Upon seeing my petrified state, Dexter's brown eyes instantly danced in satisfaction and amusement and I just stood in my position, my mouth gaping open with no words coming out. It's not real. This was not real. He was not here right now. He can't be here right now.
"You don't seem all too excited to see me." He slipped his hands into his jacket, leaning his shoulders back a little and I faltered back on my now growing weak knees, the fear of getting taken away trapping my thought and movements.
"Dexter...wh-what--help-" A hand seized my mouth from behind, the sudden rough impact making me feel suffocated as I struggled to loosen Dexter's grip around my mouth.
"Shh, shh, you've played this game enough and lost, sweetheart, stop fighting." He cooed in my ears lowly and I started to panic when his arm wrapped around my waist from behind. No, not again! Anything but this-
"Let go!" I muffled out, biting a piece of his skin but that didn't seem to do anything to him.
"If you behave, no one's gonna get hurt, sweetheart, I promise." I felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled darkly, clearly finding my struggles to break free a joke.
"She is the same as ever." I snapped my head towards the familiar voice and my eyes widened, horrified at the person who was now standing near my door.
"Oh, don't give me that look, darling." Lianna rolled her eyes and I just stared at her in disbelief, my whole mind growing blank with each passing moment, before realization seeped inside. How could she...it was her. It was her the entire time!
Before I knew it, I was kicking and jumping, hurling my legs everywhere in desperate attempts to get out of Dexter's grip, my eyes sending daggers at Lianna the whole time. She continued to watch me from a distance, a hint of amusement and pleasure shining inside of them. I stopped struggling due to the lack of air I was inhaling, thanks to Dexter, who still managed to keep his hands around my mouth the entire time.
"Make it quick. I'll distract him for now." Lianna cocked an eyebrow at me and it boiled anger inside of me. This bitch, if I ever get my hands on her, I swear to god-
"Take him out on a drive." Dexter chuckled again and I watched Lianna nod with a smirk before walking away, the corner of her eyes sparing me one glance of satisfaction before leaving. My whole body was now trembling, and I couldn't tell whether it was from fear or anger anymore. It was her. I really wasn't going crazy. With a growl, I elbowed Dexter on the stomach and watched him take a step back before he fell on the bed, along with my own back on top of his chest. My movements froze when I heard the car engine start and I gulped harshly, tears now running down my eyes. Why did Draven leave? Did he really leave?!
With a cry, I snapped my head away from his grip and started screaming for help but Dexter only laughed me off, pushing my body to a side. My eyes landed on his hands as he swiftly took out a duct tape from his pocket and before I could even protest, he roughly pasted a piece of it around my mouth before going for my legs and wrists. The whole time, I fought back, my already aching arms and legs begging to stop and give up but I couldn't just let him get away with this again. By the time he was done taping my wrists and legs, I was a mess, uncontrollable tears and ugly sobs making me feel so helpless and weak. I was now pressing myself against the headboard, bringing my knees closer to my chest and my hands as far away from Dexter as possible. I watched him brush his shoulders and huff in frustration one more time before sitting down on the bed, my eyes finally meeting his now slightly exhausted face.
"You're so fucking frustration to deal with, you know." His lips finally broke into a wry smile and I just glared at him, fighting back the urge to wipe my tears. "Oh, don't look at me like that." He took out his phone and started going through it before making a call. God, how I just wanted to punch the shit out of him.
"Yeah, I got her. If I take her now, he'll know." Dexter spoke on the line and I glared at him the entire time, praying it would somehow make him feel uncomfortable to the very least but sadly, that was never the case when it comes to this asshole.
"I'll just compel her and make it happen then." he said in an awfully calm voice and I stiffened before my mind started filling with the worse case scenarios that could happen if he was able to get away with this again. He finally hung up and I backed away when he edged closer, his eyes now scanning around my neck carefully, a small smirk making its way around his lips.
"Nice necklace. Mind taking it off for me?" he mostly demanded and I hurled my hands towards him but he easily caught it before grabbing my necklace. I muffled a scream under the tape when he ripped off it off and shook my head before sitting on my heels, watching him slip the necklace inside his pockets.
"Give that back!" I wanted to scream in his face but it was useless.
"Oh come on, it's not that important." Dexter smacked his lips and I fought back the urge to punch him in the face again. I decided to remain silent and turned away, my mind coming up with multiple plans to escape but I don't think any of them were going to work with my hands and legs tied down like this.
"Since Draven's gone, I am going to remove this okay, I'm sure that you're dying to ask me some questions right about now." he grinned wickedly before carefully removing the duct tape, only to be spat on the face. I bit the insides of my cheeks and watched his eyes tighten in disgust, his face already screwed up in anger and annoyance.
The next thing I knew, my head snapped to the right, followed by a burning sensation tingling all over my cheeks. My eyes were now widened in shock and I didn't dare to face him, afraid that I might get slapped again.
"Ah, fucking pisses me off." I heard him seethe and a soft whimper escaped through my lips.
"Don't cry. Just shut up and stay put for once until I get what I want." His words angered me and I let the tears fall, my whole body disgusted with myself for being so weak.
"Just stay away from me..." I croaked out when he moved closer, sighing in annoyance before reaching out to brush my tears.
"Tell me where Draven is hiding it." he ignored my statement and I looked at him in a somewhat confused yet angry expression. I opened my mouth, only to shut it back and turn away but Dexter only started to get impatient.
"Adriana, tell me while I am being nice,-"
"Tell you what?!"
"Where he hid my goddamn dagger," his hands were already gripping my cheeks forcefully. "Now if I were you, I'd stop being such a bitch and spill what I know." his tone grew more impatient with each second and I jerked my face away from his grip.
"I don't know anything... I only saw Draven recently, how the hell am I supposed to know where you left your boy toys." I grumbled the last part under my breath. His chuckle in amusement only ticked me off even more and I held my breathe, trying to calm myself down.
"Oh come on," he dragged the words, settling next to me and I shivered when one of his hand pressed itself against the bed before he closed in a little. "Don't be so upset, sweetheart." his breath hit against the side of my cheeks but I kept my emotionless mask on, staring ahead into practically nothing.
"Still mad about the situation? How can I make it up for you?"
"You can start by keeping your distance. Your presence is revolting." I hissed, turning to stare dead into his cold blue eyes. Eyes that mesmerized me at first sight, but now they seemed nothing more than a trap to lure me in to his little game. Which sadly worked.
"Tsk, why do you have to act-" Dexter's phone started ringing and I mentally sighed in relief, glad that I didn't have to fully engage into a conversation with this psychopath.
"Hmm? And what do you want me to do? We're going with my plan, Lianna. You do as I say, or you get out. But we both know where that's gonna leave you at," Dexter spoke roughly and I listened, trying to keep my emotions intact and actually use any information he spills for my own plans to escape.
"I'll bring her over. She'll come back to us tomorrow, so relax. You'll have him soon, sweetheart, I give you my word. Till then, quit your whining and be patient, because if I have to take another one of your fucking calls where you forget your place and order me around, then we'll have a real problem, love, am I clear?" I watched a glint of anger flash across his eyes before they softened and he hung up the phone with a smile.
"Guess it's your lucky night, sweetheart. You get to see your lover boy all drunk and cute." His words confused me but I didn't have time to ask any questions, because the next thing I knew, I was thrown over his shoulder before he carried me out, my whole body struggling to break free the whole way out.
xxx
"I am not doing this. You can't compel me and let me go again. You can't just do what you want and expect me to play along, Dexter! Who the fuck do you think you are?!" I screamed in the front seat as Dexter parked the car near Vanity, the most famous night club in the city. I opened the door with my now untied hands and slammed the door shut before shooting him one last glare.
"Got no choice, sweetheart, you gotta learn to deal with this, with me." he slipped the keys inside his jacket before striding off into the club and my feet dragged itself inside as well. Who knew compulsion would be this aggravating to deal with?!
A bunch of drunk people were now dancing, laughing, choking and making out, you name it. It was wild and a mess in here and I honestly don't understand how people could enjoy places like this. It was disgusting, noisy and anything but fun. Dexter dragged me through the crowd and my eyes widened when I saw Lianna near the bar, having a casual drink with Draven. Lianna looked fine. Draven on the other hand, was definitely drunk. I could tell even from this distance. The way his head kept swaying a little before he gulped down another shot.
"He's all yours for the night babe," Lianna smirked as I approached them and I sent her one hateful glare before shaking my head in disbelief.
"This isn't over, Lianna. You won't be able to get away with this-"
"Oh, save it for your funeral." she hissed back and I was about to say something when Dexter cleared his throat before motioning Lianna to get going.
"Remember, you're returning back to me by morning. You remember your little speech?" he raised a brow and I didn't say anything but looked away. "We'll be off then." He waved me off and I flinched when I noticed Draven finally turn around, just as they disappeared.
His eyes met mine briefly and I quietly sat down on the stool next to him, growing silent.
"Hey." was all I could muster up to say.
"I don't enjoy company from just anyone, so fuck off."
"You didn't even realize Dexter was here, how drunk are you?"
"Who are you and what the fuck do you think you're doing taking this seat?" he was about to take another sip when I grabbed his glass away but he swiftly snatched them back again.
"Just a friend trying to help out." I exhaled deeply.
"A friend?" he scoffed once, bringing the wine glass closer to his lips for a moment before stopping. "I thought I had a friend once too." My eyes froze on the side of his jawline as he kept staring ahead, his eyebrows furrowing together, as if he's deep in thought. All of a sudden, his lips cracked into a smile before he threw his head and started laughing. That famous laugh of his that drove me nuts. It was light and cheerful, yet so contagious and pleasing to hear. Although it wasn't often, I missed seeing him laugh like this.
"She was a different type of friend," he narrowed his eyes a little and my heart skipped a beat.
"How did you meet her?" I had to make conversation to keep this going.
"At a party." he stated bluntly and my breath hitched at his words. "When I first saw her at the party, standing there, all nervous and scared, it intruiged me. She wasn't like the rest of the girls waiting there. She wasn't happy or excited. She looked scared. She was scared. And it bothered me," he took a small sip again and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"How come?"
"Because I knew she didn't want this. She didn't want me. The way she acted made me feel like the heartless monster I really was. Seeing her made me snap back to reality. My reality. Humans praised my kind but it was for their own selfish reasons. They wanted money and power. But deep down, they hated my kind. They hated me. And seeing her became a constant reminder that I really was a monster. That I was hated." He sighed into his glass and I kept listening, my eyes welling up now.
"Anything else you want, sir?" the bartender asked politely and I quickly shook my head in his place.
"He's already wasted. Thanks to that Lianna and her vervain bullshit. She must have mixed it in his shots." I muttered under my breath. Oh, I will never forgive her for this. For any of this.
"So I started hating her. Instead of making her see me differently, I wanted her to hate me even more. I hated seeing her. But after being around her for some time, it started becoming hard," I tried to shut out the music and focused more on his voice. "It became harder to hate her. She was too innocent. Too sweet. Too nice for her own good. As time passed, hurting her started hurting me more. I would hurt her, abuse my power against her, yet she'd always have this hope. A little hope that I would spare her life, that I wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't like. She claims to hate my kind, yet she was unconsciously always seeing the best in me. When she begged me to help her parents and not feed on her, she knew. A part of her always believed that I wouldn't go that far. And I couldn't. At that point, I guess, I wanted to grasp on to the little expectation she had of me and hold onto it. Use it to see me differently. I wanted her to like me. Fall in love with me," he kept going and I wiped my tears, turning away a little, glancing up every now and then to keep my tears in. "Being around her made me feel different. She was so effortlessly beautiful. Kind, sweet, stubborn, annoying as hell but nevertheless, perfect in her own way. Having her around made me see all my flaws and actually want to change them for the better. Just so she could stop to look at me and say, maybe I was wrong. Maybe he's not all there is to him. I wanted her to see me. I wanted to have her so badly, it drove me insane," at this point, my mouth was slightly open, my heart pounding loudly against my chest and just as he chuckled, a pang of guilt pierced through my heart again. "Funny thing is, I fell in love with her before she could even bat an eye at me. But in time, I guess she opened up to me a little too. And that made me feel happy. For the first time...in a long time, I was happy. I thought to myself, ah, if such a person like her could like someone like me, there really was hope in this world, even for someone like me," Draven ruffled up his hair and leaned back in the chair. "At that point, I think everything about her got me craving for more. Her smile, her eyes, her touch, her kisses, everything...everything about her became so addictive. I couldn't stand anyone looking at her the same way I did. For some reason, she makes everyone around her soften up just for her. She was unreal. Different. Making everyone around her fall in love with her without even trying. But at the end of the day, she left me too." my heart dropped at his sudden words. "I guess she hated me too."
"That's not true-"
"She did hate me." he finally turned to meet my eyes and I noticed a void of emotions flow inside of them. Did he realize it was me?
"She did hate me. You should have seen the way she looked at me. She left me--how come you aren't asking me anything?" he raised a brow at me, his eyelids drooping with slightly narrowed eyes and I gulped softly, averting my gaze.
"I just wanna listen. Friends listen first," I tried to come up with a lie and if he wasn't so drunk right now, he would have probably snapped back to reality with my obvious lie. "So when she left, how did you feel?" I finally asked and he turned to look ahead again, taking the glass, barely holding onto the glass now.
"I couldn't breathe. Without her, it got so lonely. It really broke me. She broke me." I wiped another tear and held in a soft sob, the lump in my throat only tightening.
"Draven, she didn't hate you." I finally managed to choke out.
"Haven't you been listening to a word I said?" his tone got slightly impatient, turning to face me. "It doesn't matter. You'll never remember this anyways."
"Wha-what do you mean?"
"Oh I don't do friends, love. You're my friend for the night. But I can't have you remember this tomorrow, now can I?" he slurred and my eyes widened slightly before I shook my head.
"Don't-"
"Oh but I have to." he grabbed my face and my eyes instantly got caught up in his, drawing myself inside them in a moment of seconds.
"She didn't hate you Draven," I almost broke down but kept it in. I watched his eyelids droop a little and watch me intently. "She loved you too." I choked out and noticed his lips curl upwards slightly before he sighed to himself.
"Friends don't lie, love," I gasped when his face fell on my shoulder and I quickly grabbed his shoulders for support.
"You're not a good friend."
xxx
