Withstanding Me(41)

I avert my eyes from the sick fuck when I hear shouting coming from the compound. I look down to see Pyro and Sniper following Winter outside of the gates. Oh shit!

My binoculars follow her movements, and I notice Sniper and Pyro trailing a little behind her. What the hell are they doing? The sicko doesn’t even see her coming. I watch her draw her gun as she walks up behind him. When he feels the gun on the back of his head, he drops his phone. She starts walking him back over to Sniper and Pyro, leading him into the compound.

No, no, no, no, no! Don’t bring him in here.

They lead him through the gates and into the old clubhouse, and seconds later my phone rings, and I jump. I drop the spyware and dig my phone outta my pocket.

“Hello.”

“Get down here Storm.” And she hangs up.

I gulp, stand, and make my way down to the clubhouse. The entire time my body is shaking. I know I’m moving slow because I was just in a car accident a few days ago, but I know I’m also moving extra slow because I don’t know what she wants me to do. Knowing Winter, she’s going to make me face my demons. I’m definitely not ready to face my damn demons right now. Why is this place always so damn busy with shit?

When I walk outta the new building, and start making my way across the parking lot, Sniper greets me at the old clubhouse door.

“This the fucker that kidnapped Piper too?” He growls, his knife spinning around in his hand.

“I dunno Sniper. I don’t know. We don’t talk about that shit.”

We don’t. We’ve moved on. What’s there to talk about?

“ZZ’s on his way back.”

“I thought you guys were dealing with the Russians.”

“We are. He’s on his way back.” He says, opening the door for me.

That was clipped. But my feet don’t wanna move. Hell no they don’t. I don’t wanna go in there. Why do I need to go in there? I’m mentally and physically exhausted. Now I just want my bed.

“Storm, you gotta move those feet darlin.” Pyro chuckles behind me. When I don’t move, he leans down and whispers into my ear, “Ain’t nothin gonna happen to you.” I still don’t move. Pyro’s arms come up around me, and he’s holding a gun. “You see this small lever here?” I nod yes. “Flick that if you want the gun to work. Easy enough?” What? And then I understand as his arms move and the gun is shoved into my back pocket.

I don’t know if it’s knowing the gun’s in my back pocket or if I trust him not to let anything happen to me, but I start moving. When I round the corner, I halt, memories swirling through my brain all at once.

“You’re too pretty to be sitting out here by yourself.” I look up from my laptop to find the geekiest, but sexiest man I’ve ever seen staring straight at me as he takes a seat on the quad bench next to me. I smile at him; I can’t help it. “You don’t need to be pretty and to be sittin with someone to work on your thesis outside,” I quip at the handsome stranger.

He chuckles. “I know this is straight forward, but would you like to go grab some coffee or one of those fancy lattes with me?”

I look around, hesitant to give him my reply.

“Look, we can go around the corner to the college café. Totally your territory.”

I laugh. He’s got a point. What’s the harm with walking around the corner to the café? Plenty of people around, the campus is a busy one.

“Sure, I’d like that.” I say, shutting down my laptop and shoving it into its case. I stand and introduce myself. “I’m Apple, by the way.”

“That’s a pretty name.”

I swoon because every single person I’ve ever met has always had a smart comment to go along with my name. “Thank you,” I reply as we walk.

“How old are you, Apple?”

My name sounds so sweet coming from this man. “I’m eighteen, you?”

“I’m twenty two. And you’re just a young little thing.”

I halt on the sidewalk next to a bunch of cars. I hate when people say that. I wasn’t too young to take care of myself when my mother was too drunk or too involved with social activities. “I may be young, but I can assure you, I’m not naïve.” I huff, turning to walk away.

Good looks aren’t that important. First impressions are. Who is this jackass?

His hand grips my shoulder as something digs into my lower back. “But Apple, you are naïve.” His voice, daunting and evil, sends chills down my spine. “Don’t try screaming or running away, my young little Apple. I’ll shoot you before you can finish a word. Keep walking.”