six
“You work for him, so that means you are just as terrible as he is.”- Callisto
Wednesday Morning…
“You okay?” Evan asks, gaze on Leo. I look around for Nico but don't see him.
Worry gnaws at my gut. What if they killed Nico for trying to escape?
It was my idea; Nico went along with it.
I hate the idea of sitting here, doing nothing, waiting to die.
I glance at Leo, who still has a firm grip on my elbow.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just a bit of a headache now. I’ll take something when I get home.” Leo shoots me an angry look. I shrug, pretending that I don't care that I hurt him. I didn’t want to, though. Normally I don't like violence. It is completely against my personal moral standards.
“Umm… What do you wanna do?” Fletcher glances between us. I look around.
We seem to be at a harbor of some sort. The realization took root right after Leo tackled me, then grew heavier during our short walk back.
Even though I can no longer see the ocean, I can smell it and hear the handful of boats as the waves bump them against the wooden docks they are tied to.
I don't know which one, and there are a lot to choose from in our city.
“We go on with the original plan,” Leo answers, and I wonder what the original plan is.
Is it to finally kill us? Did they realize my family wasn't planning to pay my ransom?
Leo was holding a box of donuts when he came into our cell.
That would be a horrendous last meal, but these people aren’t the type to respect someone’s last wishes.
I don't even want to think about the amount of blood that is on the hand gripping my arm.
“Shouldn’t we tell the boss what happened?” Evan asks, and my head snaps up.
“And have him shoot us for our incompetence?” Leo asks, looking at the men.
“Yeah… none of us want to be on the business end of a bullet,” Fletcher says, shaking his head.
“Exactly… So, this stays between us. Evan, bury the security feed,” Leo looks at Evan, squinting against the sun.
“Something like this will never happen again,” Daron says, nodding toward Leo.
“Let’s just go. My head feels like it is going to fucking explode. I need some pain meds and a metric ton of coffee.” Leo rubs his temples, and a pang of guilt shoots through my chest.
The feeling has no clear origin, but it lingers as Leo squints against the mild, hazy winter sun. It’s my fault. I hit him over the head with a toilet seat. I regret it… sort of. I shouldn’t. Leo is a monster who is part of a criminal organization and kills innocent people.
The other men nod, and Leo pulls on my arm, toward another black nondescript van, but different from the one we were in yesterday. He pushes me in, turning to grab something before he follows me. I don't pay attention to Leo as I take in my surroundings.
The back of this van is open, so I sit on the dirty floor.
I’m not worried about stains on my clothes anymore.
They are ruined. I will have to burn them if I get out of this alive.
I am also starting to smell bad, having not showered since yesterday morning.
I hate smelling bad. I hate looking bad, so to say I am uncomfortable would be an understatement.
My hair is a greasy mess, and my teeth are furry. I’m disgusting right now.
“Here.” Leo hands me a coffee, and I glance suspiciously between the drink and Leo. His silvery-blue eyes are sparkling somehow, even in the lowlight of the vehicle. He smirks, his day-old scruff morphing with it.
“Take it. It’s a caramel latte. Didn’t know what you would like, so I ordered the white-girl special. I promise it doesn’t have anything in it other than coffee and an obscene amount of sugar.”
“Thanks.” I take it slowly, my fingers brushing Leo’s as the to-go cup passes from his hand to mine. Leo’s fingers are cold, and I tell myself that I don't have a sudden desire to warm them up. Leo holds up his own coffee, almost as if he is toasting me.
I nod, then take a sip, the hot liquid making its way down behind my sternum and settling into my stomach, warming me from the inside out.
I normally don't consume this much sugar, but I’m starving, having refused to eat most of the food that was given to us.
I did pick at dinner, but it was still overly processed crap from a fast food restaurant.
“Sorry, we had donuts but they kind of fell on the floor when you hit me over the head with something that you sit your bare ass on.”
Leo takes a drink from his own cup, and I grimace at his use of crude language.
I look up, finding that Leo doesn’t seem to be upset about the blow.
In fact, the sides of his mouth are tilting up into a small smile.
“Aren’t you going to blindfold me or something?” I ignore his comment, studying Leo while I can. I know they will probably take my sight from me soon enough, so I may as well spend what last moments I have before darkness to look at the only interesting thing in the van.
As much as I hate to admit it, Leo does interest me in some way. I can’t figure him out. His whole aura confuses me. It’s like he is surrounded by darkness but still somehow manages to emit light. As if the sun itself is surrounded by the night sky. It’s unnatural, but I can’t look away.
“Nope. That’s not necessary.” Leo is doing that thing where he refuses to give more information than needed. He pulls the sleeves of his jacket up, exposing muscular forearms, his skin pale underneath the tattoos looking almost luminous.
For some reason, Leo makes me think of summer, and I can’t figure out why.
Maybe it’s the brightness that seems to radiate off him even when he is tired and squinting from a possible concussion.
I don't understand how someone so evil can give off this much light.
The sun is deadly though, if you’re exposed to it for long enough.
Will he burn my skin in a way I will never recover from?
“Why? Don’t wanna cover up my pretty face?”
I use Leo’s words from earlier against him.
I try to push the straddling incident from my mind because he apparently has a very round ass, and it felt amazing pressed into my balls, even when he was threatening me with a gun.
I glance up to find Leo’s smirk is now a full-blown smile.
“You can’t see where we’re going. The sides of this van cover us in every direction. You can’t even see out the front because this is up.” Leo demonstrates by tapping the wall behind him where I assume the cab is located.
“The door is locked, too. Just me and you back here, and I’ve got the gun. If you scream, I’ll gag you faster than a cheap porno star. I’m not too concerned.” Leo points at the door as he speaks, and I can’t stop the face I make at the pornography comment.
“Where’s Nico?” I ask. He is quite literally the only person I have in the world that cares about me, even if it’s only because he's paid to.
I like to believe that Nico is sincere in his friendship, but I can’t be sure.
So many people in the past have befriended me for the sole benefit of my money, constantly expecting me to pay for meals or take them on lavish vacations.
It gets old, and it always makes me wonder if people actually like me or just like my bank account.
“He’s safe. He’s with Daron. D’s a good guy. He’ll take care of him,” he answers easily, his tone taking on a comforting quality, as if he is speaking to a scared child.
The worry I felt moments before evaporates.
I’m glad that Nico is okay. I would never forgive myself if Nico died because of me.
He’s a good person and has never been anything but nice to me.
I don't know why Leo told me that little bit of information, almost as if he was trying to reassure me. Shouldn’t he have lied or not told me anything, kept me guessing and scared? Isn’t that what bad guys typically do?
We sit in silence for a while. I have no idea how long since I have no concept of time at the present moment.
Leo’s eyes are closed as he leans his head against the panel behind him.
I can’t help but stare at him, and I don’t understand why.
I tell myself it's because I don’t have anything better to do.
There is only one small light in the back of the van casting shadows in different directions.
Every now and again, Leo would wince when the vehicle changes directions, causing his head to move.
Leo has changed his clothes from the day before.
He’s now wearing a dark maroon shirt with a well-fitting tattersall print light gray jacket on top.
The pattern of the jacket is black and maroon, matching his shirt perfectly.
His tight black jeans are well fitted, black combat boots adorning his feet.
Jealousy pangs against my stomach. I would give anything to change my clothes.
My skin feels itchy in my dirty clothes, and I hate it.
Leo looks peaceful, his long eyelashes brushing his freckled cheeks in the dim light of the van. At this moment, he doesn't look like a killer at all. He looks like a tired man who may have a headache. My fingers itch to sketch him.
I know Leo isn’t asleep even though his breaths are even and steady.
Every few minutes, he takes another sip from his coffee, not even opening his eyes to look at the cup.
I probably should be taking this time to consider an escape plan, but I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from the other man occupying the vehicle.
I cannot deny that Leo is pretty even with his day-old scruff covering his cheeks.
While I am studying him, my mind is racing with the questions about today, mostly surrounding Leo’s motives.
“Why aren’t you going to tell your boss that we tried to escape?”
I blurt the question out before I even have time to reconsider, which is definitely not like me.
The stress of the situation is making me think and behave differently.
I don’t like it. I may not have ever known who I am, but I’m definitely not someone who hits people over the head or speaks before I think.
“Don’t want him to kill you… or us.” Leo doesn’t even open his eyes when he answers. His slim shoulders shrug as he brings the hot coffee up to his lips, tilting his head a bit to take a sip, firm lips puckered around the rim of the cup
“He sounds like a terrible person.” I take a sip of my own drink for lack of something better to do.