The Billionaire’s Burden(42)

What was Eli doing? Was he plotting to get rid of me now that I knew his bewildering, terrifying secret?

A soft rap on the plastic twisted my head. I covered my mouth, desperately trying to hide the sound of my ragged breathing.

The footsteps circled around, heading for the small hole in the front where I'd climbed through.

I was done for, it was all over now.

The brunette head of a small child poked in, gap toothed grin on his face.

"Well, hello!" He cheered in his shrill little voice, slowly dipping onto his hands and knees.

Relaxing against the plastic, I shook my head with a laugh, "Hello." I murmured quietly.

"Are we playin' hide and seek?" He whispered back curiously, peering out of the hole.

From outside, I could hear his mother turning pages in a book to entertain herself.

Silently, I nodded.

I was safe here, there were people out and about. I needed to get back to Lucy.

The little boy squealed suddenly, bright grin on his face as he peeked out of the dome, "She's here!" He called, "I caught her!"

Frozen, I watched as a strawberry blond head hung down in front of the dome.

"Jade." Aubrey said calmly, "We need to have a chat. Thanks Joseph." She added, smiling sunnily at the little child who giggled.

Though it was early, Aubrey had already done her bright makeup. Her lips were a shocking shade of rose, eyeshadow purple.

"I won!" He cooed excitedly, "I won the game!"

I swallowed, for a moment, pressing back against the plastic wall in mule like stubbornness.

The safety I'd felt just moments before vanished into smoke. I couldn't breathe.

Aubrey patiently stared at me, sticky pink lips pursed harshly. Her eyes darted towards the child as he began digging in the sand.

For his sake, I crawled out of the dome.

She wrapped an arm around my shoulder, giving a light wave to Joseph's mother as she boredly glanced up. To anyone looking, Aubrey and I were just friends on a walk. No one could tell how hard she grasped my shoulder, her painted nails digging into my skin.

"I spoke with Eli this morning." She said quietly, “He is quite upset.”

Her tone, usually perky and light, was heavy, threatening.

I stared straight forward, desperately wishing I wasn't trembling like I was. I knew she could feel it, my fear.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked quietly as she led me down the road. We were not heading towards my apartment, towards where Lucy waited.

"We have much to discuss." She responded through pursed lips, "You now know things that you never should have learned."

"I didn't mean to." I blubbered, the feeling of her tight grasp on me coursing fear through my veins, "I didn't mean to!"

Aubrey's eyes closed for a moment, slight shake of her sending her rosy curls gliding over her shoulders, "This wasn't your fault, little one." She whispered sincerely, "This was all Eli's fault. Whatever happens to you will weigh on his shoulders, I can at least assure you of that. He will never make this mistake again"

My heels dug into the ground, terrified obstinacy overwhelming.

Aubrey was stronger than she looked however, her lithe tan arms carried me forward effortlessly.

"Don't make this any harder than it needs to be, Jade." She sighed.

By the time we turned the corner to her little coffeehouse, tears streaked my face, dirty from my night spent on the playground floor.

Her cafe looked as cheery as ever, morning sunlight dappled along its pink, cheery roof. I recognized one of the cars out front, a familiar red jeep.

The very sight of it all filled me with dread.

As she pulled me through the doors, the rumbling of chatter from the people within dropped off into silence.

I stood among them, my entire body shaking, as they stared at me.

Though they each looked different, they were very much the same.

The men and women gazed at me indifferently with different shades of golden eyes, their bodies were lithe and strong.

They were all beasts too.

Eli sat alone in the very booth we'd flirted in together only weeks before. The seat before him was empty.

One of the men stood, pulling a wooden chair and gesturing me to it, Jade pushed me forward to sit down.

"This is the human girl." Aubrey began, glancing around at the men and women.

Eli tensed, his hands curling into tight balls, his back rigid as a plank. Slowly, his eyes turned back to me, gazing at me sorrowfully. While hours ago he had terrified me, now, his stare only filled me with sadness.

"This is the girl who knows our secret." Aubrey murmured as the small crowd of fifteen or so burst into questions all at once.

"What do we do with her?" One woman called, "Who will she tell?"

"I told no one!" I cried, almost jumping to my feet.