C9 Emmi: Going Home

My head hurts, I drank too much last night, more than I have ever drunk before, and I guess that was my way to cope with the facts of everything. The party is tomorrow night, and I know I can’t escape now. I know that once I get home, there will be no freedom. My mum will be getting me ready for this party. I want to fight and scream against her, because why should I be the perfect bride (or almost bride)? After getting showered and dressed, I walk out, unsure of what mood these four guys will be in this morning. I can only hope for good ones. I see them sitting together, eating, and talking, all falling quiet as I step through into the room.

“Come eat, little lamb. Then we will sort out a way to get you back home.” I nod and walk through, once again taking my seat next to Bear. I eat quietly as they talk, but it is as if they have changed the subject now that I’m here. They seem to be trying to avoid anything business or personal. Which leaves nothing. They don’t trust me, and I don’t blame them. My parents could be doing this to get information to take over the city.

“So, little lamb, who was your friend on the phone?” I turn and look at Bear, confused. “No playing dumb, Ethan was too eager to tell me about the guy was wanting… 40k, wasn’t it? To get you out of the city?”

Well, shit, now everyone is looking at me, and I know this was discussed as they don’t look shocked. They all knew.

“You’re going to kill him, aren’t you?” I look between them. Of course, they are. I don’t care, though; I have given up on caring right now.

“He was going to steal you,” Bear explains, but he is wrong.

“He wasn’t going to steal me. He was helping me escape. Risking his life to help me. You let Ethan go.” I turn and look at Gunner. He let Ethan go, so he could leave Paul alone.

“One, this guy isn’t doing it to help you. He is doing it through greed and to get money to run. Ethan did it purely to help you. The money was nothing to him. He has money, little kitten.” Gunner looks at me. Ethan didn’t do it for money? Surely that is wrong. Ethan doesn’t care about me. He did it to get money. He needed money, didn’t he? I look at all of them. So, Gunner let Ethan go because he didn’t need the money, which means he was helping me? Maybe they will realise Paul is doing it to help me? I don’t care either way.

“Paul, his name is Paul Wickins.”

I hear a snort of laughter come from Zane. Everyone is smiling and laughing slightly, but I see the pure anger in Bear’s eyes. Do they know him?

“Why do you all look so smug, and why are you laughing?” They do. They have a look of ‘I told you so’ on their faces.

“Because the little weasel knows us, that is why, sugar. Even we know the money was part of it, yes, but Paul’s main goal was payback. You would never have made it there alive.” Dante explains

I look at them, confused. How can they just assume they know I would be dead? “You don’t know that.”

“We do, Emmi. He is known in both cities, and it isn’t the first time he has done the wrong thing. He made it known to your family and ours he would take us down. He’s nothing big, with not much money, so he wasn’t a threat. We heard he had a plan to ruin both cities two or three years ago, but we waited, and nothing happened. But now we know that plan. He wants revenge, and you were nearly it,” Zane explains.

So, I was just a pawn? Paul was not going to free me. He was going to use me, take the money, and ruin the cities? I should feel mad, should hate him, should want revenge. But I don’t care. Right now, I don’t care about anything.

“It was three years ago he approached me with the proposal. He said he wanted to escape the city, and if I could get him 40k to restart his life, he would fly us out of the city and away from here. He gave me ideas on how to get the cash, considering my family never gave me more than needed. So, buying clothes, then returning them a week later for a refund. The dresses my mother expects me to wear are not cheap.” So, one every month, I would buy two or three and return one.

“How much did you save up?” Bear looks at me, a glint of interest in his eyes.

“Just under sixty thousand. I had nearly raised it all. I started buying four dresses and taking two back.” I had, but it wouldn’t have helped if what they were saying is true about Paul. Maybe I am just unlucky, and the course is set for my shitty life?

“Right, I have something to sort. So here you go, little lamb.” I watch as Bear places down the dagger and pick it up. Then, moving, I slide it into the holster on my leg. “Gunner will take you home. We will all see you Saturday, tomorrow night.”

Bear says ‘all’ like he is making Dante realise he has to come as well. “You don’t have to. Isn’t the party just so you can meet my family and them hand me over? Just send a car to collect me.” I won’t fight, this is set, but I will get answers from my mother and from Jamie. I will find my freedom in my own way.

“Not a chance. It would be rude and ignorant to ignore the party and just send a car. But, on the other hand, it will be good to see your city again, for Dante, that is. He hasn’t left our city for years.” Bear laughs, looking at him.

“I need to leave.” Dante stands and walks out, clearly still fighting against me. No one speaks. We just sit in silence for a while.

“We need to leave, Zane,” Bear explains, and he stands up. “See you tomorrow, little lamb.” Bear smiles and the two leave. I stay sitting and look at Gunner. He is crazy. That is the only word I can say. He is crazy.

“So, straight home or fun first?” His smile widens.

“Home. I guess if this is going ahead, I need to get ready.” I need time to speak to Jamie and my mum.

“Okay, little kitten, let’s go.” Standing, he grabs his jacket. I walk out with him, watching as he uses the card to go in the lift. In the car, I sit and stay quiet, everything swarming in my head as he drives. “So, you like daggers?” He grins across at me.

“Depends on the dagger, to be honest,” I explain.

“Open the glove compartment, little kitten. You can choose any of them you want.” He nods towards it.

I open it slowly, unsure of what to expect.

“How do you have a dagger, little kitten? It is not something I would expect your parents to give you or allow you to have.” He looks at me questioningly.

I stare at the daggers. How many does he have in the car and why? Laughing, I pick one up, my eyes assessing it wearily. “I stole it. Not exactly stole, I told the guy if he didn’t give it to me, I would get my family to pay him a visit. So, I have kept it hidden for two years now.” I don’t know why but I like my dagger. It helps me feel safe among the crazies. “I like this one, but I have nowhere to hide it on myself, so you can save it for me.” I can’t hide two; one is fine, but two?

“Not a problem, little kitten. What are your plans for tonight?” He smiles at me, and I realise I have no idea. I just know I need to talk to Jamie and my mum and try once more to get all this stopped. “It’s hard to believe, you know?”

I turn to look at him, confused. “What?” Is he on about me not having any idea of my plans for tonight?

“That you haven’t been with a guy.” He glances at me. Great, so we’re back on this topic? “Makes me wonder, that’s all.”

“Hmm?” I wish he would drive quicker so this conversation would end.

“Just curious how you managed for so long. Did you never try to get time and privacy with a guy?” he asks.

“I tried, but it never happened. Those willing to risk it were scared off quickly, and those I tried with often refused through fear. There is no place to hide in the city. Everyone knew me. Even at school, people wouldn’t come near me. I don’t understand why you are all so surprised.” Hell, the way Ethan acted clarifies that even those in this city who knew of me were afraid to touch me.

“A shame, that’s all.”

His words confuse me as he stops the car. “What’s a shame?” I feel my eyes rolling. He has a lifetime to talk to me, and he chooses now?

“The fact that you have never had a chance to be pleasured in that way, that you haven’t experienced it many times. Fingers, mouth, a cock.”

I feel my face flush. What the hell?

“I can solve that for you. No one will dare to stop me.” He leans closer, his mouth near my neck.

“I am not having sex with you.” Is he fucking crazy? I laugh at myself. He is. I know he is.

“I never said sex, little kitten. I just meant pleasure you, give you a mind-blowing orgasm.”

My body is trembling, but that is the signal for me to leave. “Thanks for the ride home. I am going now.” I don’t give him a chance to talk. I just get out of the car and walk towards the house.