Four men waited with bated breath.
8
Ivory
* * *
The veil of darkness cloaking my world lifted slowly, the shadows diminishing bit by bit. My lashes fluttered, and light and sound pricked my consciousness. A low moan tickled the back of my throat as I blinked, focusing.
Four sets of eyes peered down at me as if I were some kind of experiment.
“Agh!” I screeched, bolting upright and making everyone jump back. Another scream ripped out of me. “Agh!” I scrambled backward, pulling my knees into my chest.
Four strange men gathered around the large leather sofa I was squished against. The pounding of my heart was actually painful, and the back of my neck ached. I shifted, and so did they.
My mouth opened to scream again, but something slapped over my lips, keeping in the sound.
“Think of our eardrums, princess.”
That voice… I knew it. Eyes following the sound, I felt my nose flare when they settled on Neo. I gasped against his palm, and my stare clung to his as I was pummeled by everything that happened since the sun rose this morning.
Everything was so vivid, as though I were reliving it all over again. To my embarrassment, tears flooded my eyes and slipped over my cheeks, trailing down until they met with Neo’s hand.
The glittering onyx in his eyes melted some, sort of like a night sky giving way to day. The soft expression made more tears fall.
I shook my head, not wanting to cry. Not wanting to show any kind of weakness at all. I was far from weak.
“She’s crying,” a voice whispered rather loudly. “What do we do?”
The voice was a reminder I was surrounded. Pushing away Neo’s hand, I swiped at the falling tears while the men stared.
“You.” I gulped, pointing a finger to the smallest one of the group. “You’re the one who got me sent to jail!”
“I didn’t mean to!” he squeaked.
Levering myself up, I stood, my feet sinking into the couch cushions so I had to use the sofa back for balance. Standing on the furniture like this was entirely unladylike, but it made me taller than everyone else in the room.
“Do you have any idea what that place is like?” I yelled. “I’m going to have nightmares for the rest of my life!”
“You were sleeping just fine a minute ago,” someone on the opposite side of the couch grumped.
My gaze swung to him. I knew him… “Gross bar guy.”
His entire face scrunched up like he had a mouthful of sour milk. One of his eyebrows rose. “Gross bar guy?”
I shuddered. “You gave me water from the tap. You work at a place named after rotting fruit.”
His arms crossed over his chest, and he glared. “I own that place.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That’s even worse.”
He pitched forward like he would lunge at me, and I squealed again, falling onto the cushions.
“Back off, Earth,” cajoled another guy I did not recognize, pushing the mean one back and stepping in front.
“I’m Beau.” He introduced himself, offering his hand.
I stared between his deep-red hair, freckled nose, and outstretched hand for long moments before slowly reaching out my own hand.
His fingers were warm where mine were cold. The shake was brief, but his smile lingered on his lips. His bone structure was something people would pay millions of dollars for. Such sharp cheekbones and a strong nose.
“Wh-who are you?”
“I live here.”
Shifting my eyes around, I noted the large room with brick walls, exposed pipes overhead, and the glow of computer monitors reaching toward us from the other side.
Heinous, frankly unnerving sound filled the room, and my body tensed. It was a cross between someone breathing like they’d just run an entire marathon and the sound of someone snoring.
Thump!
A heavy body fell onto the cushions, making the entire thing sag toward the new weight. Both my hands clung to the back of the couch as if I might be sucked into some weird portal.
The heinous sound grew louder, and a solid body jumped at me.
“Ahh!” I shielded my face with my arms. Expecting to be pounced on.
“Down, boy.” Neo’s voice was calm, and no attack ever came. “Are you afraid of dogs?”
Dogs?
As I cautiously lowered my arms, a big brown and white head filled my vision.
“Aww, hi,” I crooned, forgetting about everything else to reach both palms out toward the bulldog staring at me expectantly.
Neo released the hold he had on the dog’s collar, and the big boy lumbered over until he was practically in my lap. The horrible sounds I’d just heard were from him, and they became more erratic as his tail and body wagged.
A big, sticky tongue came out and licked up the side of my cheek, making me squeal. “Ew!” I laughed but then went back to petting him.
His head was practically bigger than his wide, short frame. The underbite caused crooked teeth to stick out of his mouth and rest against his lips. His nose was smooshed in and had a scar…
I guess that explained the breathing.
“What’s his name?”
“Snort,” grumpy bar guy announced. “He’s mine.”
“You poor thing,” I crooned to the dog who made more snorting sounds.
“Down,” grumpy bar guy commanded, and Snort instantly left the couch.
The weight of four sets of eyes became heavy once more.
Swallowing, I tucked my hands in my lap. “Where am I?”
“You passed out in front of the police station, and I couldn’t get you to wake up so I brought you here.”
“Where’s here?” I pressed.
“Our apartment,” the little one announced.
“You all live here… together?”
His nod was eager, and it made his hair flop into his eyes.
“But why?”
“All right. She’s awake. She’s gotta go,” grumpy bar man bellowed. Shoving forward, he grabbed my upper arm, hurling me off the couch.
My legs sagged the second my feet hit the floor, and I bowed into him.
He didn’t try to help me. In fact, he let go.
I would have fallen right over if Neo hadn’t been there to catch me.
“Earth.” He grunted, supporting my weight.
“That was the agreement.” His tone was unforgiving. “She’s awake now, so she can find her way home.”
I burst into tears.
Every sound in the room ceased to exist, even the heavy breathing of the dog. All that filled the apartment was the angst and trauma I’d experienced in the past day.
“He told me I couldn’t exist anymore,” I wailed, pulling away from Neo and covering my face with my hands. “At first, I believed him. Then I thought he was just a liar. But now I’m not so sure.” I continued, my words a jumbled, watery mess.
More tears fell, and my voice cracked. “I don’t even know where I am. I have no money, no ID, and…” I held up my injured hand. “He ripped off my entire nail!”
For dramatic effect, I pulled off the sock still covering my hand, but part of it was stuck to me with dried blood.
“Waaaah,” I wailed anew. “And he butchered my hair!”
Four men shifted uncomfortably, the little one who’d gotten me thrown in jail slinking behind one of his friends and stealing glances at me every few seconds.
“Who would do that?” Beau said, his eyes wide.
“Your hair looks better than mine,” I yowled and reached up to finger the chopped-up, once glorious strands. I sniffled, glancing back at Beau. “Is your color natural?”
“Out!” Earth yelled over the chaos. Storming closer, he pulled a twenty-dollar bill out of his jeans and thrust it at me.
I made a face. “People still carry cash?”
He muttered some very impolite words and dragged me toward the door. Flashes of color all over the walls blurred by me as he drag
ged.
“Stop stalling.” He snarled and jerked me onward.
“Ow,” I whimpered, reaching up to cup the back of my neck.
He stopped pulling and swung to assess me with unreadable eyes. “Don’t play games with me.”
“I’m not. My neck hurts.”
Something brushed the back of my shoulder, making me cringe and lean toward Earth who was suddenly very surprised by my movement.
Feeling his astonishment, my stare lifted, my face turning sheepish. “Sorry.”
“Let me see.” Neo’s voice was soft and smooth, a lot less menacing than Earth’s.
“Oh. Neo.” My voice was relieved when I realized it was just him.
“Hold still,” he instructed, stepping up to grasp the hood on my jacket and pull the neckline down.
Small goose bumps rose along my arms when his bare fingers brushed the back of my neck, sweeping my hair out of the way.
“You’re bleeding,” he announced, grim.
“What?” I spun around, trying to see.
Beau and the thief laughed, but I didn’t think it was funny. I was bleeding and didn’t even know it!
Catching me by the shoulders on my third spin, Neo said, “You won’t be able to see.”
“But what’s wrong with it?” I fussed, slightly dizzy.
“Looks like you were cut.” Dark eyes searched mine. “With something sharp. Like a knife.”
I gasped. “I told you he chopped off my hair!”
“With a knife?” Earth doubted.
My head bobbed. “I thought he was going to slit my throat.”
“Someone really tried to kill you today?” Beau jumped in.
My lower lip wobbled. “First thing this morning. And now I can’t go home. I can’t—”
“Why can’t you go home?” Earth scrutinized.
I stared at him without blinking. Wasn’t it obvious? “He said I couldn’t.”
“Are you dimwitted?”
My mouth fell open and then snapped shut. “How dare you?” I raged. “If anyone is dimwitted in this room, it’s you!” I started forward but swayed.
“Whoa,” three of the men all said simultaneously while Earth stood there and glared.
Outside, loud thunder cracked, and the windows across the room rattled. “I don’t like the rain,” I whined.
Neo led me to the couch, easing me down. “You can stay here tonight.”
“Hell no, she can’t!”
“C’mon, Earth.” Neo swung around toward his friend.
How could anyone be friends with that grumpy, uncombed villain?
“It’s the middle of the night. It’s storming, and she’s bleeding in more than one place.”
I remembered the stuck-on sock and looked at it dangling off my ripped-up, stumpy-looking finger. What a waste of the perfect nail color. And it still really hurt. In fact, my whole body hurt. It seemed the little nap I’d had only made the pain much easier to feel.
Gently fingering the crusty, slightly slick, but entirely sore cut at the back of my neck, I winced. A vivid memory of the shining blade whistling through the air as it swung down on me made me squeeze my eyes closed.
A gentle touch on my shoulder had them reopening.
I expected Neo.
It was the one who got me sent to jail.
“You.” My eyes narrowed.
“Here.” He held out a bottle of water.
Unexpected emotion swelled up inside me like a tidal wave. “This is the nicest thing anyone has done for me all day,” I wailed, tears falling anew.
“I bailed you out of jail…” someone muttered sourly from across the room.
Beaming like a good boy, he uncapped the water and offered it to me. Sniffling, I took it, not caring in the least it was a totally unheard of generic brand, and took a long sip. Then I cried some more.
“What’s your name?” I asked after I swallowed.
“Fletcher,” he announced. “But everyone calls me Fletch.” His eyes were the color of dark organic honey and appeared so innocent I immediately wanted to hug him.
“Thank you for your kindness,” I said over his shoulder while we hugged. “I so needed it.”
Fletch pulled back, smiling, his cheeks pink, eyes shy. “I’m sorry about getting you arrested.”
Pursing my lips, I smacked him lightly on the side of the head. “Stealing is so bad! Don’t do that ever again.”
His face fell like a scolded, sad puppy.
I hugged him again.
“What’s your name?” Fletch asked, gesturing for me to drink more water.
“Oh, it—”
“It doesn’t matter because she’s not staying!” Earth declared.
“Aw, c’mon, Earth. It’s the middle of the night,” Fletch whined.
“Kicking a girl out in the middle of the night in this neighborhood is going a little too far, don’t you think, E?” Beau added.
“She smells good too!” Fletch put in.
I felt bad he thought I smelled nice in my current state. This boy was deprived.
Curious, my eyes found Neo. He was standing sort of in the center of everyone, his eyes watching everything, settling on nothing. Until he saw my stare.
They moved past, then came back and held. Our eyes locked just as they had under the umbrella before.
Authority shimmered in the air around him despite his battered jeans and T-shirt as he closed the distance between us. “C’mon, I’ll help you clean up.”
My body was so exhausted he didn’t have to work at all to pull me off the couch, and once I was at his side, I had to concentrate hard so I didn’t lean on him for support.
“This is my—” Earth started, his voice saltier than the ocean, but it was cut off abruptly.
“She’s staying,” Neo intoned. His voice was quiet. Calm. Final.
No one said a word when he took my hand and tugged me toward the bathroom.
9
Neo
* * *
“You can clean up in here,” I offered, holding the door open so she could step into the bathroom.
Briefly, her eyes touched my face. Then she moved past into the small bathroom.
“Is this the only bathroom?”
“It’s a one-bedroom.”
“But four of you live here…”
I didn’t say anything because we’d already told her that. Turning around, I grabbed a towel out of a cabinet on the wall and held it out. “Do you want to shower or just wash up?”
Her eyes strayed to the shower and then down at herself.
She called out lightly as I left the bathroom but didn’t follow. When I stepped back into the main room, everyone was still standing where we’d left them just moments ago. Saying nothing, I grabbed a T-shirt and pair of basketball shorts from my stack of clothes.
“Are those for her?” Fletcher whispered loudly.
“I’m going down to the bar.” Earth’s words were punctuated by the locks being released on the door.
My footsteps stalled a little on the threshold of the bathroom. She was standing at the pedestal sink, staring in the mirror… or rather, at the top of her head.
Hearing me, she turned with a grimace. “I can’t even see myself in this mirror.”
“Shorty.” I snickered.
“This bathroom is poorly designed.”
“It’s better than being dirty.”
A loud boom of thunder shook the small window against the wall, and the girl cowered close.
“It’s just a thunderstorm,” I explained, my palm tingling with the urge to run it over her hair.
“Then why do the windows shake like that?”
“They’re old.”
“Oh.” Straightening as though she hadn’t been worried at all, she cleared her throat.
“I brought shorts because you’d fall down and kill yourself in my pants.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time I almost died today.”
I paused. “Someone really tried t
o kill you?”
Her narrow yet perky nose wrinkled. “Do I look like I’m lying?”
“Is this not how you normally look?”
She gasped. The offense in her eyes was almost comical. “I can assure you that I do not ever look this awful.” Turning back to the mirror, she pushed up onto tiptoes to see but still couldn’t. Pouting, she turned back, leaning into the white porcelain. “This has been the worst day of my life.”
The second those words were out, I saw the doubt cross her face. As if in her mind, she was thinking, No, this is not the worst day of my life. There was something worse.
“Worse than someone trying to kill you, getting arrested, and passing out on the street?” I responded to her expression.
“He cut my hair too.”
I blinked. Her hair was clearly a big deal. More than almost dying? I didn’t comprehend, but I wasn’t about to argue. “Worse than that even?”
Her nod was sage. The beauty she clearly possessed turned precious. Her small frame, big eyes, and sulking attitude made her cute.
Without realizing the way she appeared, she reached up. Midway through the movement, she patted her shoulder and halted. Tears swimming in her eyes, her hand lifted higher to finger the definitely uneven black strands of hair.
“I can fix this,” she told herself. “You can fix anything.”
She was giving herself a pep talk. It made my heart beat unevenly. “Here,” I said, thrusting the clothes at her.
“Thank you,” she said, politely pulling the fabric against her chest into a hug.
“When you’re finished, I can clean up that cut on the back of your neck.”
“Do you have any bandages? Antibiotic cream?”
I faltered. We didn’t have that stuff here. I didn’t want to tell her that, so I just nodded.
“There’s soap in the shower.”
Still hugging my clothes, she nodded.
How could someone seem sturdy yet fragile at the very same time?
“Um, wait,” she called out as I was closing the door.
I poked my head back in. “Neo.” I reminded her.
“I remember.” She nodded, lowering her eyes like she was suddenly shy. “Neo…”
My heart trembled. “Hmm?”
Ivory White : A House of Misfits Standalone Page 5
