by Cece Rose
“How do you know him then?” he asks.
“He’s around at parties, and we went to the same secondary school. He was three years above me, I think?” I muse aloud. “Maybe it was four.”
“I don’t care how old he is, what does he know?”
“Nothing much, he just… he had to help me with the laptop I used to pay you guys. I wouldn’t have known how to even get onto that side of the internet without him. Even then it was a mess trying to find you, filtering through ads promising to kill my fish. Kill my fish? Really?” I ramble incredulously.
The internet is a mystical place. You can order pretty much any drug, and it shows up in something as ridiculous as a DVD case if you know what you’re doing. There’s pages and pages of all kinds of fucked up things even someone looking to hire an assassin doesn’t want to see.
“You considered hiring the kill your fish guys?” Three asks, and a hysterical little giggle escapes me as I remember some of the other quirky lines on their page. Apparently, your fish is as good as dead, and there was something about a good place to put your problems being a grave.
“Maybe,” I answer. “Their lines were super catchy.”
“Why did you pick us?” One asks.
“I could only get hold of so much money without drawing suspicion, and you were the cheaper option,” I answer honestly, before taking a long gulp of my now lukewarm coffee.
How long have I been up already? Time feels so out of focus in here...
“Does he know you were using it for a hit?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so,” I respond hesitantly, looking away from One as I answer him, my coffee cup suddenly becoming much more interesting.
“Does he know?” he asks again.
“Maybe he suspects. I don’t know. There are a million things people want to do that’s untraceable on the internet, right? He was the only person I knew that I could ask for help. I couldn’t exactly Google it and have it forever stained on my freaking search history, could I?” I exclaim, defending my decision to involve Theo in a small part of my plan. All he’d done was help me get a laptop with everything installed that I needed to get into the darker corners of the internet untraced. “Who knows what he thinks I’m doing?”
“Well, he knows you’re not buying drugs. And I don’t peg you as the type looking for some of the more disgusting stuff out there, and I doubt your Theo would either if he’s spent any time at all with you. So killing someone is a pretty good guess. And who else would a pretty little rich girl like you want to kill? Another dumb rich girl at school? Too far for petty things. No, it would be something personal. What did you think he would do when your mother dropped dead?”
“Nothing. He’d have done nothing,” I declare with conviction. I know that even if he knew, he wouldn’t have done shit. He’s so tangled up in crime himself, he’s not about to report someone else’s. We’re friendly enough in our close moments that I’d trust him not to blackmail me either. Maybe that’s naïve, but I guess if it had come to that, I’d would have had access to my dead mother’s money to pay him off.
“Ridiculous,” he mutters, before adding in a louder, more commanding tone, “We need to pay this Theo a visit.”
“Not until I see my brother,” I insist, and he laughs.
“You’re not coming.”
“The hell I’m not!” I argue. “You’re not getting anywhere near Theo without me there. I won’t tell you his last name or where to find him, so you might as well take me along for the ride.” I wasn’t going to send three killers to my friend’s doorstep. Somehow I’ll find a way to fix this mess, but I have to be there in order to do that.
“You really think we need either of those things to find him with all the information you just shared with us?” he asks in an amused tone.
“I think that you’ll want to go there as soon as possible, because you’re worried someone is trying to fuck with you other than me, or because of any mistake I’ve made. You have to check this out, cross it off your list of possibilities,” I throw the theory out there, letting it just sit in the air for a moment when he doesn’t respond. “It will take time find out who he is and where he lives. Longer than it will take to just let me see my brother and clean myself up a little. You know that I’m right.”
“You have an hour to do both, or you’re telling us the address, and we’re leaving without you.” After I nod in agreement, he continues, “Two snuck into your house last night and grabbed some of you and your brother’s stuff. He found two backpacks already packed and ready to go hidden away in your wardrobe, do you know anything about that?” One asks, seeming genuine in his curiosity.
“Our go-bags,” I mutter, my jaw dropping a little as I realise I’d completely forgotten about them. I kept escape bags ready for both me and Caleb. One set in the wardrobe, one set in the boot of my car, and one set in my locker at sixth-form. “It can never hurt to be prepared.” I shrug, wishing they’d both stop staring at me like I’m insane. Even through the ski masks I can feel their disbelief.
“Smart thinking,” One admits quietly, taking me by surprise. “Your brother is down the hall, to the left, the last door you see. It locks on the outside, so you can let yourself in. Your stuff is in there, and there’s a toilet and sink in a room off from his. Don’t try anything stupid, Scarlett. There’s no way out of here if we don’t want you to leave yet.”
I nod my head in acceptance and dart off in the direction he indicated, eager to leave their intense stares behind me. As I walk down the hallway I feel as if they’re watching every step I take, despite nobody following me out of the room, a thought occurs to me. It may prove quite difficult for us to go to Theo’s together without me seeing their faces. I internalise a groan as I slide open the only lock engaged of the six that adorn the big door.
What the hell have I gotten myself into now?
Chapter Seven
“Caleb?” I call as I step into an empty room. He darts out from behind a door I hadn't noticed, one I assume leads to the bathroom they mentioned, and walks towards me.
“You're here,” he exhales in relief, giving me a small smile. I resist my urge to rush over and give him a hug, knowing how much he dislikes them. I stop a pace or so away from him, close enough to reassure myself that he appears fine, but still giving him his space.
“I'm here.” I pause as I run my gaze over him, looking for even the slightest signs of harm, but other than his clothes being ruffled from sleep, I find none. “Have they treated you okay?” I question him gently, not wanting to set him off.
“I'm fine. They just shut me in here and told me to wait until you could come and speak to me. They said I should sleep, so I did. Was that the wrong thing to do?” he asks me, in an almost bored voice. Only Caleb could get bored while held captive by assassins.
“I'm glad you're okay.” I reach out a hand and rest it on his shoulder, needing to feel the warmth under my fingers to convince myself that he's real. He's alive, and he's actually okay. He doesn't even look distressed. Maybe we can get out of this without him becoming traumatised? I have to do everything I can to make that happen. “We're going to be okay,” I tell him, trying to sound reassuring. “You just have to stay here for a little while I help these guys out with something. And then, you and I are going to get out this place. Maybe we'll even travel across Europe? I know you've always wanted to go back to Rome.”
“How are we gonna do that, Scar?” he asks me quietly, his brown eyes filling with worries no child should bear.
“I don't know all the answers right now, but I swear I will make it work. You're never going back there, Caleb.” I stare back into his eyes, hoping that mine show the sincerity and conviction in my promise that I feel. He will never go back there. I don't care if I have to kill the witch myself, she won’t ever lay a hand on him.
“Thanks, Scar,” he responds, sounding a little more upbeat and giving me a cheerful smile.
“Are you going to be okay here
while I go with them?” I ask him, not wanting to bring him down again, but still needing to be sure. He takes me by surprise by smiling wider.
“I'll make it work.”
“You're wise beyond your years, Caleb.” I step back just one pace and already begin to feel anxious about leaving him here. “I'll be back soon,” I inform him, trying to sound confident.
“Okay, I'll be waiting here.” He pauses with his mouth half open, looking extremely thoughtful for a moment. “Can you ask if they have any food before you leave though?”
“Of course I can. I need to get cleaned up before we leave anyway. Do you need anything else?” I ask, and he shakes his head, his messy hair flying everywhere as he does. “Good.” I try to walk out, but I stop myself halfway and turn back, heading straight for my brother. “Can I please hug you? I promise to be fast,” I request, my anxiety at leaving him here demanding I do. Instead of answering, he just gives me a hug instead. Grateful, I return the hug, giving him a quick squeeze before releasing him. “When I'm gone, please stay safe. Be polite, stay quiet, and keep to yourself. I'll make sure they feed you, and I fucking swear to you I'll come back as soon as possible and then we'll leave. Okay?” I promise again.
“I know you will,” he says, not sounding concerned as he pulls away.
“How do you sound so sure?” I wonder aloud, the words just slipping out from my lips. How can he be so sure of me, when I'm this anxious?
“Because you've never broken a promise,” he tells me with conviction, as he goes to take a seat on the camping bed they put up for him.
“Thanks for believing in me, Caleb,” I tell him, before turning away and heading back for the door. I walk straight back to where I left One and Three. I walk into the room and freeze as I see the back of a head. A head that’s not covered by a ski-mask anymore.
“Caleb needs something to eat,” I announce, as my eyes dart around everywhere but the uncovered head. Of course, they then latch onto the other person, Three, who stands facing me. He’s also without his mask again. He smiles, and I just stare in silence.
His face is too pretty for a killer. A friendly smile and brown eyes shining with life. He's nothing like I expected. Nobody would blink twice at this man on the street. Well, other than to check him out, that is. I grimace as I realise just how attractive he really is. Why are the bad ones always so good looking? I shake my head in dismay at the thought.
“I'll get him something now,” Three offers, already moving. He pushes past me and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. I start inching towards the door myself, forcing myself to move slowly and not run like fleeing prey.
“Where are you going?” One asks me in a low voice.
I freeze, feeling goose bumps break out all over my skin as I glance at the back of his head, waiting for him to turn around. When he doesn't turn, I answer him. “Just going to clean myself up.”
He finally turns around and walks towards me, stopping just inches away. He looks down at me, and I stare up at his face, taking it all in. Fair-skinned, green eyes, dark-blond hair, and I spot the edge of a tattoo inching out down his neck from behind his left ear. His expression is cold and his eyes cunning. Again, he's more attractive than I'd like to think of a killer being, but he's rougher. I notice a few things I didn't at first glance. The scar on his neck that leads down under his shirt, the dark shadows under his eyes, and the general frostiness that he has about him. His intensity is only furthered by seeing his face.
“You've seen my face now.” He speaks the words simply, just a statement of fact. His next words are spoke in the same manner. “You tell anyone what any of us look like, and I'll kill you. Maybe I'll shoot you, maybe I'll take my time, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that you'll be dead. Do you understand me?”
“I understand,” I respond, proud of the fact my voice doesn't shake. I clasp my hands behind my back, trying to hide that they're shaking.
“If you were dead, no one will be there to care for your brother—
“Are you threatening my brother?” I cut him off, fury churning in my gut. He smiles and holds his hands up in a mockery of a surrender.
“I'm not,” he says, just as calmly as before. “I'm only stating a fact. Without you, he has no one. Stay alive for him, Scarlett. Keep your pretty mouth shut.”
“I won't tell a soul. Not a single thing about you or your friends, if you'll let us go. I'll take Caleb, and we’ll both disappear. You'll never hear from us again. I swear.”
“That's the plan?” he asks, and I hesitate but confirm with a nod of my head. “Good. You'd never be safe out in the open, even with your mother dead.”
“Why wouldn't we be safe with her dead?” I ask, unable to stop myself due to the burning curiosity.
“People like her have friends. Associates. People who will notice she's gone and likely know where to point the finger of blame. You'll need to get new identities, money, and help if you can find it. Just be careful of who you trust,” he advises. I lick my lips nervously, feeling my heart start to pound in my chest as he speaks.
“Thank you,” I utter, just about getting the words out. Even held together, my hands continue to tremble at my back.
“Get ready. We're leaving soon. I want this sorted and done with today,” he instructs in an icy tone, before walking out and leaving me standing in stunned silence, as I watch out the door after him as he goes. I let out a long sigh of relief when he's finally far enough away. My shoulders sag a little, I feel an exhaustion deep within my body that I know sleep won't fix.
“Just get cleaned up, see Theo, and then come back so you can get Caleb and leave forever,” I tell myself aloud, hoping that hearing the words will make it sound easier somehow. Make it sound like a real plan instead of wishful thinking.
If only things were ever really that simple.
Chapter Eight
“Your friend lives there?” One asks me, sounding surprised when I lean forward between their seats and point towards a posh-looking building up ahead.
“Yeah, there’s valet parking too,” I mutter glumly, turning head towards the car window to my left, choosing to stare at the grey sky instead of him.
“We’re not using it.” He pauses for a moment before adding, “Three, pull up outside the front and let us out. Park as close as you can without drawing attention to yourself, then message me for further instruction.”
“Got it,” Three answers simply.
“Is there security?” One demands.
“What do you think?” I bite out with a roll of my eyes, unable to stop my sarcastic reply.
“They won’t be a problem. They’ve seen me here before, and they’re only downstairs anyway. Theo doesn’t like people milling around upstairs near his place,” I add, hoping the information will relax them a little.
The trip here had been frustrating to say the least. They blindfolded me, and then they drove me around in circles, taking twists and turns for only god knows how long. Every second Three wasted taking another unnecessary turn at One's request, my fury grew at their ridiculous tactic for keeping me unaware of their hideout’s location. But I know they’re doing it because neither of them trust me not to run and report them. It's also a guarantee I won't just try and run for my own safety too, rather than to report them, as I wouldn't be able to get my brother back without their help.
The lecture they gave me was unwarranted, as I’m already aware of all that, and regardless, I have zero intentions of turning anyone in. It's not like it's an option, even if it was something I’d considered doing. There isn't anyone influential in this city that my mother hasn’t either fooled with her act or paid off. Including the police. I tried that once and learnt my lesson the hard way about that. Nobody believes the bratty little rich girl over the successful, smart, business woman.
“You better not be thinking of fucking with us, Scarlett,” One calls from the passenger seat up front. He'd switched from sitting in the back with me to moving up fron
t about twenty minutes ago, once he'd come to the astute conclusion I had no hidden desire to jump out of a moving vehicle. Idiot.
“Not at all. I'm just nervous to see Theo,” the lie slips from my tongue without thought or effort. I hate lying, but my life and circumstances forced me to become one of the best at it. Now it's as easy as breathing, and that fact alone catches my breath as I fully realise it. Self-loathing twists in my gut.
“Why are you nervous, I thought he wasn't your boyfriend?” One mocks, looking back at me as Three brings the car to a stop outside of the building. I feel trapped by his green eyes, pinned to the backseat of the older Mercedes.
“I'm not worried about my romantic entanglements,” I answer bluntly.
“Well, what are you worried about?” he asks, the corners of his lips twisting up as if he already knows the answer.
“Screw you,” I mutter, folding my arms and sitting back. “You can either shut up, and we can go do this and get it over with, or you can have fun getting into that building without me.” I jerk my head in the direction of the bulky doorman. “There's more security inside the building. Cameras. A desk. You two don't exactly fit in. You need me if you don’t want to draw attention to yourselves.”
“Neither do you,” One retorts. I frown, my confusion bringing the furrow to my brow.
He leans towards me and brushes a finger lightly across the top of my cheek. I flinch from the light touch and the sudden reminder about the dark, purple-blue bruise on my face.
“You'd be surprised. Your clothes will draw more attention than the bruise on my face. At least I'm dressed right,” I reply, pressing my lips together as I run my eyes over his attire. Dark, ragged jeans, and a tight black t-shirt. His clothes look worn, and not in a distressed jeans fashion statement kind of way.
“Whatever you say, Princess,” he taunts, before sliding out of the car without another word.
“Are you going with him or not?” Three asks, turning back to look at me. I look up at the building and frown. I can't let Theo talk to this psycho alone. I'll go in, clear Theo's name, then I’m grabbing my brother, and we’re getting out of here. We’ll finally escape this horror show that is our lives once and for all.
