Elijah sighed, "Please, put the knife down."
I gripped the hilt of the butcher knife tighter, "No, I think it enjoys being in my hand."
"Valerie-"
I cut him off, "You're wasting time!"
Eli ran his hands through his hair and took a seat at the dining table, "Where do I even start?"
"I don't know and I don't care. But, I swear to god Elijah, if you don't start talking now, I won't hesitate to call the cops."
"My uncle sent me to capture you." What? "He wanted me to deliver you to him. Everything I did was planned out for me."
"What the hell?" I asked.
"The way I met you? It wasn't a coincidence."
"What do you mean?"
"I was told your dad was a busy cop and that he was rarely at home. I was supposed to wait for you to be isolated outside and take you to my uncle. But when I saw you there, crouched behind the garbage bins, I was surprised. You weren't afraid like I thought you'd be. I knew I couldn't have abducted you at that moment.
"None of this is making any sense. What the hell does your uncle want from me?"
"I'm not sure, he said something about revenge on your dad."
"What did my dad ever do?"
"I don't know."
I sighed, "So, everything that's happened between us was planned out? Was it all a lie?"
"I didn't exactly plan for you to spill scorching hot coffee onto me," Eli laughed.
"Eli, I don't have time for jokes."
His smile faded, "I guess in the beginning it all was a lie. Me showing up in all your classes? Planned. Coming to your house? Was part of the plan, Ms. Beauregard just aided in the matter."
How could I have been such a fool?
"But when I saw the fear in your eyes, at Stiles' party, I knew that I didn't want anything to do with it. Taking you home? Not planned."
That reminded me, "Do you know who's behind the graffiti?"
Eli held his head down in shame.
"Eli."
He looked up, "I was the one who painted the words at Stiles' party."
I was shocked. Had he done that? And then I remembered the first time I had met him, he had smelled like paint. Spray paint. It was starting to make sense.
"Nothing you've said is helping your case right now."
"Val I promise you I want nothing to do with this. I'm not going to take you to my uncle. I want to help you."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"I didn't try to attack you did I? I literally told you everything. What else can I do?"
"What if this is just another part of your plan?"
"I swear on my life, it's not."
"Fine. Explain your tattoo."
"Everyone working for my uncle has the symbol with the initial of their first name."
"Like a mark for a little cult," I laughed humorlessly.
Eli answered with complete seriousness, "More like a gang."
I processed the new information. I kind of believed Eli was willing to back out of the whole thing. I mean, giving me a ride back home when he could have easily kidnapped me? Or showing up at my house? That couldn't all be a lie. Or so I hoped. All I did know was I was pissed off with him for not telling me straight out and that he was even caught up in the mess at all.
"I need you to leave."
"Val, please." Eli pleaded, "I swear I'm telling the truth."
"Just go." I whispered, "I need to process this."
Eli reluctantly nodded and got up to leave.
"Eli?"
He turned around, "Yeah?"
"I really hope you're telling me the truth."
He gave me a tight smile before heading out the front door.
I finally dropped the knife from my hand and ran my hands through my hair.
I didn't know what to think. Could I trust Eli? Should I?
➸
An hour later Dad was back home, "Where's Elijah?"
I decided not to tell Dad anything until I had figured it out myself, "He had to leave."
My head was pounding, I grimaced in pain.
"Val? Are you all right?"
"Headache," I groaned, "I need some air. I'm going to sit on the porch."
I went out onto our porch and allowed the slight breeze to comfort me. The sun was setting, painting the sky beautiful shades of orange. I closed my eyes for a moment wishing I could forget everything that had happened in the last four days.
I got a call from Scarlett. At first, I was going to decline it but I decided I would answer and try to get some answers from her.
"V? Oh my god. I can't believe you answered!" Scarlett cried, I could hear her sobbing.
I rolled my eyes, "Why did you do it?"
"I'm so sorry Val."
"Scarlett. I want answers."
Scarlett was silent for a moment, "Can I meet up with you in person? I want to apologize."
I had known Scarlett for years, I wouldn't forgive her for what she'd done, but I guessed she deserved the chance to explain, "All right, where do you want to meet?"
"I'll text you the address, I want us to be alone so that I can be honest."
"Sure."
I hung up and went back inside the house to ask Dad if I could go.
"It's getting late Val, can't you meet her tomorrow?"
"Please, Dad. I kind of need the air too, been cooped up in the house for a while now."
Dad nodded, "If you're not back within an hour, I'm sending a search party."
I kissed his cheek and left the house.
I turned on Google Maps and typed in the address Scarlett had sent me. It was a five minutes walk away. I followed the GPS.
Before I knew it, I found myself standing in the middle of an alleyway.
This can't be right.
Taped on a wall across from me was a letter with my name scripted on the front.
I opened the letter. That's when I realized.
It was a trap.
If you're reading this Val, you're truly gullible. Good luck.
- xX Scar
How stupid was I to believe she was actually willing to apologize?
My heart began to race. I began to type in my home address but my phone started to glitch. Oh, this couldn't be happening. My phone died. Just my freaking luck.
I tried to think of which direction I had come from, but then I heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
I snapped my head to the source and found three men. Buff. Full grown. Men. The looks they were giving me made me feel uncomfortable. They sent each other smirks. I tucked my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and felt for my pocket knife.
It wasn't there.
Oh, crud.
That was when I began to panic. Sure, Dad had taught me self-defence and how to throw a couple punches. And yeah, I could probably tackle one man and manage to get away. But facing off three full grown men? I had better luck winning the lottery and I wasn't even old enough to enter the lottery.
One of the men spoke up, "Hey, pretty girl. What are you doing out all alone? Do you need help?"
This wasn't happening. For every step I took back, they took two towards me. I had been commented on before, but I had never been approached. Then again, usually, I wasn't stupid enough to blindly trust in a backstabbing "friend".
The men didn't seem to be backing away anytime soon. My fight or flight instincts kicked in.
That was when I started to run.
"Hey! Get back here!"
I heard their footfalls hot on my trail. I turned left, then right, then right again. I had never been so far into an alleyway before and I was terrified. My lungs burned but I pushed myself until I couldn't breathe. I stopped for a moment. The men were nowhere in sight but they probably knew their way around and could appear at any moment.
One of them did.
He grabbed my arm from behind and pulled me against his chest. I went limp for a moment, he relaxed his grip slightly, thinking I had given up. I wasn't about to let that happen.
I kicked his shin using the heel of my foot, causing his grip on me to loosen further.
He yelped out in pain, "Stupid bit-"
I elbowed him in the nose, hearing a satisfactory crunch.
I managed to get out of his hold but he managed to hold onto my arm. I thrashed around trying to get out of his grip.
I could see his nose. It was a bleeding mess.
I felt it before I saw it.
The man had plunged a blade into my arm, "That should teach you better than to try to run away."
I let out a scream. The pain was agonizing. Tears filled my eyes and blurred my vision.
I needed to get away.
Fast.
I kneed Nose Bleed Man in the groin forcing him to release his steel-like grip on me and then I was off.
I didn't know how far I had run, but my legs were ready to give out. I was never the best runner. I felt sick, and I could feel my heart throbbing in my head. My arm was bleeding horribly and I could feel the stickiness of my blood. I stopped again and tried to catch my breath but then I heard the approach of more footsteps.
For god's sake, give me a break!
I tried to run again but my body wouldn't move as fast as I willed it to. Someone grabbed me by the waist from behind, I was ready to let out a blood-curdling scream but the person covered my mouth and pulled me against their chest. I licked their hand causing them to let go and yelp in disgust.
Before I could scream, I was turned around to face the person who had grabbed me.
"Val! Val. It's me. It's Eli."
My heart stopped racing -a bit. I was more frightened of the men than I was of Eli, but I still wasn't sure if he could be trusted.
Eli's eyes were wild as he looked around, "Valerie, what the hell are you doing here?"
"I was asked to come here by Scarlett. Then I found a note and realized it was a trap. Then I stumbled across these guys and they started to chase after me." I rambled as I struggled to catch my breath, "I ran but one of them managed to grab me."
"You're not hurt are you?"
"I am," I motioned to the arm Eli was holding onto, "You're actually killing me right now."
The wound was still bleeding, like a heck ton.
Eli immediately let go, "Sorry." He squinted his eyes in the dark and examined my arm, "You're going to need stitches."
Before I could reply Eli suddenly pushed me against the wall and peered over the corner.
Eli cussed under his breath, "Crap, they've seen us."
I was still mad at him. And I wasn't one to play the damsel in distress but considering the circumstance, I was willing to get all the help I could from whomever I could, "Eli, what the hell do we do?"
"I have an idea," Eli stripped off his hoodie and passed it to me, "Put this on quick."
I didn't question him. I did, however, struggle to put it on with my right arm seeping blood.
Eli pulled the hood of the sweater onto my head and grabbed my face, leaning in.
I shoved his hands away, "What the hell! Eli get off of me!" I whisper-yelled.
"I'm doing this for your own safety," he whispered back.
I raised my brows, "Yeah, sure you are."
"Buttercup, please trust me on this," Eli said, placing his hands on my shoulders, "And don't worry I'm not actually going to kiss you."
I sighed, and begrudgingly relaxed into his grip.
Eli placed his thumbs on top of my lips and pressed his lips against them. It was the way celebrities sometimes faked kissing their fans.
I wanted to push him off of a cliff.
A few moments later I could hear the men's footsteps approaching, my breath hitched. Eli gave me a smile and mouthed don't worry.
"Oh, hey Eli. It's just you."
Eli pulled away from me and sent a glare towards the men. I peered from beneath the hood and could see that it was Nose Bleed Man who had spoken.
One of the others spoke up, "Hey, can we join in on the fun?"
"Actually, no. So kindly back the hell off."
Nose Bleed Man attempted to take a closer look at me and I panicked. If he recognized me I would be in deep crap. Eli casually pulled me into an embrace and made sure to hide my face. In doing so, he accidentally put some pressure on my bleeding arm. I bit my tongue trying not to scream.
"Sorry!" He whispered into my ear before turning back to the men.
"C'mon, Eli. This is the first time I've seen you with a girl, you should share a little bit."
"I. Said. No. Don't make me tell my uncle you were slacking on the job," Eli seethed, "Get back to your posts and keep an eye out for the girl!"
One of the men growled, "We just saw her, stupid girl, she managed to run away."
"A girl managed to outrun three grown men?" Eli feigned his surprise, "Do I need to tell my uncle about this?"
"No. Please don't Eli," One of the men pleaded.
"Well, then, leave me alone. And scram."
I heard one of them mutter under his breath, "Spoilt brat."
Eli was about to snap at him. But I squeezed his arm and whispered, "Eli, just let them go. Please."
Their footsteps finally receded and Eli pulled away from me.
"You knew those goons?" I whisper-yelled.
Eli shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah they work for my uncle."
"What is your uncle, the leader of some kind of a Mafia?"
"Something like that."
Damn, I was just joking around.
Once the stress of being attacked had disappeared the pain was no longer numb. I could feel the warmth of the blood that was pouring out of my arm. My head started to feel extremely heavy and I was finding it hard to focus on what Eli was saying. I grabbed onto his arm so that I wouldn't fall.
"Val? Oh crap, your wound," Eli swore, supporting my weight, "Hey Val, stay with me."
I managed to focus my eyes somehow. I looked down at my arm, I could barely see it in the darkness but I could feel the wetness of the wound, the blood had seeped through Eli's sweater.
Eli tore the hem of his shirt and as gently as he could, rolled up the sleeve of his sweater, "This is going to hurt, but it will stop the bleeding for now."
He wrapped the ripped shirt piece around my arm and pulled it tight. I let out a gasp of pain. I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead. He finished tying up the cloth and unrolled the sweater.
"Eli, you need to get me to the hospital."
"I don't have my bike with me. We're going to have to walk."
There was no way I could walk to the hospital in my state, "Do you have your phone?"
Eli nodded, "Yeah, why?"
"Call my dad."
➸
Dad was there within two minutes. He rushed towards us and grabbed a hold of me by the arms, not knowing I was bleeding. I winced in pain.
Dad pushed Eli away from me, he looked furious, "What the hell did you do to her!"
"Dad, it's not his fault," I muttered.
Eli voiced what I was thinking, "Sir, she's injured. Badly. We need to get her to the hospital."
Dad picked me up, lifting me over his shoulder and turned to Eli, "You're coming with us and explaining everything."
I sat shotgun and Eli sat in the back.
"Tell me what the hell happened to your arm, Val."
I quickly went over what had gone down in the alleyway.
Elijah told Dad everything that had happened, including what Eli's uncle had told him to do. With every word, I could see Dad tensing further. I was surprised he hadn't hit someone's car by the way that he was driving.
Then Eli told us a minor detail he had forgotten to mention to me back at home, "My uncle is Xavier."
Dad's knuckles whitened, I could tell that he was absolutely furious.
My own heart skipped a beat. Then I felt stupid because if Eli had painted the crown symbol, it only made sense that he was connected to Xavier somehow.
The nephew of the man who had ended the life of the most important woman in my life was sat in our car.
The rest of the ride passed by in a suspenseful silence.
➸
I hated the smell of hospitals. There was always the unmistakable odor of blood seeping through the weak mask of antiseptic.
Dad led me into the waiting room, telling me to sit tight and wait while he had a short discussion with Eli.
A nurse took me into one of the hospital rooms, almost immediately. I was brought to lay down onto one of the beds. Before I knew it, I was trying my best not to yelp in pain as my arm was stitched up. I ended up getting thirteen stitches. The wound was a good four inches long.
"You're good to go, but avoid strenuous activity for about a week. Your stitches will begin to dissolve by then."
I thanked the nurse and remained to lay down on the bed.
A few moments later I heard Dad and Eli enter my room.
Eli asked, "You're not going to kill me, are you?"
Dad sent him a grim look, "Don't give me a reason to," then he turned to me, "Hey, Val, how are you feeling?"
"Like my arm has been cut by a blade."
Eli playfully rolled his eyes from behind Dad and mouthed no shiz.
"Well, I've talked to this young man and I guess we're going to have to trust him now," Dad informed me, "Elijah's the key to helping us end it all."
I trusted Dad's instincts. If he deemed Eli trustworthy, then so would I. Besides, Elijah had pretty much saved my ass tonight. If he hadn't been in the alleyway. I shuddered at the thought of what could have happened. At that moment I knew that Eli could be trusted.
"So," I sat up, "What's the plan?"
➸➸➸➸➸
Hi gorgeous people!
That was a pretty long chapter! What did you think of this chapter? The story's only just begun ;)
Huge thank you to all of you who have been voting!
I can't believe I'm #1 in Graffiti and #54 in Cheesy!!! THANK YOU!!! ❤️
I'll see y'all on Wednesday with the next chapter! Can we get 70 votes by then? ❤️
QOTC: If you could live the life of any book character, who would you choose?
- Xx IceCat