like him?" Despite his efforts to insult Jaxon his face remained serious.
Though what riled me up was the first part of the sentence. And before I tried to revoke his statement he cut me.
"Oh please, don't even try to deny it. All you rich spoilt brats have that thing in common. It's in your eyes. The calm, the serenity of never having to do anything to have it all. Of never having experienced such things like hunger, or worry of not being able to make ends meet. I'd bet you have never felt the sorrow of not being able to afford something you wanted. So again, I ask you why are you with someone like JC?"
His words were like a bucket of cold water and they bore to my chest like a dagger.
"I-i.." but there was something else bothering me a voice telling me there was more to that question, an answer I had to think through properly. Why would Gabriel care about that? Why would he want to know about me?
Suddenly Gabriel reached behind me where paper-guy stood and took his gun and pointed it to Jaxon's feet. "The first one goes to his foot and the next one to his head."
"But I don't understand! Why do you want to know that?" I didn't understand why he would go to such extents to get the answer of a question which was far from being important.
"Damn it, just answer the question!" Said Jaxon standing to his feet.
"He's my neighbour! That's all. I don't understand why this is so much of a deal!"
"Is that all?" I became more and more nervous as I listened how Gabriel took the safety off the gun.
I nodded frantically various times before he retreated the gun and a sight of relief left my mouth involuntarily. There was still something on Gabriel's expression that told me he wasn't pleased with our acquaintance, the reason why is what I lacked.
I was then thrown to the street like garbage and soon enough appeared Jaxon with his eyes on his bike. He didn't say a word and neither did I. Besides I still didn't freak out about what happened and I was starting to freak out because I wasn't freaking out.
The ride was silent, which didn't help to ease that feeling something was off. There was something that really didn't make any sense, he was going to shoot Jaxon just because he wanted to know I was his neighbour. That was just so... there has to be something I'm not aware of.
He stopped in front of Oak's Park and we stayed in silence for a couple more minutes. He didn't make move signaling he wanted me to leave, so I just remained with my arms around him and my cheek against his shoulder blade.
"I'm sorry." I said.
"For what?" Those were his first words after the long silent treatment.
"I was the one who got you into this mess to start with."
He snorted and shook his head. I felt his movements on my cheek, there wasn't a sound apart from ours. Not even the bird's background singing. Somehow it felt as if the world have stopped around us.
"I've been in this mess long before you came." He kept his voice down as if he was ashamed.
"He was right, wasn't he? I'm just a spoilt brat. I couldn't even free myself. I was useless. I felt..." my mind went back to that run-down building. And as the events of earlier speeded through my mind, new feelings I wasn't aware of came to me.
The way he so easily grabbed me and pushed me into that room. How I couldn't even try to put into practice all that Evans thought me. I was unable to think or do or attempt anything.
"I felt completely impotent." I finally said releasing Jaxon's abdomen to emphasise my desperation. "There were so many things I wanted to do and so little I could do."
Jaxon turned to look at me. While his legs were still in both sides of the bike, his upper body was facing me and his steel-blue eyes focused on me so hard I was tempted to look down.
"What if this really happened and I was kidnapped? What if their words weren't just threats but promises? What if... what if you weren't there to-" With my rambling came another feeling, too similar to relief. Finally I was letting everything out.
"It's okay Quinn, you can calm down now, everything's fine." His voice wasn't even soft, but there was still something reassuring in it. "I never should have taken you there, it's my fault." He ran a hand through his silky hair obviously not happy with himself.
When he let his arm fall again instead of landing on his thigh it ended up in mine. Surprise and embarrassment were written in our faces while we stared at each other. I felt my cheeks and my neck burn and I couldn't help but feel hyperaware of the weight of his hand next to a certain area. I could feel his hot palm, his long fingers, the tickles his fingertips caused... then Jaxon cought retreating his hand and hiding it behind his back.
"So um, didn't you say there was someone waiting for you? Because it's already been an hour and a half since then." He said while looking in every direction except in mine.
Shoot, Ashton! He must be thinking I'm a terrible friend. But I didn't have my phone, though I'm sure I had it before the little accident. Then Jaxon noticing my worry took my phone out of his hoodie pocket and told me I didn't notice that I dropped it when he slightly ran me over.
"You should tell Ashley-" said Jaxon as I climbed off the bike.
"Ashton."
"You should tell Ashton you're almost there. He isn't anywhere in sight, check next to the river." He sighted involuntarily and started the bike.
When he was two meters away I realized I did't want to be here, not today at least. "Jaxon! Wait, wait! Stop!"
He braked and put his foot on the ground to gain stability.
"I-i well, I don't really feel like going in there now. Could you-could you, um like." I took a deep breath to say the next words. "Would you like to come to my house?"
And that's how I found myself wrapping my arms around his abdomen for the third time in two hours.
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I'm so sorry for taking so long to write a new chapter, I've been extremely busy lately but I hope you enjoyed it.
Btw I'm also truly sorry for all the grammatical or spelling mistakes you might find along this story.
SimplyfaithfulXx