by Emma Creed
“You sure about that?” I question again, and she nods back at me slowly.
“I wouldn’t lie to you,” she whispers. I believe her.
“Who gave her the shit?” I ask, plucking up enough courage to look her in her eyes. When she doesn’t reply, I start to walk towards her and she backs up against the wall cowering like a scared puppy.
“Who?” I ask her one more time, watching her long neck as it swallows nervously. I want to punish myself for the way it turns me on.
“Kid called Cobie, I think. I asked him to take us to hospital but he wouldn’t. So he brought us back here instead, bailed as soon as we got inside.” Her lips quiver as she speaks, and I imagine stilling them by closing my mouth over them.
“Cobie who?” I get even closer, taking in her sweet scent, and watching her eyes flick from side to side as she searches her brain for an answer. I try not to be distracted by her frantic beating chest. So close now, that if I move even a fraction, I’ll feel it against mine.
“Cobie… um...” She squeezes her eyes shut tight as if scanning her brain. “Turner. Cobie Turner.”
I nod at her, backing away just enough to take out my phone.
Troj answers on the second ring, and I keep my eyes on Maddy while I speak to him.
“I need you to pick someone up for me.”
“Who’s the lucky fucker?” Troj asks.
“Cobie Turner. Some kid from town. Bring him in, I’ll meet him downstairs tomorrow morning.”
“It’s done, brother,” Troj assures me before I hang up.
When I slip my phone back in my pocket I see the fear in Maddy’s eyes, fear that I’ve put there, and it makes my heart feel heavy.
“I’m sorry,” I breathe, the disappointment in myself making me sound like a bird with a broken wing.
“Its fine.” She fakes a smile as she pushes herself off the wall.
“Where are your parents?” I ask looking over at Hayley, who is now snoring comfortably.
“Just my mom, and she’s at work, won’t be home till later tomorrow.”
“You should get some sleep. I’ll watch her.” I sit down in the chair at the corner of the room.
“You’re staying?” she asks, sounding shocked, and maybe a little relieved at the same time.
“Ain’t going anywhere,” I tell her, eyes still fixed on hers.
“Okay,” she nods back. “I’ll sleep in Mom’s bed.” She’s halfway out of the room before she stops, and when she turns to look back at me, she’s already chewing that bottom lip.
“Night, Jessie, and… thank you.” She looks as though she’s about to cry again, and I don’t want that to happen.
“Hey…” I stand up, walk towards her, and she doesn’t back away from me this time. I’m not even thinking when I take her head in my hands, her soft blonde hair slipping between my fingers, as I tilt it back enough for her eyes to reach up to mine.
“You did the right thing, Maddy. She’s gonna be okay,” I tell her as softly as my voice will allow me to.
“I was so scared.” She tries hard to hold back her sobs, but they blurt out anyway.
“Everything’s gonna be fine. I promise.”
Her head moves in my hands as she stares back at me through her thick, black lashes and nods. Her pupils magnified by the tears just waiting to release. She has me fixed, her eyes somehow managing to pierce through my thick surface and claw all the way into my fucking soul. I shouldn’t let them, but I can’t pull away from her. Her front teeth hold her bottom lip, and I torture myself imagining how it would taste trapped between mine.
I wonder if she’s thinking the same thing as me, how it would be easier than breathing to lean in and take those lips. Make them mine here and fuckin’ now. But it doesn’t matter what my head is telling me, I know what she wants. She wants special, she deserves special, and there ain’t nothing special about the man standing in front of her.
“You should go to bed. I got this,” I force my eyes away from her and gesture them to Hayley.
“Yeah, you’re right.” She smiles and carefully pulls her head away from my hands. “Goodnight Jessie,” she whispers as she backs away and leaves the room.
I slump back into the seat, taking in her room for the first time. Just when I think Maddy Summers couldn’t get any cuter, I find myself in her fuckin’ room. Baby pink walls and bedding with frills, the fuckin’ works.
While Hayley sleeps, I wonder what possessed her to sneak out and do something so stupid. Prez is gonna spit flames when he finds out, and that little bit of freedom she’s tasted would be gone.
The call came in from Troj around 4am, he and Grimm have picked up Cobie, and he’s in the basement awaiting my arrival. I look forward to meeting him.
I stay awake watching Hayley breathing until the sun fills the room. Needing to stretch, I get out of the chair and make my way across the hall, unable to help a peek inside the room where Maddy sleeps. She’s laid on top of the covers, her long, blonde hair fanned out in all directions, some strands covering over her face.
I creep closer.
So close that I feel her breath on my face.
Too close.
My fingers tremble as they reach out and slide across her skin, brushing the hair from her face and causing her to stir a little. She makes the most perfect humming sound, and I let my hand rest on her cheek. Feeling her sinless skin inside my tarnished palm fills something inside me that until now, I hadn’t noticed was hollow. My thumb trails her bottom lip, like sandpaper rubbing over silk. The blessed touched by the dammed, and I promise myself that I’ll never cast the shadow of my darkness over her perfect glow.
I’ll protect her from my dirty soul,
It’ll be the only good thing I could ever do by her.
Already, I know it’s gonna hurt me like hell, but it’s better than the alternative. For me to hurt her.
I pull my hand away and move out of the room, but her faint, groggy voice has me turning back around before I make it to the door.
“Jessie.” Maddy’s already sitting up, arms stretched over her head and mouth open mid-yawn. “Is she okay?” she asks lazily.
“Yeah still sleepin’. She’ll be fine.”
“You’re one of them, aren’t you?” Her eyes fall to my cut. I’d been too preoccupied with worry for Hayley to even think to take it off.
“Yeah darlin’, I’m one of them,” I tell her, knowing I’ve set her free the moment the words leave my mouth. I nod my head at her before I leave the room. Ashamed at myself that for the first time in my life, I’m sad to admit being part of the club I’d die for.
I’ve made my decision, I have no reason to hide who I am from her anymore.
When I cross the hall back to Hayley, I’m relieved to find her sat up, legs dangled over the edge of the bed.
“Why does it feel like I’ve swallowed an exhaust pipe?” she lifts her head up to ask.
“That will be because during my attempts to save your life, I had to ram my fingers down the back of your throat.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Well next time do me a favor and let me die. Hell knows where those fingers have been,” she says, leaning forward and cradling her head in her hands.
“What the fuck, Hay? I always knew you were a little stupid but that shit you pulled last night…” I shake my head. “…Fuckin’ suicidal. If Prez finds—”
“Prez won’t know though, will he, Jessie?” she interrupts. “Because right now, he’s probably still at his club, with some whore spread out on top of him, not giving two shits about me.”
“Hay, that’s bullshit. Your dad just wants you safe. He loves you.”
“If you love someone, you wanna spend time with them,” she bites back, and I hate that I fail to come up with an explanation for my Prez. Jimmer doesn’t show affection all that well, but no one doubts how much he loves his daughter.
“You could have died. Not that it matters now, your dad’s gonna kill us both when he fi
nds out about this anyway,” I remind her.
“I just wanted to have a little fun,” she shrugs, her voice weakening.
I let out a defeated sigh and sit beside her on the bed, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. All my anger seems to vanish when I see the sadness laying behind her eyes. She’s right. What sort of life does she have all alone at the lodge every night? How can I blame her for acting out?
“Look I’ll speak to your dad, see if we can sort something, I ain’t promising shit, but I’ll try,” I tell her calmly as I can. Her mouth lifts into a smile that tells me we’re okay.
“You scared me kiddo,” I admit.
“I scared myself. I’m so sorry, Jessie. It won’t happen again,” she promises. “Besides I feel like utter shit.” She closes her eyes.
“You deserve to feel like shit.” I nudge her with my shoulder then take her hand and pull her up from the bed. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
She follows me out to the hall where we meet Maddy coming out of the bathroom.
“Thank god you’re okay,” Maddy sighs, launching herself forward and throwing her arms around Hayley. “I didn’t know what to do. I had to call him.” Hayley looks guilty for what has to be the first time ever.
“I’m so sorry, your mom… what must she think?” Hayley’s hands cover her face shamefully.
“Relax, she hasn’t come home yet,” Maddy stops her fretting.
“I’m gonna get her home. You good?” I ask Maddy, and it doesn’t matter how hard I try not to make eye contact, those eyes pulled me in like iron to a magnet.
“I’m good,” she tells me. I lift my head as a goodbye before I brush past her and bolt down the stairs to my bike.
From now on I need to keep myself as far away from Maddy Summers as possible.
No one cages a wolf with a deer and expects it not to devour.
I wait on my bike for Hayley to come out, kicking it to start and revving up the engine hoping it might hurry her up. When she comes outside her eyes open up wide, and her mouth hangs open.
“Problem, darlin’?” I call over the loud rumbling.
“You want me to ride the back of your bike?” she asks, managing a massive smile despite how shitty she must feel.
“Well, I don’t want you riding on front of it,” I tease.
“It’s just I’ve never…” She looks at me still in shock. She’s right, I can’t remember Hayley ever riding on a bike, which was unthinkable considering who her dad is.
“First time for everything, pretty girl. Hop on we gotta get you home before Daddy wakes up and realizes Rapunzel let down her fuckin’ hair.”
Hayley nods, taking a deep breath before she climbs on behind me. Her arms wrapping around my waist and squeezing tight. I check over my shoulder that she’s ready before I take off real steady. On the ride home she rests her head on my back, but her body is tense enough to let me know she’s still awake, I still worry about her falling asleep the whole way back.
There’s no sign of life when we get to the club, the firepit is still smoking and empty bottles scatter the dusty yard. I ride right on past, straight to the lodge. Hayley's legs are a little wobbly from her first ride when she gets off and hugs me tightly.
“Thanks, Jessie... You should go get yourself some sleep,” she whispers. I nod back at her, then watch her inside. I should listen to her advice, head back to my cabin for some sleep but I’m wound up too tight. Pissed at myself for taking my eyes off her long enough to let her get into danger, I’d let myself get distracted by something I can’t even fucking have.
What I need is a release, one that not even a club slut with a diploma in riding dick could satisfy. It’s time for Cobie Turner to learn from both the very fatal mistakes he made last night.
Number one: You don’t supply drugs in Manitou Springs.
Number two: You don’t go giving those drugs to the most powerful man in town’s daughter.
The scrawny figure sits tied to a chair in the middle of the room when I get down to the basement, and I resist the urge to smile. He’s pretty busted up already but it doesn’t surprise me, Troj wouldn’t have left all the fun for me. What does have me smirking, is the fact he looks almost relieved to see me.
“Please,” his weak little voice speaks out. “Whatever it is, I’m sorry. Just let me go, man… Please… My dad’s got money.” The closer I get, the more the stench of his piss offends me.
“See you met my friend,” I say, taking a look over Troj’s handy work.
“Not him again... please,” the boy weeps.
“You reckon the worst I could do to you is have Troj come back down here?” I throw a laugh at the kid. He looks up at me, eyes bulging from their sockets, tears streaking down his face and merging with the blood-tinged snot leaking from his nose.
He’s a mess.
“My friend was just the fuckin’ warm-up act,” I warn, crossing over to the table where all Cobie’s belongings are laid out neatly. I don’t have to guess who handled this aspect of the kidnap, Grimm, is a perfectionist. The wallet, cell phone, and a baggy of what looks like MDMA are all lined up in size order. I take the cell phone and tap at the home button with my thumb. It’s locked, of course, so I ask Cobie for the passcode, and he doesn’t hesitate in giving it to me.
“thr… three… f... four… five… se… seven,” he stutters
I scroll to the camera app and flip it on to video mode.
“Right, Cobe. There are two ways this could go, how it does… kinda depends on you. I need you to answer me a few questions. Nothing too personal, and if you answer them without giving me any trouble, you get to receive your punishment and still be home in time for dinner.” Cobie nods his head enthusiastically.
“You decide you wanna make me work for those answers, then I’m gonna get all mad ‘n’ shit, and that’s when I get careless… Things go wrong. I ain’t gonna lie to you, buddy, there have been some people sat in that chair who haven’t made it home.”
“I’ll tell you everything. I swear, just let me go. Please.” The boy breaks down again, his pathetic pleading voice already irritating the fuck out of me and I haven’t even started.
“Cobes, I can see you’re a smart kid.” I smile at him. “I’ma do something for you that I don’t usually do… Here,” I hold the phone up in front of him.
“I’ll give you the chance to record a message to the person you love the most in this whole world, and if…” I shrug, “I do ‘accidentally’ end up losing my shit. I promise I’ll personally deliver it to them for you.” I smile again.
The boy lets out a weak moan, but he doesn’t have time to panic.
“Aaaannd action.” I hit record and do fuck all to stop my cocky smirk as he records a wailing message to his parents. He apologizes for everything he's ever done to let them down and tells them how much he loves them. When he’s done, I take the phone and place it back on the table. Grabbing the bag of pills, I drop my friendly act, and push his stash into his face.
“Where you get the shit?” I ask him, my calm tone flipping to rage when I remember Hayley's eyes rolling back in her head.
“Some guy called Sp..Sp..Spider,” he stammers. “Wears a cut like yours, only his has a smiling devil on.”
Fucking Bastards, I saw this one coming.
“Do you know who we are?” I ask him, and he nods his feeble little head up and down slowly.
“Dddddirty Souls,” he squeaks through tears.
“And you know that the girl you gave these to last night is our president's daughter, right?” The kid closes his eyes and nods again.
“If you didn’t stink of your own piss I'd be asking if you’re brave or just fucking stupid.” I stare down to his urine-soaked pants.
“She just wanted to have a good time,” he cries like a kid fallen off his bike.
“You could have fucking killed her,” I yell out. Blood flying from his mouth as my knuckles impact with his jaw.
“I'm so sorry. I didn't kn
ow she wouldn't be able to handle it, thought she'd be used to shit like that,” he manages eventually.
I nod as if I understand the sorry piece of shit’s excuse, when what I’m really thinking about is the best way to fuck him up. It doesn't take me long to come up with something.
“You like getting high?” I ask, my voice finding a steady calm again. The wet fucker doesn't know how he should answer me. “Come on man, answer the question. You like to get high, right? Who don't?”
The kid nods cautiously, unsure if he’s giving me the answer I want.
“Tell you what. I'll get you some proper shit, shit that will make this…”—I shake his little stash in front of his pathetic face—“seem like swallowing fuckin’ skittles.” I go to walk out.
“No! I’m cool… Thank you. I ju…ju… just wanna go home,” he mumbles nervously.
“Come on Cobe we’re havin’ fun. You just chill out there. I’ll be back. Promise.” I wink and slap his shoulder, before I head up to the club to get Cobie a buzz he won’t forget.
I return not too long later with a syringe in my hand and place it on the table beside him. His eyes move nervously between me and the needle, and I swear he’s either gonna crap his pants or have a panic-induced heart attack that will ruin all my fun.
“What’s that?” he asks me, his voice shaking almost as fiercely as his body.
“That...” I look at the syringe. “That there, my friend, is a fuckin’ buzz. Pure heroine. None of the shit you get on the streets around here, best shit you will get for fuckin’ miles,” I assure him.
“Probably enough in that hit to take down a fuckin’ rhino. But you can handle it, right?” I grab his shoulders and shake them with fake enthusiasm.
“I’ve never. I mean… that’s probably too mu… much for me. I’ve never had a… a hit before,” he tries to form words, struggling desperately against his restraints and I watch with great fulfilment as he becomes consumed in fear and panic.
“Come on man.” I crouch in front of him, slowly undoing one of the laces from his trainers, then pulling it out completely I tie it tight around his bicep, causing the veins in his arm to pop up like little tunnels. I tap on the inside of his elbow with two fingers and give him a sarcastic smile.
