by Smoke, Lucy
"Fine," I said.
I folded my arms over my chest, sliding even further down in my seat. I faced the window once more and stared hard, trying to fixate my attention. Trees passed. The car jerked and moved over rough pavement, the shock absorbers making me feel as though I were riding in a private, quiet, train. Every now and then, Bellamy would slow or turn. I tried to count the turns but forgot them almost as quickly as he made them. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Even if I were to be kidnapped, it's not like anyone would really be worried about me at home.
Bellamy's cell buzzed in the console and I ignored it, keeping my eyes trained on the sky. It buzzed again and finally, I deigned to glance at it. The screen was lit up with not one or two, but four text messages, back to back, and the name reflected back was familiar. The phone vibrated once more as another message came through and Bellamy reached for it. I snatched it before he could touch it and though his lips quirked, he didn't say anything. I unlocked the phone and clicked on the last message before scrolling up and reading from the latest unread text.
Marv:Plans changed, call me if ur not driving.
Finally, I thought, someone understands the ‘no using cell phones while driving’ rules.
Marv:Knix texted me. He and Tex are already there.
Marv:Yo, I might need a pick up.
Marv:Need pick up. @ Mom and Dads.
The last text had been sent only minutes before. I wondered if we were already too far away though.
"Marv says he needs you to pick him up," I relayed.
Bellamy inclined his head, nodding. "Did he say where he was?"
"At his Mom and Dad's." I watched Bellamy for his reaction. He simply bent his head and continued watching the road. I guessed we were already on the way.
Bellamy:Hey, it's Harlow. Bellamy's driving, but we'll be there soon.
Marv:U not letting him use his phone?
I sighed, maybe I thought too soon about someone else understanding roads as non-texting zones. I simply repeated a portion of the last text.
Bellamy:He's driving.
Marv:Good girl. C u soon.
The way his praise made me smile should have bothered me, but it didn't. Oddly enough, that didn't bother me either. I was just happy to have him thinking of something other than the incident with Cleo.
There was scarcely any traffic on the road. The trees, large and beautifully kept palms swaying in the wind, towered over us. Every so often we would pass what appeared to be houses built on stilts. I knew these. They weren't really houses, more like mansions. Some were blue and brightly painted with circular driveways and fountains at the center of their yards. Some were partially obscured by short brick walls and iron gates.
About twenty minutes into the lavish community, the BMW slowed and I sat up to see which house we were stopping at. Bellamy turned into one of the larger stilt homes. It was flanked by a brick wall and an iron gate in the middle. Bellamy reached for his visor and pressed a button there. The gates parted, swinging inward.
He rolled down the driveway slowly, coasting to a full stop in front of a large yellow mansion. There was a set of slightly curved, white stairs leading down from the front door with the same iron rails. Beneath the house were sets of wide, ornately carved beams that held the structure above ground. It looked so elegant, it was difficult to imagine the kind of strength built in and the intelligence used to create such a masterpiece.
The front door opened and Marv stepped out, followed by a short, older woman with smooth blonde hair contained beneath a colorfully adorned, floppy sunhat. She kissed his cheek and waved towards the car before striding back into the house and closing the door. It wasn't until Marv made his way down the steps that I realized he would probably want the front seat. I unbuckled my seat belt.
"What are you doing?" Bellamy looked alarmed as I loosened the strap across my chest and pushed it towards the door.
"Moving," I said. "He probably wants the front seat. It's his car, after all." He visibly relaxed, sighing.
"Oh, no, don't worry about it. Put your seat belt back on. Don't get out of the car."
"But–" The door behind me opened, interrupting any further protests.
"Hurry, before she decides to come out here and ask us all back in," Marv said as he slid into his seat and shut the door. "I do love that woman, but she is hard to get away from sometimes."
I heard the click of his seat belt, and Bellamy stared at me until I refastened my own. I peered over my shoulder as Marv pulled out his cell phone and began typing away. He looked both young and refined in his tailored gray suit. It was cute in a childish way with his hair mussed, likely from his mom's petting. I had seen many moms ruffle their kids' hair, even though mine never had. He didn't move to fix it.
"Gonna stare at me the entire time or you gonna ask something?" I jumped at the question. Marv hadn't even lifted his eyes, but I knew his inquiry was meant for me. Bellamy wasn't staring.
"Sorry," I mumbled, twisting back and leaning against the leather seat, though I still peeked at him through the rearview mirror. Marv swiped his finger across his screen a few more times before raising the phone to his ear.
"Hey, we're on the way."
His voice rose above the silence in the car. I wished Bellamy would have turned on the radio again. I didn't feel comfortable doing it myself because it would seem rude now that Marv was on the phone, but without the radio, it felt too much like eavesdropping.
"Yes, we have Harlow." My eyebrows rose. He was talking about me, and my eyes strayed back to the rearview mirror, watching him. "He just got me. We'll be there in a few minutes. Make sure to clean up your mess. We wouldn't want to lose her in your mountain of trash."
I heard the brief ending of whoever Marv was talking to as he pulled the phone away from his ear. They were yelling.
"–not trash! It's equipment!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure all of the ladies like your equipment. Be there soon."
Marv ended the call and set the phone down on the seat before looking up and catching my eyes. I blushed, sinking as far as I could into the seat so that he couldn't use the rearview mirror, himself, as a spy glass.
Chapter 6
Marv was right. We arrived in a much smaller neighborhood not too long after stopping to pick him up. The houses were not as ornate as the stilt mansions, but they were no less beautiful. Bellamy drove through the streets as I pressed my face against the glass, watching the new sights go by. Without regular transportation, I wasn't as familiar with my own town or the cities surrounding it as most people. The car turned again as Bellamy navigated the streets of the well-kept neighborhood. It felt as though we were caught in a never-ending circle until the car finally pulled into a back section near an outdoor pool with a few people sunbathing on personal foldout chairs. The smell of grilled food reminded me that I hadn't eaten anything since lunch and now that it was nearing 6 pm, I was hungry.
Bellamy parked the BMW in a spot next to an equally elegant silver Impala. Marv slid out of the backseat, opening my door before I could even reach for the handle. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I stepped out between the two vehicles and followed Marv and Bellamy towards the upscale condominium building. A large, square-faced clock pointed outward high above the front doors as they led me around the side and through a glass patio.
"Back elevator is quicker," Marv said.
I nodded as we stepped through the doors into the cool, modern interior. The building was even more beautiful from the patio. The lobby was only a few yards to our left with two silver-doored elevators behind a large countertop manned by a young woman with her hair twisted back into a severe braid. I winced a little at how it made her already bony features even more prominent. She watched us with hawk eyes, but said nothing as I followed Bellamy and Marv towards a completely different set of elevators, my shoes squeaking on the white tile. I could feel the heat of her glare on my back, and thought I probably looked like a homeless straggler compared to the guys. They se
emed more than appropriately attired, in their professional suits, to be coming home to a place like this. I glanced down at my ripped jeans and t-shirt with a sigh.
A large man, wearing a pair of white, paint-splattered jeans and a dark-gray polo with an "MP Condos" logo over the left side of his chest stepped out when the elevator signaled its arrival.
"Mr. Woodstone, Mr. Carter. So good to see you." The man beamed.
"Hey, Rodney, how's your little girl?" Bellamy grinned as he clasped the man on the shoulder.
Marv put his hand out and wrapped one arm around my shoulders, squeezing me closer to him as he adjusted us into the smaller space of the elevator. Bellamy propped the doors open with his arm.
"Oh, she's good, thanks so much for asking, Mr. Woodstone! Well, I'll be letting you all go now. Good seeing you again!" The man waved as Bellamy joined us and the doors slid shut.
"Do you think he paid her any attention?" Marv asked. I glanced up between him and Bellamy.
"No, he's a good guy. He doesn't ask questions."
My head twisted in Bellamy's direction as he looked down at me with a smile. Even though I wanted answers, I kept quiet. I'd save my questions for later. Marv slapped a hand on the button for the ninth floor.
"So high," I whispered, staring at the glowing button.
I didn't realize that I had spoken out loud until Bellamy and Marv each looked down at me. In the enclosed space, they felt even larger than before. Though, in reality, Bellamy certainly was the bulkier presence.
"Scared of heights?" I saw the way Marv's lips quirked, one corner tilting up in amusement.
I frowned at him. "No."
"Uh huh," he said. He didn't press me though. Instead, the one hand he kept on my arm ran up and down, warming the exposed skin there. It was soothing.
We reached the ninth floor and stepped out into a short, L-shaped hallway. "This way," Marv announced.
His hand fell away and I trailed behind them as Bellamy pulled out a set of keys. He ended up not needing them though because as soon as we were close, the door swung inward and Knix stepped out. He was dressed impeccably in a pair of blue-jeans, tight around the thighs and a navy V-neck t-shirt. The clothes molded to his massive frame like a second skin. I tried not to drool.
"Hey, Harlow." He smiled with sharp, happy eyes. "Glad you could make it." He gestured inside. "Welcome." I looked up at him, unable to help the smirk on my lips.
"Fancy meeting you here," I said drolly.
Though no one had said anything, I wasn't the least bit surprised to see him. I stepped through the door and into a tidy apartment that smelled like the ocean breeze. Their condo was masculine in its décor, a Foosball table to the side of the living room, an Xbox under the massive flat screen TV, and wood toned coloring. Despite the manly decorations and furniture, it was all neat and orderly. I walked towards the windows on the far side wall.
"Why don't you have a seat?" Knix offered.
I sighed and nodded before turning back to the couch.
"Alright," I started, "you brought me here, so what do you want?"
"Are you hungry?" Knix asked. He moved towards the kitchen as Marv and Bellamy disappeared down a hallway.
"For answers," I replied. "Where are they going?"
"Bellamy probably wants to change. He doesn't care for suits too much. Marv is probably on his way to torture poor Texas – he likes the suits, Marv I mean. He won't change."
"Hmm." I stared towards the hallway.
"So, food?" Knix bent and opened the refrigerator. "Or would you prefer take out?" He closed the door and pulled out his cell. "I think I have a Chinese and pizza place nearby still in my contacts."
"Whatever is fine," I said. "I don't expect to be staying long."
"Where's your bag?" Knix asked curiously. He stopped in front of me as he moved from the kitchen back into the living room. "I thought Bell got you from school."
"He did," I replied. "I left my backpack in the car. Why is it important?"
He shrugged. "I thought you might want to do some homework while you're here. At least until we get everyone situated." He sat next to me, his big body taking up more than half of the whole couch.
I squirmed.
"Or you could just start talking and we could take it from there," I suggested.
Mysteries were not my forte. There was a reason I stuck to classics and fantasy: predictability.
"Oh, Little Bit." He shook his head. "Where would the fun in that be?"
Voices rose from the hallway, causing both of our heads to turn.
"I'm telling you, you're going to die under that mountain of shit someday." Marv walked back into the living room followed by another boy.
The newcomer was tall and slender. He wasn't quite as tall as Knix, then again, I couldn't imagine anyone else with his size. He was what some might describe as lanky, but there were subtle muscles under the skin stretched across his arms.
Two beauty marks adorned the area above the left side of his lip. His hair was dark and appeared gelled back slightly on top only to fall into a soft wave at the end. I realized there that it wasn't actually gel, but water and the ends had dried. He looked like a journalist from an old black and white movie. Low slung jeans molded to his legs, held up with a loose brown belt and a white cotton t-shirt similar to Knix's.
"You'll appreciate my 'mountain of shit' when you need it to track your cell phone or–"
"Tex, come meet Harlow," Knix interrupted.
While it was said with a light air of friendliness, I could tell that it had been timed. Whatever Tex had been about to say, Knix didn't want him to say it in front of me. I had seen the way Knix's eyes had flickered to me before narrowing slightly in irritation just before the words left his mouth.
"Texas." The new guy held out a long-fingered hand – piano fingers, I thought – as he introduced himself.
"Hi." I took the offered hand.
Texas' face was fascinating. From a distance, he could have been anywhere from sixteen to twenty-five with a youthful, languid stance. Up close, I detected more intensity. The tops of his eyes were slightly curved and his lips tended to frown unless he was speaking.
Marv readjusted the tie at his neck before sitting primly on my other side, squishing me even further into Knix. He slung one leg up and over the other, laying an ankle across his knee before leaning back into the cushions. Texas moved away to take a seat at the breakfast bar, watching us.
"So," I began. Marv turned towards me, a raised eyebrow, daring me. "Am I being kidnapped or what?"
Knix laughed, the sound startling me. He put one big palm over his stomach as if he couldn't contain himself. "No!” He continued to laugh, choking out between breaths. “No, you’re not being kidnapped.”
"How many times do I have to promise something to get you to believe me?" Bellamy's voice drew my head back in the direction of the hallway and my eyes widened.
He stood there, arms crossed, in a fitted white shirt that was nearly see through with all of that tan, dark skin. His shoulder length hair was pulled back away from his face, highlighting his straight features, and a pair of black rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose.
"She's a smart girl, Bell. She wouldn't believe anything you tell her." Marv waved his hand, the light glinting off his Rolex watch. I was drowning in confusion.
"Please," I said. All eyes fell on me. I sighed. "Just tell me what I'm doing here."
Knix patted my thigh, the fingers stretching across the fabric of my jeans like a massive, warm, bear paw. "Alright, Little Bit. Why don't we order some pizza and we'll put it all out there?”
He stood and moved back to the kitchen to retrieve his phone and dialed for the order. Bellamy took Knix's emptied space next to me, not filling it nearly as much, but still taking up a considerable amount of room. I let my head roll back against the couch.
By the time the pizza arrived, I had calmed down. I stuffed a few slices of meat lovers' delight in my mouth, chugged the
can of soda Bellamy handed me, and laid back while the rest finished their meals. I watched as Marv used a fork and knife to cut up his pizza into small bites. Knix folded his in half and ate it like a taco, while Texas ate his crust first. Bellamy seemed to be the only one who ate it the normal way – just a lot slower.
"Alright." I slapped my hands on my thighs, drawing their attention. I sat up straighter. "Let's get this little intervention over with, shall we?"
Knix rubbed a napkin over his lips before he spoke. "Is this an intervention? I didn't think you had done anything so terrible – at least not yet – do you have something to tell us?"
I frowned, twisting my body so that I was facing the rest of the group and ignored his comments. "From what I can tell, you seem to be masquerading as some sort of college recruiting organization." I paused to take a breath. "That's obviously not the case."
"What makes you say that?" Bellamy shook his head, laying his paper plate to the side before sitting forward. "I thought I was quite good at that job and we are hoping to recruit you."
"For what, exactly?"
Knix sighed. "Alright, Harlow," he said.
I bent my head back in his direction. "You'll tell me?" I asked.
"You're right," he agreed. "We aren't recruiting you directly for college. We're recruiting you for something else."
"We need a girl with certain skills, of a specific disposition, and with the willingness to be trained," Texas interrupted.
I stared across the living room at Texas as he swiveled towards us on one of the barstools. "What kind of skills? What kind of disposition?"
Knix shot Texas a look and Texas huffed, returning to his pizza.
"You came highly recommended," Knix replied. "From the information we've gathered, we've determined–"
"Wait, hold up." I raised both of my hands, palms facing out, in front of my chest. "First of all, who recommended me? And second of all, what 'information' are you talking about?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
