Hi Everyone!
I hope you're all having a wonderful summer!
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Chapter Five
Large hands grasped my waist, and I let out a small gasp and tensed up. Sebastian was now standing directly behind me, his eyes focused on the same mirror. My breath caught in my throat, and I shook slightly. His hands slid up so they were resting just above my upper ribcage, his fingers dangerously close to my rapidly rising and falling chest.
"Don't look at yourself like that." He said quietly, his head angling downwards so that his mouth was brushing against my neck, just below my ear.
I remained still, my eyes transfixed onto the mirror as if I were watching a horror movie.
"I just don't want you to get hurt."
I remember the day I went to go train with Sebastian for the first time. I remember the way I had felt so intimidated; yet determined to prove myself.
But what I remember the most is the way he noticed the way my eyes trailed over my reflection in the mirror in a distasteful manner. I remember the way he instantly pushed away my insecure thoughts, promising me that he was only looking out for me.
I wonder if he could tell how self-conscious I felt at that moment, just like he did back when I had first met him.
"Damn," Will whistled lowly under his breath, "Emily has got one hell of a body."
I felt myself wince as my eyes flickered over to the large mirror on the wall before returning to Emily, who was busy punching the pads Callum was holding up for her. Her blonde hair was tied effortlessly in a bun at the top of her head, and her tan skin glimmered with sweat.
I shifted uneasily, my eyes moving up to glance at Sebastian's expression. His dark eyes were trained on Emily, and I felt a wave of emotions wash over me as he nodded his head, agreeing with Will.
"She's definitely got the looks," he commented, his eyes never breaking away from her as he spoke.
I guess you could say that I was just feeling sorry for myself, because that's exactly what I was doing.
Everything they said about her was right, and it made me wish the floor could just swallow me whole.
I was never one to be openly self-conscious. In fact, I strived to be the girl who walked with her head held high and radiated confidence no matter what. I had to be that way not only for my job, but for myself as well. On the down side, all the acting had finally caught up with me.
There Emily was, in a sports bra and shorts, showing off her toned and tan body, while I hid underneath a large sweatshirt and baggy sweatpants. My boring brown hair was tangled and wild, yet I managed to force it into a sloppy braid. My pale skin made people question if I had ever seen the sun, and for the past two days, I haven't.
"Are you okay?" The sound of Kate's soft voice startled me, making my eyes widen momentarily before I forced myself to nod.
"Fine," I whispered, pulling my eyes away from her inquisitive ones.
"You look as though you're about to cry." She stated, her voice barely audible.
"I'm not." I threw her a look of finality, and she instantly backed off. Ever since I had snapped at her at the club, Kate had been walking on eggshells around me. Needless to say, I wasn't mad at her anymore, in fact, I never had really been. It was my fault, and that was something I knew she knew, but Kate being Kate, she was going to give me space and not call me out for my wrong doings.
"Evie," Nate called out, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Why don't you go on in there and give Emily a run for her money?"
Despite my best efforts to ignore him, Nate's challenge did not go unnoticed by the boys around me, as well as the rest of the occupants in the gym. I felt bile rise in my throat as a low whisper ran throughout the now silent gym, and I turned to glare at Nate.
"I'd rather not." I told him, bitter resentment tainting each word as I glared at him angrily.
Nate only wiggled his eyebrows and continued to push the subject. "Oh come on Evs! You've never been one to turn down a competition, that is, unless you're too scared."
His voice rose at the last part, and a few laughs rang out in response. I felt my skin bristle and I fought to keep my cheeks from burning up as I felt all eyes on me, awaiting my response.
"Like I said," my voice was strong, and even had a cutting edge to it. "I'd rather not."
"You haven't trained all day," Danny pointed out; however his eyes shone with amusement, telling me that he wasn't truly concerned that I hadn't trained for the day.
I felt my eyes move to Sebastian, hoping that he would cut in and tell them to leave me alone.
"What are you waiting for?" His raspy voice rang out, making me shiver instinctively.
It had been two long days since the night at the club, and two long days since he had last talked to me. I guess I couldn't really blame Sebastian for our lack of interaction, seeing as how I had promptly avoided him for the last two days as well.
After I had kissed him, I was in this euphoric, cloud nine state. But then I suddenly fell from my cloud and crashed heavily upon reality.
There were things that Sebastian didn't know about me, secrets that I had kept from him. He had hurt me, and I had hurt him, and while some things have already been forgiven, there were others that couldn't be.
So I avoided him—hoping that my lack of presence would make him just forget all about me.
Immature, I am aware, but it was the only option that I had.
And now, because I chose that option, I was standing here, staring at Sebastian with wide eyes. After those two days of simply not talking to each other, or even bothering to spare the other a glance, Sebastian's tone was hard and emotionless, his eyes the same way.
"If you think you can't handle—" He taunted, knowing that would be what pushed me over the edge.
"I can." I snapped, fire lighting in the pit of my stomach. All I needed was that fire to last, and maybe I would be able to get through this.
As I made my way over to the ring, I received a light applause and some hollers of encouragement.
"Take off your sweatshirt," Mason yelled out, throwing me a cheeky wink. "You know you can't fight in that."
"He's right," Callum told me as he slipped out of the ring, "It will only work to restrain you, and trust me, Emily is a skilled fighter. You will need everything you can get in your advantage."
My cheeks flamed with embarrassment and fury as Callum walked over to the other guys.
"Don't be a prude," Will yelled out, "Take it off!"
Soon enough, the entire gym was chanting, "take it off," while Kate stared at me with a horrified expression and Sebastian with a knowing one.
He had seen my scars that night at the club. He knew they were the reason I was constantly covered up. He knew that I was self conscious because of them, but right now, it seemed like he just didn't care. I guess some part of me was hoping he would say something and get everyone to leave me alone.
But then another part of me realized that he had only seen my shoulders. He hadn't seen the proper damage that scarred my skin, which left him just as oblivious as the rest.
So with a shaky sigh, I pulled the sweatshirt off my head, effectively silencing the crowd as well as causing the flame in the pit of my stomach to diminish quickly without a trace.
I felt uncomfortably exposed in only my sports bra, and I knew the second I fully turned my back to the boys, they would see just how ugly I truly was. Suppressing the tears that burned the backs of my eyes, I forced myself to turn around and face Emily.
"I got kicked around a lot," I told her simply.
Her eyes remained blank, but she nodded in understanding, not pushing the subject any further.
"If you don't want to fight-"
"I don't." I said quickly, "But we don't have a choice."
And then she lunged at me.
After a few minutes, I had already discovered her tactics and tricks. She worked off the element of surprise, and was constantly trying to catch me off guard. While it was a strong tactic to use while fighting, I had managed to counter it by predicting her moves in advance.
Emily lifted her leg quickly, her foot nearly connecting with my side before I just barely dodged it. She was picking up speed, proving that her endurance was no joke. I, on the other hand, was struggling to breathe properly, and I felt my arms weakening as I continued to dodge the endless kicks and punches she sent my way.
"You're giving up." His voice was loud and clear, making me turn my head slightly in his direction.
Sebastian was now standing at the edge of the ring, his forearms resting against the ropes that served as a barrier.
I narrowly avoided another kick Emily sent my way, my mind fighting to regain focus as she managed to sneak a quick punch to my abdomen. I struggled to catch my breath, but I refused to let Emily win this one, not with everyone watching as intently as they were.
But even then, as much as I wanted to win in front of all these people, I also felt like I had to win for myself.
"You can't avoid her forever," Sebastian taunted me, making my lips curl in an animalistic fashion. "She's going to catch up to you soon, and then what?"
I knew what Sebastian was doing. He was trying to rile me up so that I would screw up and let my emotions get the best of me. He wanted me to act on impulse and ruin my chances of winning against Emily.
"I'll you what is going to happen," he spoke grimly, "You're going to get more bruises to match the ones on your back."
His words caught me off guard, and I stumbled backwards, my head turning so that I could face him. I knew the hurt showed on my face, as regret and guilt flashed through his.
Before I knew it, Emily's fist connected with my cheek and I collapsed back onto the ropes.
"Shit," she said, "I'm so—"
I lunged back at her unexpectedly, my foot connecting with her side and my fist meeting her nose. I made sure not to break it, as the blood that splattered the white matt was enough satisfaction for me. Without hesitation, I grabbed her flailing arm and twisted it, making her scream out and fall to her knees. Gritting my teeth, I shoved her arm away and watched as her body crumbled forwards, her hands reaching up to clutch her bloody face.
Using my foot, I pushed her to the side.
"Here's a quick tip," I said lowly, "Never apologize when you're fighting someone, because sooner or later their going to get you back and you're not going to feel so sorry anymore."
She blinked rapidly, but I noticed that there were a few tears already dripping down her face. Ignoring the slight guilt I felt, I grabbed my sweatshirt and exited the ring.
"Evie," I felt his hand wrap around my wrist shortly after he spoke, "Evie, I am so sorry, I don't know why I said that."
"It's fine." I said quietly, my eyes meeting his. "I'm fine."
"But you're not," He said quickly, as if he was trying to convince me.
If only he could realize how much I didn't need to be convinced. I had only said those words in hopes he would drop the subject and leave me be, yet my hopes had been crushed by Sebastian's poor attempts to break through to me.
"Don't do this," I hissed out, frustrated. "Don't do that thing where you treat me like shit then say you care."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed and he shook his head quickly. "For Christ's sake Evie, I am sorry about my comment but you can't expect me to coddle you just because you ran away."
He didn't understand.
"You need to realize that there's no way for me to know what's going on in your head unless you actually tell me, contrary to your beliefs, I can't read minds." While his tone was soft for the most part, I could hear the trace of annoyance that was slowly building up with his words.
He doesn't understand, I thought to myself. I guess that was my fault, because he was right. Some part of me wished he could get inside my head. I wish he knew my words before I spoke them. I wish he could feel the pain and torment I had bottled up.
I wish he could understand.
"Do you know what all those bruises and scars are from?" I whispered, praying my voice wouldn't crack.
Sebastian shifted uneasily, his hand leaving my wrist to rake through his hair. "I don't know, I guess I thought they were from your training with Callum."
I inched closer to him, my eyes piercing his. "The scars too?"
"I wasn't thinking." Sebastian said quietly, his eyes shifting to the floor before meeting mine.
A bitter laugh left my lips, and I took a step back. "I got these from when I was being tortured nearly to death because of you. Every fucking day, Sampson and his sidekick would beat me mercilessly, and those scars and permanent bruises are my physical reminder of what happened."
I took another step back as Sebastian took one forwards. "They told me that the blood vessels that had been ruptured were too damaged to heal themselves. They told me that I was going to look this way forever."
My eyes were now watery, but I didn't feel like crying. I didn't feel that crippling sense of weakness and helplessness as I stared at him. "I guess it's good you went and got yourself a new baiter, because god knows I'm far too fucked up now."
I moved away from Sebastian and started walking to the exit. I heard an exchange of words before a pair of shoes appeared next to mine. Mason reached out to hold open the door, his eyes filled with sympathy as he looked down at me.
"I thought you would have told him," I stated numbly, "About Sampson."
Mason only shook his head. "I thought that was something you should tell him."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I hate you for that."
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I felt my legs quake with every stride I took. My breathing was heavy and labored, and I could feel each muscle in my body strain as I pushed myself further and further.
Sweat was dripping down my face causing me to constantly lift the loose t-shirt I was wearing and wipe the salty water from my eyes. My chest was rapidly rising and falling as I rounded the corner, spotting the gates to our house in the distance.
I released a sigh of relief at the sight, and pushed myself harder. As I sprinted past the gate and up the stairs to the house, I felt my knees give and I nearly collapsed. I fought to catch my breath as sweat continued to pour down my aching body. Just as I entered the house, hands grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently.
"Where the hell have you been?" Danny cried out, his eyes wide and filled with worry.
My lips parted and my eyes shot around the room. All the boys surrounded the door, while Kate and Emily stood off to the side by the couch in the living room.
"I went on a run," I stated simply, my eyes flickering to Danny's before moving to the carpeted floor.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Danny asked, his hands dropping from my shoulders. "Evie, you can't just disappear like that."
A smirk rose to my lips and I let my eyes light up with childish amusement. "I did it before."
I slipped past Danny and tried to make my way to the stairs, only to be stopped by Sebastian. I let out a frustrated sigh as Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest, his forearms flexing considerably from the movement.
"You're walking on thin ice," he growled out. Clearly my answer hadn't been as amusing to him as it had been to me.
"Calm down," I insisted, "I got lost during my run and that's why it took me so long. It's not like anyone has bothered to show me around."
Sebastian rolled his eyes at my accusing statement. "I don't know if you've realized this or not, but we've been a bit busy lately, and giving you a tour hasn't exactly been a top priority for me or anyone else."
I glared at him and his words and shrugged my shoulders simply. "Whatever, so I went out on a run, I'm back."
I pushed by him, but not before my eyes darted over to the dining table that was covered in scattered papers and files. I found myself stepping off the stairs and moving towards the table, my eyes trained on the picture that lay on top.
A chill ran through my body as my eyes traced over the face, my sweat freezing over due to my sudden loss of temperature.
"I know him." I whispered. I gently reached out to lift up the picture, holding it closer so that I could study it better. Sure enough, the features matched the ones that I managed to dig up from the back of my mind.
"What did you just say?" Will asked, moving to stand by my side. Sebastian and Danny appeared on the other, their expressions serious and determined.
"I know him." I said again, holding up his picture to show the boys, as though that would confirm my words.
"His name is Nick." I muttered finally, "Yes, that was it—Nick."
I spoke almost casually, even though I could tell this topic was not one to be treated lightly. My mind was elsewhere as I tried to recall the interaction that took place between us.
"How the hell-"
"In America," I told him, and dropped the picture. I backed away from the table, my brows furrowing with focus as I tried to remember what he had said to me. There were millions of thoughts flooding through my mind as I concentrated on the day I met Nick, and then like a train unable to slow, it hit me all at once.
"Just give me a shot."
"I'd like to see you get shot."
He narrowed his eyes at my quick response. "Oh Evie, I thought you were over that life by now."
At that moment, I could have sworn my heart physically stopped beating in my chest. My eyes met his, and I knew my hesitation had already sold me out.
"What?" He questioned, "You didn't think your presence in New York City of all places was going to go unnoticed, did you?"
I stared back at him numbly, unable to form a vocal response as my eyes blinked rapidly. I felt an urge to get another pill into my system, but it seemed as though I was frozen to the spot.
"What do you want from me?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
He smirked, his hand reaching up to twirl a loose lock of hair that had slipped in front of my face.
"You."
My lips parted for a silent gasp as I recollected the way he had pursued me, his manner being unrelenting and quite sickening in all honesty.
"I met him the day you guys found me." I choked out, the memory now fresh in my mind. It sent waves on nausea to come crashing down on my shaking frame.
"Evie, please-" Danny started.
"How did I not remember?" I asked, although the question was directed to only myself.
"Evie," Sebastian now spoke, his tone stern yet soft. "You need to tell us exactly how you know this man."
I regained my composure after a few moments, and lifted my eyes to meet his.
"He came into the café that day." I started, "He got me fired because he wouldn't leave, and I just panicked I suppose. As I was leaving the café, he approached me on the street. He was a persistent dick, and he couldn't seem to take no for an answer."
"Was that it?" Danny asked, concern now etched across his features.
I shook my head quickly. "He knew who I was."
At my words, I felt the levels of tension rise considerably throughout the room, and discomfort swarmed me.
"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked through gritted teeth. Anger was flashing dangerously through his eyes, and I found myself taking my time choosing the words I was going to say next.
"He implied he knew about my life back in London, and then he told me that my presence in New York City hadn't gone unnoticed." I fought to keep my voice steady and strong; however I was on the verge of begging them to tell me who this man really was.
"This isn't good." I heard Callum's voice carry from the back of the room, and I shivered at the meaning.
"Are you sure he knew who you were?" Sebastian asked, his voice tight as though he was fighting to control himself from yelling out.
"I'm positive." My voice was hushed, yet the second it reached his ears, Sebastian let out an enraged yell and slammed his fists on the table, causing the piles of papers to slip onto the floor. I could have sworn I had even heard the table crack under the force of his hit, and my stomach churned at the thought.
"Sebastian?" I murmured, stepping towards him.
"Do you know why we were so worried about you being gone and not telling anyone where you were?" Sebastian asked, breaking the short-term silence that had taken place.
I shrugged simply, "You were worried that I was going to run away again?"
Sebastian's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed at me, as if he was reprimanding me for my careless answer.
"No, Evie." He nearly spat out. "While you escaping is not something easy to forget, it's quite clear that not even you would be so stupid as to do it again."
I felt rage flare within me, and I couldn't help but retort back. "Oh yeah? Because in my opinion, it seemed to have worked fairly well the first time, so why not a second time?"
Sebastian was towering over me in seconds.
"Is everything just a fucking joke to you?" He snarled, fury thrashing about in his eyes. "And let me remind you that you were miserable, as you put it, in America, so I don't think I would consider that an accomplishment."
"What can I say?" I questioned, "I tend to be a miserable person."
Sebastian stared at me for a moment, his eyes scorching me as they bore into my own, before he turned to Danny.
"What the fuck is wrong with her?"
Danny merely shrugged, "Haven't a clue, to be honest."
"Who is he?" I cut in, pointing to the picture of Nick. "Why do you guys have a picture of him?"
The silence that overtook was near deafening, leaving me looking around the room for some sort of answer.
"What we know," Mason offered, "is that this man, Nick, met you in America, already knowing fully well who you were."
"Is that all?" I asked, confusion clouding over me.
"Well that couldn't have been a coincidence," Mason stated. "He must have planned your meeting out, otherwise it wouldn't have happened in a city like that."
"And?" I asked weakly, now feeling nervous. "Word travels fast. There's a chance he may have heard of me-"
"Even if he had heard of you, how would he be able to identify you?" Sebastian interrupted. "If he had only just heard of you, how did he manage to make sure he walked into the café you worked out, and had you serve him?"
"Tell me Evie," Sebastian continued, "What are the chances?"
"Who is he then?" I asked, ignoring his question. "Why have you got all this?" My hands gestured to the stacks of paper that now lay on the table and floor.
"Other than what you've told us, we know pretty much nothing about him-" Danny admitted.
"Except that he could be targeting Kings," Sebastian spoke, his eyes on mine. "But more specifically, he may be targeting you."
My heart skipped a beat, and I felt my blood pressure drop. My hand rose to cover my mouth as I fought to control myself from being sick.
"What are you saying?" I asked, fear tainting my tone. "How is he targeting me?"
Danny lifted his hands a bit, as though he was trying to comfort me. "We don't know much yet, but a few days we received a threat-"
"And you didn't think I would want to know about this?" I hissed out, fury now replacing the fear that had taken over me. "You received a fucking threat, and not once did it cross your mind to tell me?"
"Evie-"
"What was it?" I snapped, "What was this so-called threat?"
Danny hesitated before reaching back to grab a yellow envelope from the table. He glanced at Sebastian, as if he were asking for his permission to give it to me. Frustrated, I snatched the envelope from his hands and tore it open instantly.
My stomach dropped as pictures spilled from it, pictures of me.
"This man," Danny said, "He was seen following you after we left the gym yesterday."
My eyes flickered over the pictures. It was clear that I was oblivious to them being taken, as I was always either looking away or busying myself with another task.
"I know this is a bit overwhelming-"
I cut Danny off with a wave of my hand. "I need to shower. I feel disgusting."
I shoved the envelope back at Danny before turning on my heel and making my way upstairs. I felt suddenly exhausted, unable to talk about the subject any more.
My nose wrinkled in disgust as I peeled away my clothes and stepped into the chilling shower. My breath was taken away as the ice drops over water pelted down on me, making me flinch and move away to protect my vulnerable body.
My hand shot out to adjust the temperature, yet nothing I did seemed to change it.
I felt like screaming as I was forced to take a near freezing shower, my body quaking and shaking the entire time. Needless to say, it was the fastest shower I had ever taken.
As I stepped out, I wrapped my body tightly with a towel and moved out into my room.
A scream left my lips as my eyes landed on him.
"Would you shut up?" He snapped, his dark eyes flashing with annoyance as he shot me a glare.
"What the hell are you doing in here?" I questioned. "I've just found out I've got a bloody stalker, do you really think that sneaking up on me is the best idea?"
Sebastian rolled his eyes at my words and pushed himself off my bed. "I would hardly consider this as 'sneaking up on you,' as you have so dramatically put it."
I clenched my teeth together and sent him a cold glare, one in which had no effect on him.
"What are you doing here?" I asked again, my arms folding across my body tightly in order to hold my towel close.
"I want to know why you're avoiding me."
I hadn't expected him to be so straightforward, so his words caught me off guard.
"What are you talking about?" I asked dumbly, unable to answer him.
"Don't fuck with my right now," Sebastian snapped, walking up so that we were only a few inches apart. "Ever since the night at the club-"
"Don't say it," I snapped, attempting to push past him. Sebastian only moved his body in front of mine, effectively blockading me. A small gasp left my lips has his used his hand to push me back into the wall, the other resting just by my head.
"Do you think I didn't notice the way you made sure to never cross my path? Every time I would be home, you seemed to either be locked away or out with Callum training. For anyone else, it could have been a coincidence, but I know for you, it was far from it."
I pursed my lips and sent him a bland glare. "You're thinking too much."
"Oh really? Then look me in the eye, Evie, and deny that you've been avoiding me ever since we kissed. Tell me you regret kissing me." He ordered, his tone taunting and dark.
I swallowed thickly, my hands moving to clutch my towel tighter. "Why do you want me to do that?"
Sebastian's eyes dropped to my lips before moving back to my face. "Is that not why you've been ignoring me? Why you've gone out of your way to avoid me at all possible costs? You regret kissing me, isn't that it?"
I stared him blankly, finding it to be extremely difficult to formulate a response at the time.
"Come on, Ev," Sebastian coaxed, "Tell me the truth."
"I regret kissing you." I forced out, my throat dry.
At the sound of my words, a sinister smirk grew across Sebastian's lips, and his head dipped down so that it was nearly level with mine.
"You sure about that?" He whispered out, his eyes now solely focused on my lips. I squirmed due to his close proximity, and goose bumps erupted across my skin.
I nodded my head weakly, "Positive."
"Yeah?" He asked so that our lips now brushed when he spoke.
But before I could respond, Sebastian angled his body so that his legs were effectively pinning my own to the wall. His hand moved from my waist and gripped my chin rather forcefully, and he brought my mouth up to meet his own.
I gasped at his gesture, and I found myself unable to break away from the cage he had formed around me with his body. My hands were pressed against his shoulders, as his chest was flat against mine.
The kiss was heated and feverish, making my entire body ignite with fire as his hands pulled me tightly to him. My body was in a frenzy, as its temperatures had just gone from near freezing to practically scorching. The icy droplets of water that fell from my hair and only my exposed shoulders sent a round of chills to shake through my body.
A slight whimper left my lips when he pulled away. I felt my face flame up with humiliation as Sebastian smirked down at me, his eyes twinkling with accomplishment.
"Didn't feel like you regretted that," Sebastian said with a wink, making my blush deepen further.
"You bloody idiot," I snapped, "You had me pinned to the wall! There was absolutely no where for me to escape, because you decided to trap me!"
Sebastian only let out a breathy laugh, his hand leaving my chin to twirl my still freezing hair between his fingers.
"I've got you cornered love, that's how the predator gets the prey."
+++++
I shifted in the chair uneasily, my eyes flickering around his office as he sat across from me in such a casual manner. I fought to control my expression and withhold the nerves that fought to show.
"What if he's there tonight?"
"What if he isn't?"
"What if it's too dangerous for me to be there?"
"It won't be." Sebastian countered. "No danger will come to you as long as we're there."
I stared at him long and hard, as though I was waiting for him to crack under my stern glare. But Sebastian was unrelenting, and it was clear that he stood by his statement.
"You asked me why I was avoiding you before," I finally said. "But you never told me why you were."
A small smile formed on his face, "Haven't a clue what you're referring to."
"Sebastian," I pleaded pathetically. "Please."
"I thought you regretted it." He finally admitted. "I thought you must have been drunk, and that the whole thing was just some ridiculous mistake. And then to top it all off, we received that envelope." He gestured wildly as if he were emphasizing his point.
I pursed my lips and mulled over his words. Never in a million years had I expected Sebastian to be insecure and vulnerable—But then again, it only lasted mere seconds before he returned to his normal self.
"You have nothing to be scared of," Sebastian stated, changing the subject. "Our men will have every entrance and exit guarded tonight. Nick has absolutely no chance of making it in, you have my word."
I bit my lip slightly, hesitating a bit before nodding my head. "Will I be working tonight, or is Emily taking this one?"
I couldn't help but spit the words out in a bitter tone.
Sebastian quirked his brow at me, "No, tonight she is staying in. She's got nasty bruising around her nose from that hit yesterday."
I shrugged carelessly. "She hit me too."
Sebastian glared at me in a teasing manner. "Jesus Evie, you need end whatever ridiculous, one-sided competition you've got going on with her. Emily is a nice girl, hell, I think you guys might even become friends if you just give her a chance."
"Why are you so defensive of her?" I snapped, growing frustrated. "What, did you sleep with her or something? Is that how she became a part of Kings?"
"For the love of god Ev," Sebastian exclaimed. "Do you think I just sleep with girls and then give them jobs just like that?"
My lips remained sealed but my expression was an answer enough.
Sebastian rested his hands on the table and leaned forward, lowering his voice as he spoke. "Lest we forget, I gave you a job, then I slept with you."
The tension in the room was near suffocating, and the anger in my body was practically overflowing. I clenched my jaw tightly to prevent myself from saying anything more; yet there was plenty to say.
"A few days before you left," Sebastian started, "I decided to call in the members of Kings for a very important meeting."
"I don't remember-"
"You were not called in." Sebastian cut me off quickly. "I didn't want you there, because I didn't want you to think I was putting on some sort of show for you."
"What are you-"
"There are hundreds of reasons why Kings suffered so much after you left," he told me, his eyes now focused on the hard wooden surface of his desk. "One of them being the fact that I had shut down all of our camps."
My body lurched forwards and I stood up rapidly. I was gaping like a fish out of water, and my hand was hanging limply over my mouth. I'm sure my eyes were as wide as saucers at this moment, and the meaning of his words had hit me like a truck.
"Sebastian..." I breathed out, mixed emotions churning through my stomach.
Sebastian only waved at me with his hand, motioning for me to return to my seat.
"I shouldn't have had them in the first place," he admitted, "and it took me long enough to get rid of them, I know that. But you see, the process took a lot longer than I had expected. While we didn't have that many girls to begin with, we couldn't just release the few that we had and expect them to be okay on their own."
He gestured with his hand as though he was trying to say that he was talking too much. "Anyways, Emily was the last girl to leave. She didn't have any family to start with, so the whole operation was quite screwed up. After a few weeks of her just living with us, I decided to let her stay."
I nodded my head, my mind racing to process all that he had said.
"The thing is, she's no where nearly as good as you, which is why none of the guys liked her at first."
That explains the defensive tone Sebastian used when we were in the car the day they had found me.
"But you wanted to give her a chance." I said slowly, waiting for Sebastian to continue.
He nodded shortly after. "I didn't want to give up on her, because if we found you, I wanted to show you that I'd done everything that I could."
And suddenly, I felt like the biggest asshole on the face of this earth.
"I'm a horrible person," I whispered, shaking my head as I did so.
"You are," Sebastian agreed, although his eyes shone with amusement.
I winced and stood up. Taking a deep breath, I forced the words out, as they were never easy to say. "I'm sorry, Sebastian, for being such a bitch about Emily this entire time. And also-" I moved around his desk, "Thank you."
Before I could lean down to hug him, Sebastian quickly stood. A small smile appeared on my face and he pulled my body close to him, and held me flush against his body for a couple of moments.
"Shit," I muttered.
Sebastian pulled away slightly, a hint of confusion in his features. "What's the matter?"
I shifted uneasily on my feet. "I have to apologize to Emily now."
A grin broke out across Sebastian's face, and warmth spread throughout my stomach at the sight. "Look at you, Evie. You're turning into a mature, responsible woman."
I couldn't help but snort at his words. "Don't be delusional, King, we still have a long time before I even consider being mature."
"I'd expect nothing less, my sweet Evie," he murmured. "Now go apologize, I'd love to hear how it goes after."
I threw him a dirty look before exiting his office. A wave of nerves washed over me as I started walking up the stairs, my hands rubbing on my jean clad legs as a thin layer of sweat formed on my palms.
I took a few deep breaths before I knocked on the door, my hands running messily through my hair. My stomach lurched when the door opened slightly, revealing a tired and bruised looking Emily.
"Oh Evie," she stuttered out, her eyes growing wide, "You must have knocked on the wrong door."
"I didn't." I said quickly.
"Oh," she said quietly. "Then what are you doing here, if you don't mind me asking."
I moved forward so that she moved aside to let me into her room. "I heard you weren't going to work tonight because of your bruise."
My eyes darted around the room, catching onto the stack of books she had in the corner as well as the DVD collection.
"I didn't mean to complain, if that's what you think, I just don't know how I could bait anyone with this," she motioned to her face, embarrassment written all over her features.
"Well you're in luck," I said, turning on my heel so that I could face her. "Because I'm going to teach you how to cover up those delightful bruises you will get in this lovely profession."
+++++
"Trust me, cocoa butter does wonders for your skin," Emily insisted, "it takes anything from scars to stretch marks, not that you'd have any." She added the last part in quickly, giving me a shy smile.
I grinned and directed my eyes to Kate. "She might if she continues to eat all that ice cream."
In the few hours that had passed, Emily and I had already seemed to bond a fair amount, and Kate and I were back to our usual selves—making fun of the other mercilessly.
"Haters are my motivators, you bitch." That was Kate's go-to response whenever she had nothing left to say. I laughed as she continued to scarf down the chocolate ice cream while Emily and I looked for outfits to wear for the night.
"You are coming tonight, right?" Emily asked Kate, forcing her to tear her attention away from her delicious treat.
"Yeah," she shrugged, "I think so."
"Shouldn't you be looking for something to wear?" I suggested, while Kate looked down at the giant t-shirt she wore paired with baggy sweatpants.
"I think I look hot," Kate stated, shrugging carelessly.
"To be honest," Emily said, "you could wear a fat suit paired with crocs and Mason would still look at you like you're the love of his life."
I let out a laugh and watched as Kate's chocolate smeared face turned bright red.
"Shut up," she hissed. I smirked as she grabbed the red dress I held out for her, and quickly went into the bathroom to change.
"What do you think of this," I asked, holding up a black dress I had gotten when I was only sixteen. Granted, it was going to be much shorter, but the dress would cover the scars and bruises, and that was all that mattered.
"Go for it," Emily said, "but after tonight you should try the cocoa butter."
I nodded my head, "Yes, yes, I know."
I slipped into the dress quickly, pairing it with bright red heels. Reaching into my bag, I found my bright red lipstick that I hadn't worn in god knows how many months. I applied in slowly, watching the way the bright red stood out in contrast to my pale skin.
"Are you guys ready?" Nate called out.
"Just a minute!" Emily yelled back as she pulled on her heels. When she noticed that I had changed and applied the last bits of my makeup, a grin appeared on her face.
"This must be the one and only Evie Summers that people seem to know more than they know their own families."
"You got that right," I said with a smirk. Sure enough, this short black dress was vastly different from the outfits I had been wearing before. My sinking confidence had been lifted, and I couldn't have been happier. My attention turned to Kate exiting the bathroom, the dress complimenting her perfectly as I had thought it would.
"We better be off," I announced, making sure they were both ready before I exited the room.
A light blush tainted my cheeks when Will wolf-whistled as I walked down the stairs, followed by Kate and Emily.
"She's back," Callum commented, giving me a playful wink.
"Did you miss me?" I asked, my signature smirk gracing my face.
Sebastian's eyes were dark and he licked his lips slowly as he took his time to trail his eyes over my body.
"Let's go, shall we?" He asked, opening the door.
I gave him a sly grin before walking down the stairs and sliding into the waiting car.
After only twenty minutes, we were already pulling up in front of the club.
"You know what you have to do?" Danny asked as we made our way towards the entrance.
"Of course I do."
The club was more crowded than the usual, but I remained focused as I walked across the floor and over to the bar. Everyone else made their way to the private section, where Danny and Sebastian were going to help me scope out the guy I had to get.
In order to not look suspicious, I ordered myself a drink and pretended to be enjoying a night out on my own. I felt my phone buzz in my hand, signaling that my target had been found.
I casually glanced down at the screen, Danny's text telling me that my target was in the middle of the dance floor.
Sighing, I left the bar and made my way through the crowd. The music was shaking me, and I felt a migraine growing at the back of my head.
There he is, I thought to myself. I smirked at the sight of the guy dancing between two girls.
I loved a challenge.
I made my way over to him, but made sure to pretend as though I hadn't seen him. I began to dance in a sultry manner with a guy near him, and almost instantly I felt his eyes on my back. I turned around while dancing, my eyes meeting his. Licking my lips slowly, I threw him a wink before motioning for him to come over to me.
I had him in front of me within seconds, and I nearly pouted at how easy it had been to get him.
"Hey babe," he said, his voice tight and arrogant. "I think I have something you can wrap those pretty red lips around."
Sick little fucker.
"Oh really?" I asked, moving my eyebrows suggestively.
"Really," he told me, his eyes trailing down before rising back to meet my own. "And as much as I'd love to continue this conversation, I'm afraid I have to be going somewhere."
"Hey," I coaxed, "but we just started dancing." I faked a pout and blinked shyly at him, hoping that would be enough.
"I know," he said, although his tone was different. "I know I'm your target and all, but you see, Evie, that doesn't really work when you're a target yourself."
My jaw went slack momentarily, "Excuse me-"
My words were cut off as he gripped my hair and yanked my head to the side. A scream escaped my lips as a needle plunged into my exposed neck, and its contents were emptied into my bloodstream.
"I'll see you again, Evelyn Summers, don't you worry."
The man disappeared in the swarms of people, and as much as I wanted to run after him, I could feel the drug taking effect. My knees buckled and my body collapsed onto the ground, causing a few people around me to scream out and move away.
Within moments Sebastian, Danny, and Kate surrounded me.
"She needs to get to the hospital," Sebastian spat out, his arms tucking underneath me as he lifted me into his arms.
"Get out of out way!" Danny bellowed. The people parted like the red sea for us, while my eyes began to lose focus and consciousness was slipping away.
"You're going to be okay," Sebastian promised me as he nearly sprinted to get me to the car.
Although my tongue was heavy and my throat was dry, I forced a few words to come out.
"You gave me your word."
And just like that, I faded into an abyss of darkness.
+++++
It is 3:26 am
Peace the fuck out
Love you all, xx.