The both of them were able to make safe trips to the bathroom no problem - it was the first aid of Aiden that took a lot longer. He had deep gashes in his back from landing on whatever trash and litter had been on the floor. He had a couple cuts on his face and chest, but she worked with meticulous care, making certain that everything was clean and taken care of.
They both finished off the waters quickly - well, for the most part. Aiden only drank one, leaving the second untouched even though she'd already drank her half. He was worried that this was their only supply, and as much as she argued, he refused to do anything but save it for her.
It had cooled down considerably, but that was the only tell of time they had. The noise of the billiard rooms faded but never quite disappeared. It's December in California, so it isn't all that warm in general but this small building, with poor ventilation and congested with at least a hundred bodies - added up to awful heat.
It had become bearable, though, as more and more patrons filtered out for the night.
Marley lay between Aiden's legs, his leather jacket folded beneath her body to keep her bones from aching at contact with the concrete floor. He sat up against the wall, his right hand captured by hers as she played with his fingers, and the fingers of his left sliding gently up and down her left arm.
Her eyes were drooping, but she would fight it. All night, if necessary.
"Aiden?" She whispered.
"Hm?"
"Is there something...am I missing something here? With Eli? Is there more to the story?"
She couldn't see his face, but he did still for a few seconds. Marley connected their hands with the one she was playing with a few times, until he caught hers - as always. His thumb rubbed along the back of her hand.
"Our father," he began quietly, his voice stiff, "he told Eli's mother that he only needs one older son. An heir to the company and his assets. He said because he has me, that Elias is useless to him."
Marley inhaled sharply, snuggling closer to Aiden, "He blames you."
"For not being well-off, yes," Aiden elaborated easily, but beyond the simple words he was angry. Rightfully so.
Aiden doesn't deserve to be hurt for his fathers' mistakes.
It was quiet between them for a few minutes. He caressed her cheek, "Get some sleep, spitfire. You're safe. I promise I'll wake you if anything changes."
Marley shook her head stubbornly, blinking away fatigue that kept coming back, "I-I don't want to. You need to sleep too-"
"Not happening," he cut her off calmly, but his demeanour was shattered by both of his hands shaking, until he took deep breaths to calm them down.
She shifted her cheek to press her lips to a sliver of hot skin on the centre of his chest, "I'm okay. I'm right here, Aiden. We're together, and I'm not going anywhere. They only want the money."
The door banged again and swung open. The both of them assumed it was food, but when it widened to reveal figures entering the room Aiden stood to his feet quickly. He swayed with inertia and his injuries, but his stance in front of her body didn't waver.
She was sat up on the palms of her hands, eyes wide as saucers watching two bodies drop on the opposite wall. One was a redhead girl and the other was a light blonde. The both of them were bruised and limping. Their heights and youth gave away that they probably weren't any older then Aiden and Marley. They were dirty from the mud and sweat, jeans and t-shirts wrinkled and damp.
The door slammed shut. The two of them seemed to notice that they were there so Aiden tensed, balling his fists while the wraps she applied protested.
The redheads eyes fell to Marley while the blonde glanced between them with shock and apprehension.
He raised his arms, palms up, "Um. We don't mean any harm. Not that we could do much right now anyway-" his eyes flickered to the first aid kit on the floor, lighting up with hope, "-do you, can you share that? Do either of you know anything about first aid?"
"I do," Marley volunteered immediately, earning a sharp look from Aiden over his shoulder.
She ignored him, standing to her feet and trying to wipe off some of the worst dust on her as she spoke, "There's a clean towel and soap in there. Knock for the bathroom across the hall. Once you're clean I can help-"
Aiden's hand fell to her forearm, squeezing gently. He didn't tear his eyes away from the two others in the room, "They can deal with it themselves, Marley. We don't know who they are. I don't want you close to them."
She huffed, the two of them sharing a look at Aiden's words and frowning.
"I'm Marley," she greeted kindly, "and this is my boyfriend Aiden. We're seventeen."
The blonde spoke up, "I'm Jace and this is my friend Kyra. Sixteen. What are you doing here?"
Aiden answered first, "There's someone here who wants something from me. You?" His voice was tight.
"Same," Jace slumped against the wall, tilting his head back while Kyra plopped down beside him with a small groan, "Money?"
Marley answered when Aiden didn't, "Money, yes."
Maybe this is more common than she could've believed. How else would they keep this place up and running?
Aiden is the biggest fish, but they had always been fisherman.
Jace elbowed Kyra, "You go first. You're hurt real bad."
"So are you," she replied quietly, but eyes didn't tear away from Aiden and Marley.
She glanced between them nervously.
Marley sighed and tugged on Aiden's forearm, "Relax. You're scaring them. You know they need my help."
His jaw locked, "I told you I don't give a fuck about anyone else right now apart from you and Ian. I can't."
"Aiden...please."
It was quiet for a few breaths. His blue eyes were a cool mask of indifference on the two figures waiting patiently. Aiden took a deep, trying breath.
"Marley helps the girl. Jace you're with me across the room. Either of you hurt her and I'll take you down, understood?"
She squeezed his forearm gently as the two of them nodded quietly. Jace stood to his feet on shaky legs, wincing and limping to the other corner of the room. Aiden kept Marley behind him, moving as Jace did until he was back on the floor.
She let her boyfriend go and he stepped aside, his eyes on her with acute focus as she scrambled over to the redhead. She sat on her knees and scanned her over, hands hovering over a deep cut on her stomach, shirt stuck to it like glue.
"You'll have to take that off," Marley instructed quietly, "The shirt."
The redhead shot a glance at the guys but it was hardly for a second before she was nodding. She could hardly lift her arms, so Marley helped her slip it over her head. She was wearing a mesh sports bra underneath, and Marley knew she couldn't go in front of the guards like that.
She reached for the hem of Aiden's shirt to pull it over her head. She almost made it past her elbows before Aiden was growling across the room.
"Jace. Your shirt. Now."
"Aiden-"
"I told you, Marley, that you're to keep it on. Jace."
She spun around at the sound of rustling. Jace had turned away to give Kyra privacy, and Aiden's eyes hadn't moved an inch away from Marley for a single heartbeat. Jace lifted his shirt and held it out a few seconds later, so Aiden took it and passed it off to Marley.
She gave her boyfriend a reassuring smile that he didn't seem to register right now. His focus was total.
She spun around and helped Kyra put it on, still studying the injuries as she helped the girl rise to her feet. In the background, Jace scrambled off the wall.
"Kyra? How are you feeling?"
"Just dandy," she shot him a playful, reassuring smile of her own. The same way Marley had done with Aiden.
"Knock on the door twice," Marley instructed as Aiden strode to her side, intercepting before she could get closer to the door, "The bathroom is clean and there's a lock on the door. You'll be fine."
She nodded and shared a last, meaningful glance with Jace before she was knocking cautiously. The door swung open and the same man from earlier poked his head in with boredom, shifting the metal door wider and jutting his thumb across the hall, "Five minutes."
Once the door was shut behind Kyra, Marley crouched by the first aid kit and prepared it for when the girl would come back.
In her peripheral, Aiden moved to stand against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. His bare biceps bulged in tune with Jace's eyes.
"Dude you're fucking ripped. You on 'roids?"
Aiden shot him a bored look while Marley bit the inside of her cheek to hide her smile.
"No."
"You wrestle?"
"Football."
"What position?"
"Can you not?" Aiden snapped. Marley turned her head to narrow her hazel eyes at him.
"He's a quarterback." She replied for her boyfriend, in a much nicer tone than he'd been using.
He rolled his eyes at her while Jace nodded with interest, still looking him over.
"What's your workout routine?"
"Fucking serious?" He threw his hands up, "What's your deal?"
Jace glanced towards the exit nervously, the words rushing out, "That's how you get a girl, right? Like, working out for a body like that?"
Marley's eyebrows shot to the ceiling. Aiden's blue eyes found hers and they shared a surprised look. He ran a hand over his face in annoyance, but the humour danced behind his eyes.
"It's not like my girl doesn't enjoy the perks that come with it." he dropped his hand and shot her a wink.
Her cheeks reddened as she glared at him, but the small exchange was so normal and comforting she couldn't even be angry.
Marley's eyes found Jace's across the room, and opened her mouth to salvage what Aiden insinuated, "In all seriousness, it's not about that. A body is superficial. It's what's inside that counts. You don't need to lift weights to win a girl's heart."
He pursed his lips, appearing unconvinced, "Still though. What's your secret?"
Aiden shrugged casually, "Dedication. Consistency. Persistence. I do it for me. You can't walk into a gym for anyone else but yourself."
Marley nodded at her boyfriend with a grateful look, glad that he was being nice instead of snappy, grumpy Aiden. He ran a hand over his face, antsy and desperate to leave - she could tell.
Jace considered Aiden's words with a serious, stoic expression as the door opened and Kyra entered the room, her skin much clearer, however showcasing cuts Marley hadn't seen before.
The man poked his head in, "Anybody fuckin' else?"
Jace stumbled to his feet and headed for the door before the guard could change his mind. The last, lingering look he shot Kyra spoke volumes. The love in his eyes.
The door shut again. Marley helped Kyra sit back against the wall, crossing her legs beneath her, hands working quickly and efficiently to cleanse the wounds with antiseptic. Kyra winced and balled her fists, but didn't vocalize her pain.
Her eyes flickered over Marley's shoulder, voice lowering, "That guy looks like he walked out of Fast and Furious. He must be on steroids."
"Jace asked the same thing," Marley laughed as she worked, "But no, he's not on steroids."
Aiden would rather yank his own teeth out than put something that toxic in his body. He's way too much of a health nut for steroids, and anyone who knows him can see his dedication and passion for exercise.
"Look," Kyra tore her eyes away from Marley's boyfriend with a sheepish smile, her voice hushed in a whisper, "I do have to put it out there at least once. He's a hell of a view to stare at with possible impending death on the horizon. Those biceps. His eyes. That jawline. And girl those abs-"
"Kyra." Marley cut her off quickly, not with any hostility, but rather guilt and sympathy.
Poor Jace.
The redhead held her hands up in surrender, "Not interested. I don't know him. I'm only stating facts."
Kyra and Sarah would seriously hit it off. Marley felt a small smile on her face at the thought of her friends.
When her eyes caught on the watch on Kyra's wrist, they widened at the time.
"It's been a little over five hours since we left camp," she told Aiden as the door opened again.
Jace was prodded looking cleaner too, but behind him was two other guards who turned the room into a shoebox. Aiden stormed for Marley, watching them set down a tray of bowls and water bottles, with his body a barrier between them protectively. They didn't even look at any of the four teens, though, making their exit obediently.
No news from Ian yet.
"Macaroni and cheese with hotdogs," Jace leaned over to peek in the bowls with a wrinkled nose.
"Better than the slop in all the movies," Kyra added.
Marley left Kyra's side with a stomach that growled with hunger. This is a good meal on a budget, and she grew up poor. This didn't bother her. She watched Aiden peek into the bowls with revulsion.
Marley patted his bare shoulder as she walked past him, "Guess you'll have to eat like the rest of us normals, Matthews. Think you can handle it?"
"There isn't much in there," he said from behind her, "Take my share. I'm not hungry."
"Oka-"
"Not you. Marley."
Aiden stated bluntly to Jace with a protective glare, who scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, slinking away with two bowls and water, for him and Kyra.
She dragged the tray over to her and Aiden's side. He grabbed her by the hips and set her on his lap after he sat down, as previously, keeping her off the floor. The right side of her body was against his chest, thighs draped over his legs horizontally. Marley sighed and passed him a water that he set aside next to the other one.
She hugged the bowl to her chest, "You're seriously going to starve yourself for your diet?"
He tucked her hair behind her ears gently, putting every strand back in its place while his eyes studied her every feature, "It's not about that. You'll probably still be hungry after that."
Marley narrowed her eyes at him, dropping her spoon to cross her arms, "We're not doing this. You have to take care of yourself, too. Keep your strength up."
Aiden leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead, holding her tighter against his hard chest, "I'm not hungry. When I need to eat I will, and my strength is fine. This isn't up for discussion."
"Of course it's not," she huffed, rubbing balled fists over her eyes, "If it was that would be too reasonable for you."
He chuckled lightly, "I love you, my stubborn spitfire."
Marley's heart softened, "I love you too. When you're not starving, even more. Please eat, for God's sakes you need it more than I do."
Aiden narrowed his eyes, flickering them between her eyes and the bowl in front of her. She shot him a fake smile, taking a big scoop and shoving it in her mouth. Raising an eyebrow as she chewed.
"Happy?" She mumbled through a full bite.
"Ecstatic," he smiled, leaning back into the wall, shoulders sagging.
"So I'm assuming a friend of yours is getting the money?" Jace asked from the other side of the room.
Aiden twirled a strand of her hair in his finger while she answered around another bite, "Yes. We're kind of here for-"
"Leverage," Kyla finished, "I'm glad we're not the only ones I guess."
The men here had done this before, clearly. Many times. And it wasn't like Marley wasn't thinking over everything. She wasn't here a sitting duck.
No second was being wasted. Marley had a sinking feeling that Aiden was being overly optimistic when he said they'd be let go. After Eli is 'overthrown', will they really send them on their way? After robbing them of four million dollars?
There is a way out, but it's not going to be conventional. Marley silently finished her meal, her mind whirring. Calculating. Looking at it from all angles. If Ian waltzed back in with that kind of cash, the three of them will be a mice in a room of cats.
But to stop Ian before he even arrives is impossible on her own. Calling authorities? She doesn't have her cellphone, neither does Aiden. In their frenzy to leave camp for Ian, they both forgot their phones.
Begging isn't an option. Bargaining is useless given that the men will have enough money to swim in soon enough. Promising to keep quiet once released is futile.
Nobody trusts anybody here.
So that leaves one option.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The other people here who have everything to lose, too.
Who are in the same sinking ship.
"-ley? You okay?" Aiden cupped her cheek, tilting her head away from where she had been staring at her empty bowl with an unreadable expression as a plan formed.
The only plan. And the one that will break the heart of the blue eyes she's looking into. They were soft with concern as he pressed a quick kiss to her lips.
"You're going to be okay, Marley. I swear to you. Do you trust me?"
Do you trust me?
She inhaled shakily, cutting her eyes away from his and looking down at her hands again. Fiddling with her fingers.
If she waited, she'd back out. If she waited, she could lose this precious window of opportunity. This many hours would have the men outside antsy. Any minute they could storm in here to gain leverage for Ian.
Marley didn't want to find out what Eli meant by encouragement.
She didn't want to see a hair on Aiden's head hurt again.
"You would have to kill me. You'd have to walk over my dead fucking body, to witness me not doing everything in my power to protect her."
And that right there, goes both ways, because Marley loves Aiden as much as he loves her.
She smiled softly, locking eyes with his again and trying not to show the fear so blatantly on her face.
"I have to go to the bathroom," she told him in a small voice, setting the bowl down.
I'm sorry.
Aiden's expression turned tender, "After you come back, you're going to get some sleep, okay?"
She nodded mutely, scrambling off his lap.
Maybe she never would. But if she stayed, there wasn't a single chance of the people she loves being safe again.
Aiden told Marley that all he is thinking about now is her and Ian's safety. She's thinking about his. He'll understand. He has to understand.
Marley cleared her throat and turned away, slowly releasing Aiden's hand. She curled the lingering warmth inside her skin and hoped it'd stay put. Give her strength for what was to come next.
"You're the strongest woman I know. I think I've told you that before."
Every step towards the door was mechanical.
Every knock was robotic.
The door swung open, revealing the same, bored male expression as had been there the last several hours.
"Again?" He droned, "Fuck. I'd rather you four die of thirst."
Marley sucked in a breath, balling her fists as her eyes began to burn, shuffling out of the doorway. She shouldn't have looked back, but she couldn't help herself.
Before the man could shut the door, she pressed it at a gentle pause with her hand on the handle, turning her torso to lock eyes with Aiden's electric blue ones.
"I'm sorry."
Is all she had the energy to say, before she was yanking the door shut between them.
"Marley?! What does that mean?!"
He shouted from the other side as she spun around to face the middle aged, bearded man in front of her. He raised a questioning eyebrow.
She took a deep, trying breath.
You're the strongest woman I know.
"Take me to Eli."
Marley jumped as the metal door banged. Loudly.
"No! Don't you fucking...NO!" Aiden roared from the other side, the door rattling and trembling as he slammed into it.
She kept her eyes calmly locked on the guard. He narrowed his eyes and took a challenging step forward, "You're not in charge of me princess. You want to find out what I'm thinking about when I look at you?"
"TOUCH HER AND I'LL KILL YOU!! OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!!"
"I'm in a...nightmare right now, Marley. If you're not in front of me I...I imagine you're...Seven years and he's still here. Seven years and I'm still haunted."
Her eyes burned. Tears slipped. The man crossed his arms.
"Please take me to Eli," she pleaded, "I have information-"
"SHE DOESN'T HAVE A GODDAMN THING! DON'T DO THIS!" Aiden shouted, the door jerking again as he ruthlessly shoved and pushed and fought against it.
The guard looked her over, curiosity lighting up his dark eyes. He shrugged his shoulders.
"Follow me."
After the man's response, the metal banging stopped.
The shouting ceased.
Silence.
Absolute, burning silence.
Aching surrender.
Marley let out a small sob that she covered up with a cough, biting her lip until she could taste the iron of her blood. The man spun on his heel and strode down the hall causally, not looking back to see if she was behind him.
Her footsteps only faltered once. The first few.
Once you take the first steps, the rest get easier, and easier, and easier. Because that is the nature of walking away. That is its one, irrefutable law.
***