âDonât judge, as I recall youâve done some pretty horrible things as well Avyâ
âDonât fucking call me Avyâ
âWhy? You used to love that name when we were kids, what changed?â
âDo you really have to ask?â
It was like a broken record, continuously cursing her memory every time she drove to Merrittâs. Her brotherâs face was so haunting that day, the boy she once knew no longer was. She remembers the way he ran his fingers through his hair staring at her with his dead eyes, he was leaving again. That was the last time anyone saw him and to this day she blames herself for his escape, the cops have been searching for him since. She remembers being pissed and storming to her car, she headed to Merrittâs for comfort thus this was all she ever thought of on the drive.
Luckily, like any other day, the moment she stepped out of her vehicle the memory vanished. She wandered into Merrittâs home just like it was her own, wearing a tight fitting little black dress that revealed way too much for a slumber party. She carried her Nike duffle bag that she never used for the gym but used to carry an extra set of clothing, god forbid she wears the same outfit tomorrow, and a bottle of chardonnay.
Hopping onto Lennonâs bed, the night went as it always did. They got a little crazy, Avery subtly flirted with Lennon as always and they plowed through numerous films she would soon forget. At first she thought it was the alcohol when things went a little fuzzy. But the high was different, oddly familiar but not in a good way. She quickly felt loss of control over her eyelids and she had reached a point where she couldnât fight it anymore. This hadnât been the first time Avery felt the strange sensation.
She remembered nothing, not what she was doing, or who she was talking with or whether she had snuck away with Lennon again. Her body felt heavy and her mind felt light; the sweet smell of cigarette smoke suddenly creeped into her nostrils. She could hear her surroundings, music was playing, and she could feel someoneâs eyes watching her. I was roofied againâŠwasnât I? she thought letting out a small groaned as she wobbled her head back and forth, as if agreeing with herself. Dammit Avery, Desmond canât save you this time. Wait. No. I couldnât have been roofied, what the fuck? I was with MerrittâŠwhat the fuck what the-
âWhat the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck?â she cried out finally, her eyes fluttering open as she came into consciousness. She was dizzy, she couldnât exactly focus just yet, but the first thing she noticed was her inability to shove a strand of hair off her face, her hands were bound. âWhat the fuck?â she mumbled again. She glanced at her legs, they too were bound. This is just like one of Merrittâs horror moviesâŠhave I been kidnapped? She shook her head in disbelief Nah, this is just some kinky shit Lennon and I are doing right? NoâŠwhy does my head hurt? This isnât kinkyâŠnoâŠno thisâŠthis isâŠ
And to her realization her head snapped up in Peirceâs direction. At first she didnât recognize him, he seemed threatening in a way yet calm and comforting. It was a weird feeling all in one but she knew he was familiar.
When her sight came into greater focus of his features she saw it play like a movie in her head. âPeirce?â she blurted in disarray.
Yes it was him, she knew it now. The summer they had was one she had nearly forgotten and yet she questioned why. He was nice and they had amazing sex, honestly the whole event was a fairy-tale but she pushed it out of her mind.
She was about to ask what he was doing here until she realized she had no clue where she was, why she was here, why she remembered nothing and why he stared at her in such an odd way.
In panic, she began to ramble âWhatâs happening? Are you okay? WaitâŠam I okay? Fuck did I go out with Sam againâŠshit I always call her when I drink too much. Ooh fuckâŠMerritt! Sheâll be so pissed if I abandoned her. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Okayâ
She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She opened them slowly as if expecting sheâd be sitting in Merrittâs bedroom. She glanced down at her body and finally came to realize Did this asshole kidnap me? Nah Avery, donât jump to conclusion. This is it. This is one of your weird sexual fantasies. No that doesnât make sense. This doesnât feel sexualâŠthis feels, ominous. Iâve definitely been kidnapped.
âWhatâs going onâ she asked tears filling her eyes.
â
He didnât want to look at her. He knew why this was happening and why he did it. Peirce was insane, but he understood his madness. It was all a blur really. At first he thought everyone was joking when the idea of kidnapping was brought to the table. He had left his life of crime long ago, he was an honest man nowâŠright? But as he stood with his back to the blonde haired beauty with his doll like lover at his side, he remembered the purpose.
Since leaving his life of crime Jason had tried everything to make an honest dollar. Unfortunately a young man with that many tattoos canât easily acquire employment. The cash he made from his life in the gang was running dry and his bills for his psychology degree was pilling up. He needed cash and he needed it now. At first the plan was just to get Pierce his girl back but everything escalated so quickly when they met Desmond. Money had come into play, and in truth he missed the rush, he missed the crime and he missed the blood.
He agreed to the plan originally because he knew AveryâŠin a way most people didnât. No one knew of their history and how much he hated her. In all truth, he didnât want Peirce to have Avery. He wanted the money and worst of all, he wanted to hurt her, hurt her for what she did. He just wished they didnât have to take the blonde with them, Avery alone was worth more than enough, dead or alive. But he understood why, both would be a bigger payout and his comrades insisted.
He stared at the ground as he listened to Lily and Merritt exchange a few words. He had been with Lily for about three years, he met her soon after he got sober. He loved her, she was crazy, fun and absolutely wild. They always had a good time together but lately he was getting bored of her which is why the rush from the kidnapping was so sensational. He missed the excitement and his love life wasnât satisfying him anymore.
âLily, leave us for a second.
âLeave you? Youâre kidding me right.â
âFucksakes Lil just go. Itâll be better if I handle this aloneâ
âBut Jay, I want to have fun with the Barbie tooâ Lily whined.
"You can have your fun later doll"
"No, now is a good time"
Lily strutted towards Merritt and pulled out a small pocket knife, she lifted it to Merritt's chin and with a sinister smile on her face she threatened "How about I start by cutting your hair, then I'll give you a cut here." She pressed the knife lightly against Merritt's arm, not enough to cut her, but enough that it would hurt. "And here" she said moving the knife to her neck "No wait...here" she said again and pointed at Merritt's eye "I can give you a makeover, won't that be fun Barbie?"
At that moment Jason glanced over his shoulder and grabbed Lily tightly by the arm, his eyes were threatening. "Stop" he commanded as he pulled her in front of him and grabbed her pocket knife "Go hang out with Crystal. I'll call you back in a bit" Lily stuck her tongue out at him "Fine" she said finally, sensing the fire in his stance, without another word Lily moped out of the room, letting out a whiny sigh.
Jason took a deep breath and twirled the knife in his hand. He could hear Merritt behind him struggling a little. Flashes from his past crept in his mind, he pressed a couple fingers to his temple in attempt to regain control of his chaotic thoughts. âAlright princess, this is how itâs going to be.â he began menacingly. At that moment he realized that he hadnât even looked at Merritt yet. He didnât even know what she looked, just that she was blonde like her brother Lennon.
He finally turned on his heel and stared at her pained face, dropping the knife to the ground. He felt his heart thumping through his necklace as if his mother was screaming at him to set her free. As he analyzed her appearance he was taken aback by her beauty. He stuttered at little bit, his voice became soothing in a sense as he spoke again âListen, if you just cooperate youâll be out of here soon. I wonât harm you, I just-â She was stunning, and for a moment he literally lost his breath and came at a loss for words.
What the fuck Jay? Why? Why this again. This isnât worth itâ his thoughts began to ramble. In annoyance with himself, he reached into his jeans and pulled out his favorite skull designed lighter and a joint. He took a huge toke and began pacing the room in deep thought.
Money, look school is getting expensive just do it for money. Fuck. No this is about Avery. Fuck that bitch. No itâs about money, this is why sheâs here rightâŠwhy did Peirce put me hereâŠ
Dude relax, sheâll cooperate, look how small she is. She couldnât win a fight even if she tried. Shit man. Just do it for the money
He continued to huff on the joint until it was all gone and at that moment his thoughts became silent, his mind came into focus as the high began to set in. He walked across the master bedroom of the cabin and sat in an armchair that faced an unlit fireplace. He didnât want to look at her, she was distracting and he had a mission.
âI won't kill you, not todayâ he said finally.