Beautiful Fiend: Chapter 3

My heart stops and I roll onto my back, hurrying to my feet so I don’t get caught in a weak position.

“I swear,” Caden smiles. “We’ve spent the evening wondering who we could blackmail into doing a shit job for us. And here you are, falling into our laps like a godsent gift.”

I gulp, noticing the people with him. Elliot and Ethan are sitting on plastic chairs on Caden’s left. On his right is some girl I don’t know. I’ve seen her before, although have never dealt with her directly.

I eye the backyard, looking for the exit, while Caden gets off his chair and approaches me slowly. He’s got that predatory way about him that I hate. I’ve managed to avoid being in his vicinity for two years. Since that night, I have done everything in my power to forget and move on. Now here I am, choosing his fucking backyard to escape the cops.

Noticing the trash cans on the other side of the yard, I take a slight step to the left. His smile widens, and he shakes his head. “No, no. You ain’t going anywhere, little Scott.”

Deciding to ignore him, I make a beeline for the exit. I kick a trash can out of the way as I sprint onto the street. I don’t make it a few yards before one of them whistles down the road. A few seconds later, members of their crew are coming out of two different houses on the street. A group of them blocks my way, and I spin around, but I’m forced to stop dead in my tracks.

Caden and his friends are waiting patiently, not far from me.

“Is that Billie Scott?” someone asks.

“NSC bitch in our territory. Someone’s begging for trouble,” another person adds behind me.

I do my best not to panic, even though fate is not exactly in my favor right now. All this for a bit of powder Xi should have picked up himself.

“It’s okay.” Caden smiles carnally before taking a step toward me. “She’s with me.” He takes his time walking to me, knowing perfectly well I’ve nowhere to run anymore. “And she’s coming with me,” he says as he grabs my wrist. “Aren’t you, pretty girl?”

Fury is a small word to describe how I feel right now, but it’s him or my body in a bag. I give him a slight nod and follow as soon as he takes a step. Slowly, his crew spreads out and people go back into their respective rundown houses.

Me? I’m stuck following him, Elliot, Ethan, and that random girl back to their house.

“Welcome to our humble abode,” Elliot cheers as he opens the door for us. I’m assuming it’s the stepbrothers’ house, then.

Caden doesn’t release my wrist until I’m sitting in the middle of the sofa in their living room. Elliot and Ethan are on either side of me to ensure I don’t go anywhere, and Caden sits on the coffee table right in front of me. He puts a hand on my knee, and I push it away instinctively.

“Don’t touch me,” I snap.

“Someone is feeling feisty today,” he says, amused.

“What do you want?”

The girl with them sits next to Caden and cocks an eyebrow at me. “Do you often talk like this to people who hold your pathetic life in their hands?”

I lean back against the sofa and cross my legs. “Go ahead. Kill me.”

They would have never taken me back here if they wanted me dead. I know that for sure. No, Caden’s got a sick game in mind, and he wants to use me for it. I’ll say whatever he wants to hear as long as I can get the fuck out of here quickly.

The girl narrows her eyes at me, shooting daggers and making me want to taunt her some more.

“I must warn you, though. If you don’t have a gun to end me, I’d suggest you just let me leave. You don’t want to have a fistfight with me. Trust me on that.”

Apparently, she’s ready to risk her life because she goes to get up, spitting a ‘bitch’ at me in the process, but Caden puts an arm in front of her.

“Jade,” he says coolly. “Behave.”

“Fuck this girl,” she snorts before going to sit in an armchair, away from me. “Just kill her already. She’s no use for us.”

“I saw you fight, you know,” Ethan says. “You fucked that Silver Fall girl up.”

“I did,” I confirm as my pride grows bigger. I don’t hide from compliments when it comes to what I’m good at.

“Dude, you should have seen her,” Elliot adds as Caden cocks his head, starting to show interest. “She’s got skills.”

“I don’t need someone with fighting skills, though.” Caden runs a hand through his black hair before leaning forward. “Can you drive, Billie?”

“Come on,” Jade cuts through our conversation. “You can’t possibly want to use this bitch for such an important job.”

“What job?” I ask. They all turn to me silently.

“No one’s talking to you,” Jade snarls.

“Do you bite, Jade?” I tease her. “Or do you just bark like a cute little puppy?”

Ethan chortles, attempting to hide it by running his hand over his mouth.

“I’m going to kill the bitch,” she seethes as I smile at her. My hands are damp from holding them into fists, and my voice isn’t as assertive as I wish, but I got to her, which means one point for me.

“Answer my question.” Caden’s ridiculously emotionless voice brings me back to the situation in front of me. “Can you drive?”

“No,” I lie.

“Sweet,” he beams. “That means you and I can spend time together while I teach you. It’s super simple, you’ll see. Just you and me cramped in my car while I show you how to use my stick.” His deep green eyes cut through me. Monsters hide in them, telling me everything he’d do to me if I ended up in his car.

I bite my tongue, not knowing how to get myself out of the situation I just created for myself.

“Unless you were being a smartass and you can drive. Should I ask my question again?”

My silence nudges him on.

“Can you drive, little Scott?”

“Yes,” I push past gritted teeth.

“How amazing.” He leans back, supporting himself with his hands behind him on the table. “I’ve got a great job for you.”

I reach into my pocket, pull out my pack of gum, and pop one into my mouth. I need something to distract myself. “If it’s illegal shit, count me out.”

Ethan and Elliot laugh on either side of me. “Isn’t it just so cute that she thinks she has a choice?” Elliot says.

“Just. So. Fucking. Cute,” Ethan adds.

“I won’t say it’s legal, but I can promise it’s simple. You take a car to a place, let some not-so-nice people fill the trunk, and drive it back to me. No peeking at what’s in there, no detour, no complaining. You drive there and drive back. Period.”

A panicked snort escapes me. “You’ve got to be joking.”

He gets up slowly and leans over me until he can hold himself on the back of the couch. His face is inches above mine, and I feel his breath on my face when he talks. He smells of weed and mint. “You’ve had to deal with me before. Did it seem to you like I joke a lot?”

A shiver runs down my body from remembering what happened the last time he had me within his hold. Not only how humiliated and destroyed I felt afterward, but the shame of knowing I touched myself to the memories of him. My brain must have idealized the situation. Over two years, my mind must have forgotten how utterly broken I was after what he did.

It’s the only explanation for why I feel so pleasurably tense as he remains close to me. The only reason I feel my stomach twisting in the best way as he smiles grimly at me.

He cocks his head to the side, undoubtedly waiting for my answer.

“No,” I push past my tight throat. “You don’t joke a lot.”

“No, I don’t joke around with NSC bitches I can use for my own gain,” he confirms.

Swallowing my pride is bitter, though now is not the time to play smart. With his knee, he kicks my leg off the other and settles in between them. The same feeling of dread I had two years ago comes back, replacing the warmth in my stomach. The simple gesture of him settling between my legs reminds me of the moment he had forced them apart to humiliate me. I shift, fear taking a tight hold on me.

“Now, I think you’re dying to help me out. Aren’t you?” he says calmly.

I shake my head slowly, trying to figure out if I can still avoid doing a dangerous job for him or if I’m genuinely, royally fucked.

He doesn’t like my answer because he steps back and reaches for his phone on the table. “Do you know what I’d hate to have to do with those videos I have of you, Billie?”

Yes. I do know.

My nails bite into my palms. “You wouldn’t…”

He explodes into a cold laugh. “Didn’t you also think I wouldn’t make you suck my cock? And that I wouldn’t force you to come from my tongue only? Shit, baby, you truly don’t know me.”

“What? You went down on her?” Jade chokes.

“Don’t believe me, Jade. Just check for yourself.”

He taps on his screen and throws his phone at his friend.

“Don’t!” I try to get up, but Elliot and Ethan are too quick. I’m smacked back onto the sofa in a split second, their hands on my shoulders. The moment my loud moans resonate from the phone speakers, I squeeze my eyes shut.

“Turn it off,” I grit.

“What a fucking slut,” Jade snorts. “Desperate enough?” she says as she looks up at me.

“Just turn it off!” I shout at all of them. “I’ll do your fucking job, Caden.”

He grabs his phone from Jade. “Hey!” she complains. “She was just about to come.”

“No need for more,” he smiles. “Billie is going to behave from now on, aren’t you, Billie?”

I grunt a vague yes, barely able to breathe through the humiliation.

“That’s what I thought.” He pats the top of my head condescendingly. “Come on, let’s get you back to NSC territory. I’ll escort you so you don’t get killed or anything.”

Ethan and Elliot release me and I’m up in an instant. Caden walks out with me, and we start the long road back to where I parked my car. I’m silent the whole time. He makes a couple of phone calls and meets some guys he knows on the way, giving them random tasks to do over town. I simply keep walking and he always catches up.

When we reach my car, he opens it for me. “You came all the way to our territory. You’re risking a lot here,” I say, secretly wishing someone would jump him and kill him on the way back.

“Gotta make sure nothing happens to you. A pretty girl like you walking alone at night. Who knows what kind of monsters could get you?”

He knows just as much as I that he’s the worst monster I could bump into. Ruthless, unhinged. I can’t think of one sweet quality to describe Caden King.

“Careful,” I say sarcastically. “One may think you care.”

He wraps an arm around my waist and brings me close. So close my nose is practically touching his chest. He smells clean, like the sea. It feels aquatic and fresh. It’s reassuring and comforting for such a callous man. Wrapping a hand around my throat, he forces me to tilt my head up.

“You’re my investment now, little Scott. You can bet your ass nothing is going to happen to you. Not until I’m done with you.”

I push at his chest, and he lets me go easily.

“Give me your phone.”

“Great,” I huff as I take it out of my pocket. “Now you want us to text and shit. Real cute.”

He smirks as he grabs it from me and calls himself.

“It’s to make sure you get your goodnight texts from me, you know.”

I shake my head, grab my phone back and get into my car as quickly as possible. I need to be away from him, then I’ll figure out what to do.

He holds onto my door, stopping me from closing it. “I want you at Sawyer’s house tomorrow at nine p.m.”

“Sawyer’s?” I choke. “The Kings will have my head before I can even reach his road.”

“Nah,” he smiles. “You’re mine now. No one hurts you. No one stops you from working for me.”

My heart somersaults at his words. It’s the wrong kind of attention, but it’s attention, and I haven’t had that in too long to be able to ignore it and pretend it doesn’t affect me.

“Nine p.m., got it? One minute late, and I’ll start to leak that video.”

I clench my jaw, then I nod. He finally releases my door and I slam it shut before leaving.

All I had to do was stay away from illegal business, and here I am, right in the middle of it.