06 | Surviving For The Girl Who Had No Choice

All three of them stay my whole shift, buried away in a back booth in the far corner. Even though I can't see them, I feel their eyes on me every now and then, tracking my movements.

Candace serves them, taking control of their drink orders and giving me a knowing look when I avoid that side of the bar.

I ignore it, and most of my shift, not wanting to pay attention to the fights happening in the ring.

I serve drinks, clean until the hours tick down into minutes then seconds.

And when I glance up as the clock hits twelve and Candace gives me the nod to leave, I realise that the booth that was once occupied by three now sits empty.

I finish cleaning the glass I have in my hand before making my way around the bar, nodding goodbye to Candace and slipping out the door, curling my arms around me to try and keep some of my warmth in.

Shadows slip over me, a welcome and homey embrace, whispering across my skin as I walk close to the brick wall, and under glowing streetlights until I reach the alley.

I turn the corner and find Killian's bike missing but my bike isn't alone.

Malac leans casually against the wall next to the machine, eyes tracking my every forward step. He watches me with calculative eyes, the look more predator than teenage boy.

He steps forward, grabbing the helmet from the handlebars, touching the bike as if he owns it or something.

I give Malac a deadpan look, "that's my bike, isn't it?"

His lips tip up at the corners and he grins, "don't worry, she's still yours."

"Then why are you touching it?"

"It seems Kade is an impatient prick and didn't feel like waiting for me and my dearest brother doesn't like sharing." he gives me a secret smile as if he knows something I don't. "It seems I'm in need of a ride home and you just so happen to have a ride." He shrugs, wide shoulder stretching against his black cotton shirt.

I tilt my head back at him, crossing my arms. "Do I?"

He nods slowly, straitening. "Yes, and you're going to offer it to me."

"And what if I don't want to?"

He chuckles then, taking a step forward. I don't back up. "Oh, you do." He tilts his head, the darkness of the alley slipping over half of his face like a phantom mask.

I can't deny that I'm interested even if I know I shouldn't be, I should be backing up a step and walking away not walking towards the boy that looks at me with danger in his eyes.

Yet here I am, walking towards him. So much for making healthy decisions.

I slip the helmet from his hand when he holds it out to me, ignoring his amused eyes.

I move for the bike, throwing a leg over it before looking Malac's way.

"Are you getting on or are you just going to stand there and gape until dawn?"

"Feisty, baby girl." He throws his legs over the bike, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me back into his chest with a soft grunt.

I slip forward, throwing a glare over my shoulder at Malac and he pouts, "You wound me."

"Keep your hands to yourself, or you might find yourself with none."

He wiggles his brows, "They're already yours to do with as you please," he holds his hands out as if waiting for me to lock them in cuffs and drag him wherever I want.

I roll my eyes and start the bike, letting it rumble to a purr beneath me.

He wraps his arms around me, but doesn't pull me back to his chest, keeping that much needed space between us.

"Let's go Rosie, I got places to be and people to see."

I roll my eyes, "Can you call me Noah?"

"No." He says.

I huff and start to drive, ignoring the man at my back and the way he makes my blood heat.

I take the turns extra sharp, almost skimming the asphalt with every curve we take; the wind whipping past like a welcome friend.

Malac doesn't say anything the whole ride, his arms curling around me just tight enough so he doesn't fall off but not restricting. And he doesn't try to touch me further.

For which I'm thankful, because I don't know whether I would fall into a puddle at his feet or erupt into raging tears.

That's trauma for you.

Within minutes we're at the academy and Malac let's go, climbing off the bike and saluting me before he walks away.

"Thanks for the ride, baby girl." he winks, "Can't wait for the next one but for now it'll have to wait, I have a job to get to."

He doesn't wait for my reply before disappearing behind the academy wall.

I huff once more and turn the bike off before making my way to the building I dorm in, not feeling even a flicker of sleepiness.

• • •

It's almost four in the morning and I have to wake up for school in a few hours but instead I stare out the window of Elijah's car. Scanning the trees for a break in them before finding one and slowly pushing the accelerator, propelling the car forward through the gap and further into the dense family of trees that surround the academy.

The car rocks over bumps and debris, jerking me in my seat and causing the seatbelt to rub painfully against my neck.

I grit my teeth against the uncomfortable pain and turn the steering wheel to urge the car through another gap.

Finally feeling safe enough to turn the car off, I do, hidden deep between the trunks of trees too old to give a damn.

Stepping out, I take one last look at Elijah's car and lock it, tucking the keys deep into my pocket.

The car has a full tank, so if I ever need to run quickly, I don't have to worry about filling up. There's also a duffel bag with some money, not much but all I have to my name currently and hopefully I'll be able to add more. A spare change of clothes, shoes and a gun, with spare bullets, you know just in case.

This time I'm prepared if I have to leave, and I'm not taking any chances.

I turn away from the car, putting my back to it and beginning to walk out of the woods when a familiar sound reaches my ear.

The pained filled whimper causes the hair on the back of my neck to rise, and I turn my attention to where it came from.

I begin the walk slowly, scanning the trees for the noise when another, louder one sounds, followed closely by a muffled curse.

A maniacal laugh assaults my ears, and I stop, recognizing it and will myself to turn back but instead I push forward, glancing through a break into the trees to a small clearing, no bigger than the size of the car I just left behind.

And in the middle are four men.

Three I recognize, the fourth kneeling between them, pleas falling from his bloody lips.

"Please, I promise it won't happen again."

A scoffed laugh escapes Kade's lips, and he leans down, whispering something to the man that has his eyes widening before he nods to Malac, who grins and cracks his knuckles before slamming the fist against the knelt man's jaw.

His blood arcs through the air, flicking against the side of Killian's face, spotting his glasses. He pulls them off with a dull look, wiping the glass clean with the bottom of his shirt before replacing them on his nose without a care in the world.

Malac doesn't stop at one hit, another following just seconds later. The man's pleas obviously falling on deaf ears.

Energy zings through me and I straighten, my body straining to get closer, to feed on the pain whispering through the air but I refrain, refusing to move closer but not slipping back either.

The shadows grow, stretching across the moon kissed grass like elongated hands, reaching for Malac as he steps around the man, the darkness seeming to curve around the knelt man like it refuses to touch the air around him, as if he's not worthy of being touched by it.

I blink, my eyes widening, shock rendering me completely still as I watch Malachi reach into the shadows and twist them to his bidding.

Tentacles seems to stretch from the black mass, reaching for the man knelt between them and wrapping around his neck in a noose.

I flex my fingers, tightening them into a fist, controlling my breathing so I don't react.

The crack of the man's neck sounds through the trees, bouncing off trunks and echoing into my ears.

I step back.

A stick breaks under my heels and all three heads snap my way. Kade steps forward, narrowing his eyes on the surrounding trees.

Malac does the same only seconds later, the action almost lazy, eyes swinging to his brother before looking my way, searching the darkness. The shadows at his own fingertips slipping away instantly to make way for moonlight and my eyes feed on the movement, needing to know how he did that. How he can control it.

Killian doesn't move, doesn't shift one bit, his focus intent on the trees.

My heart pounds in my chest, banging against the cage of my ribs, and I twist on my heel.

My breath gets sucked back into my lungs and for a second I swear I see Killian across from me, watching me but then he is gone, no shift of the leaves or pressed dirt to indicate he was ever actually there.

I look back over my shoulder and there he is, closer to Kade, but still in the clearing.

My heart pounds in my chest, banging against the cage of my ribs. I silence my breathing, and step back, this time watching where I'm going so I don't give my location away.

"It's nothing." Killian's voice cuts through the night air.

I breathe out a sigh of relief but don't make any noise until I'm far enough away from them and back on the main road.

And then I run back, using the time to clear my head.

Maybe going to this school isn't such a good idea after all.

I thought I was the only one.

The shadows seem to bite at my heels like an overexcited puppy the whole way back to my dorm, watching my back as sure as it's watching Malac's and Kade's.

• • •

It's dark by the time I get home, sweat slicking my skin like a second layer, my mind jumbled with too many things to even form one coherent thought.

I strip and step into the shower, letting the cool water fall in front of me before it warms and steam reaching for my skin.

Glancing down, I stare at my palm, tracing the wrinkled lines, the curve in the middle, the whip of darkness that seems to grow from the centre of my palm like a blooming flower.

Darkness quickly descends over me, staining my vision in black, a thick fog seeming to cover my skin before the blossoming whip sucks back into my skin and disappears.

I close my fist and shove my head under the spray, making sure to let the water drip down onto my back.

The wounds that still mar my back from my last whipping ache under the pinpricks of water, the shower coming far too hard to be comfortable, but I withstand it, gritting my teeth.

I quickly wash my hair and body before getting out and wrapping it in a towel. I slip on an oversized tee and panties, unwrapping my hair when it's semi dry before braiding it down my back.

It falls in a soft auburn twist down my back, and I yawn, tying the end and slipping under the cotton covers, sinking into the mattress.

Closing my eyes against the glow of the moon, I force myself to sleep.

When I wake what feels like moments later but surely has been longer, I know I am no longer alone in the room.

I blink the sleep from my eyes and scan the room but only seconds later I know exactly who's in my room.

Killian stands still, arms crossed while Malac stalks closer, a glint of a blade in his hand for a second before he flicks the switchblade away and it disappeared in a wave of black.

Too quick to be noticeable, the trick of an eye. But I know better.

My heart beats double time in my chest but not from fear and I glance between the twins.

"Baby girl, I had such high hopes for you." Malac sighs as if I've disappointed him.

I flick my gaze back to focus solely on him, "What are you talking about?"

It's at that moment the bedroom door opens and in walks Kade, looking around my room with a critical eye.

"You really made the place home huh?" He asks looking around the bare room, save for the bed which I currently lay on. I'm sure the common area looks the same. I hadn't even stocked the fridge yet. In fact, most of what I owned still resided in my duffel or the car I'd stashed.

I narrow my eyes at the sarcastic tone but don't get to spit something back before he narrows those dangerous eyes on me.

"Why were you in the woods tonight?"

I blink back, making sure my posture stays relaxed.

"What?"

Kade narrows his eyes further, "don't play dumb with me, you were there tonight, why?"

I give up on the pretense and shrug, "Out for a leisurely stroll."

"You're turning out to be a lot more trouble than your worth." He says menacingly, looking me up and down.

I only furrow my brows, feigning confusion. "How did you know I was in the woods, I didn't see anyone on my walk."

He scoffs, "really?"

I give him a deadpan look back, "really."

"Well maybe this will jog your memory." He nods at Malac who sighs but releases the switch blade, holding it against my jugular.

I swallow but not from trepidation, making eye contact with the man holding a blade against my throat.

His eyes are riveted on the weapon, almost in a trance.

I look to Killian then back to Kade, "still don't remember seeing anyone."

Killian watches me, sentinel against the wall.

Kade narrows his eyes, tasting the lie in the air no doubt but he grunts and Malac lets the blade pulls back.

"You can play dumb all you want but we both know the truth." He turns then, exiting my room and hopefully my dorm.

I look from Killian and Malac, waiting for one of them to move and it's Killian that moves first.

He exits my room and with a clear of his throat, calls for his brother, "Malachi."

"Give me a moment," Malac murmurs, looking at me like he's about to feast.

My stomach warms, chills running through me.

"Don't do anything stupid." Killian mutters and I hear his footsteps face.

"Never." Malac whispers before bringing the blade back to my throat.

"Are you going to move the blade or continue to be a little stab happy?"

He grunts, "that depends, are you going to be a good girl for me?"

I narrow my eyes, "Malac?" I say and he raises a brow, "Piss off."

He grins, "You excite me, baby girl. But you saw something you weren't meant to tonight, didn't you?"

I don't say anything, but Malac doesn't need a response, "but you're going to keep your mouth shut, aren't you?"

When I don't reply he grins wider, "Good girl."

He moves with a silence that can only be born from practice, walking for the door, "Oh by the way, baby girl, I'm going to be late to school" He adds, "I'm on clean up duty," he says with a grin. And then I hear the dorm door shut.

I get up, following and locking the door with a resounding click.

A laugh echoes on the other side, "that won't keep me out baby girl."

I know it won't, but it makes a part of me - the small part of me that I'm surviving for feel a little safer.

I walk to every window in the dorm and seal them shut, then to every unoccupied room and shutting and locking the doors until the only open one is my own.

I slip back under the covers, feeling exhaustion take over with a vengeance. 

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top