Out of Time

chapter 5 - river

"You told me to get their daughter, and I did that," Jackson says. "You did not specify which one. I am sure as hell not doing it with that embarrassment."

My breathing becomes laboured, and I dash out of the hallway. If the boys didn't hear me before, they definitely heard me now. I scurry outside - and I instantly knew it was the right decision.

Finn growls loudly. A deafening silence falls over the crowd. "Lara get back here!" he shouts.

I nervously chuckle whilst wide-eying the crowd. The onlookers knew something was up. Finn ominously storms out of the house like a fire destroying everything in its path. I just stand there. Jesse lingers in the shadows, obviously planning something.

Finn's disorganised appearance seems to surprise everyone. The party, which was thrown in his honour, is a black-tie event. People dress extremely formal and neat, meaning that people that are even the slightest bit messy stick out like a sore thumb.

"Would you like a chair, Finn? You look a bit..." I trail off whilst throwing him one of the uncomfortable clear chairs. It bangs on the ground loudly, sending a tremor through the deck. "Worn out," I finish.

Our audience is speechless. In the silence, there is a cold, unwelcoming undertone. Although the people surrounding us are familiar, do we really know them, or are they just pawns in a much larger game of wealthy businessmen?

Strangers see our money and power rather than our false facades and internal realities. They won't back Finn or me individually because it'll tip their fragile scales of control and alliance.

He growled again. "Can you stop growling? You are giving the guests a headache. We aren't animals either!" He stalks up to me and puts his face right in front of me. God, his breath stinks of beer.

Drunk.

"You listen to me when I talk, Lara. You won't like the consequences if you don't," he whispers loudly. I unconsciously freeze in fear.

"What are you going to do, Finn? I'm already bleeding out of the gaping wound in my stomach because of you. What else can you really do?"

He laughs obnoxiously. "There is plenty I can do to you, honey."

Honey?! I think I might have just vomited in my mouth.

Unknown to his drunk brain, his associates listen attentively, and a few people have their phones up filming. I look over to Jesse. He has yet to tell me our plan, which makes me tentative to get into this argument. He nods his head.

What are you nodding for? Just tell me what to do?

Jesse tilts his head towards Finn and mouths the word argue. I nod back to him before facing Finn.

"What are you going to do, Finn? Hit me? Been there, done that. Or maybe send someone to rape me? Oh right, you failed at that one, didn't you? Oh, I know, you'll carve words into my stomach and then leave me to bleed out and die," I calmly ranted.

I continue on in my cold and composed tone. "I don't know if you think I will stay, but I refuse to stay anywhere near you. I've had enough. I deserve better than that, better than you" Another round of gasps.

"You deserve nothing, Lara" a twinge of regret can be seen in his eyes.

I scoff loudly. "Why? Just because I'm not like you? Just because you say so? Just because you think you are better than me?" I am progressively getting louder as I go on.

"News Flash: you're not. You think that just because you can barely run a business that makes you special." I laugh coldly, "every single person that I know can do that, Finn."