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chapter thirteen

recap;
Laughter wafted from a doorway I hadn't noticed so I crossed the room and pushed open the door.

The laughter suddenly stopped, and everyone fixated their gazes on me. I gave an awkward wave and felt my cheeks redden at the unbearable silence.

"Everyone this is Blakely; Blakely this is everyone," Rouge said walking over to me and reaching for my hand. I pulled it away and stepped back. "Blakely," he growled, only audible to me. He reached again and this time I let him lace his fingers into mine and pull me towards a table where several people were seated.

Six boys, counting Riz, Rouge, Ace, and River; and five girls, counting Sarah, Kenzie and me.

I sat in Rouge's lap just as every girl sat in 'their' guys lap. River was leaning against the counter, drinking what looked like whiskey. He caught me looking at him and smirked just before I looked away. He chuckled deeply.

"Over a week," Rouge said, and I looked at him. He was talking to a guy with frizzy black hair who had a girl, with long, blonde hair and several light freckles, sitting upon his lap and playing with his hair. The guy nodded and kissed the girl on her cheek.

"Yeah? I've had her for about two years almost," he said talking about the girl in his lap. I winced at the thought of being here for that long.

"I'm starved, why don't we let the girls cook and socialize as we watch the game that's on?" the frizzy haired guy suggested. Riz and Ace both grunted in agreement before getting up and walking into the living room followed by every other guy. River was the last to leave as he slowly drank the rest of his drink then staggered out the room.

Sarah spoke up and broke the silence. "Hi, I'm Sarah," she introduced with a smile. The girl with blonde hair smiled back.

"I'm Sadie," she said, "and this is Tinleigh, she doesn't talk much." The girl, Tinleigh, looked very young, too young to be in this mess. She had big brown eyes and looked like she belonged in a magazine.

Kenzie introduced herself and then I did, too. After the familiarizing, we talked a little about what how we got here and all that stuff all while making steak and baked potatoes.

I found out that Sadie had been here since she was fifteen, like me, and she was now seventeen like Kenzie and Sarah. The guy that took her, the one with black frizzy hair, was named Brydon and he was twenty-three.

Tinleigh just turned fourteen about three months ago and had been with Airion for a little over nine months. She was half Airion's age, making him twenty-eight. He was a little taller than Rouge, but not as tall as River and had poofed brown hair that complemented his eyes. Faded tattoos were coated onto his muscled, dark skin and made him look even more intimidating.

When dinner was done, Kenzie went to get the guys while the rest of us set the table. Somehow, the subject of love came into the conversation.

"What?" I yelled in a hushed way. Sadie looked at me like I'd grown three heads.

"I said I love him. He treats me amazingly and hasn't laid a hand on me in like forever," she retaliated as if it was obvious. "I wouldn't go home even if I had the chance." Now it was me who looked at her with a crazed look on my face.

"You're insane! He kidnapped you, he took you from your family!" I said frustrated. Sarah and Tinleigh stayed quiet as we conversed.

"That was two years ago. Yeah, I would love to see my family, but I wouldn't leave Brydon. He's taken care of me and never tied me up or locked me in a basement, it could of been worse," I was completely dumbfounded.

"Oh yeah I forgot that rape and punishment isn't in the category of 'worse'. My bad," I said sarcastically. She slowly shook her head and was about to reply when everyone walked through the door. I watched as Brydon came to her and captured her lips with his own. I rolled my eyes and looked away from their 'intimate' moment.

Tinleigh walked over and sat on Airion's thigh while he played with the strings of her shorts. Her face was blank as she stared at nothing in particular.

"What are you thinking about?" I heard Rouge whisper into my ear as he stood behind me. I tensed up as he ran his finger up my arm, stopping at my shoulder to push my hair to one side.

"Politics," I responded sarcastically. He chuckled deeply, fanning my skin with his breath causing me to shudder. I felt the presence of his hand on my waist as he pulled me into him. I felt everyone's gaze on us and wanted him to go away. . "What do you want?" I questioned with a sigh, relaxing just a bit.

"Do I have to want something in order to touch my hostage?" he asked in fake awe as he played with the hem of my shirt. I moved his hands and turned to face him.

"You can't call me a hostage if you're not letting me go," I pointed out and watched as his lip twitched into a smirk. He nodded and leaned down to be face to face with me. The smell of peppermints invaded my nose when I inhaled sharply at the closeness.

"I can call you whatever I want because I own you now," he slurred menacingly and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Whatever you gotta tell yourself," I responded before walking off to sit on a stool beside River who was quietly laughing. I turned in my seat to glare at him. "Find something funny?" I asked sternly and his laughing ceased as he cocked his head to the side.

"Watch yourself," he spoke before chugging a drink I hadn't noticed in his hand.

"What's that?" I asked, talking about the drink. He held it out to me, silently telling me to take it. I did and smelled its strong scent. I scrunched my noise and he chuckled.

"Don't think about it, just try it," he said so I closed my eyes and leaned the glass back as I let the burning liquid cascade down my throat. I couldn't stop the wet cough that erupted afterwards as my eyes watered and my ribs ached, I finally caught my breath and was able to calm down, wiping the few stray tears that made their way down my cheeks.

"What the hell was that!" I screeched and noticed how everyone was staring at me causing me to blush profusely. River had not stopped laughing as he was now holding his sides as he tried to control himself. He brushed an invisible tear away and looked at me.

"Poor Blakely, couldn't handle a little whiskey?" he mocked and a few chuckles were sounded, but other than that everyone had turned back to whatever it is they were doing. I got up and stomped out the kitchen and into the living room where Mr. Karr was sitting. His back was turned to me and he was on the phone.

"-yes. Airion and Brydon both have their girls broken. Yes, but one. She's-" he abruptly stopped talking and turned around. I probably looked like a deer in headlights. "I gotta go, I'll call you back," he said into the phone, not taking his eyes from mine.

"I didn't mean to spy on the conversation, I was just-" I stopped speaking when he stood up and slowly walked over to me. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until I finally inhaled.

"Go to your room," he ordered when he was right in front of me. I stepped backwards and thought that over. If I go, I'd be weak, but if I didn't, I'd be punished. I wanted to scream and tell him he couldn't control me, but in all reality he could.

"Now."

I finally complied and entered the hall, my hands shook and my breathing was unsteady. When I reached the room, I opened the door and sprinted to the bed. I exhaled before collapsing on the bed in a fit, literally. I kicked my legs, flailed my arms, and screamed into a pillow before finally calming down and feeling suddenly exhausted.

"Feel better?" a voice said from behind me, I looked up from the pillow and looked at River leaning against the wall. I sat up into a sitting position and nodded. He smirked and grabbed my wrist to pull me up. "Tantrums aren't your thing by the way, you should stick to misbehaving," he joked and I hadn't realized that I was now backed up against a wall with River in front of me, uncomfortably close.

"Yeah, but-" I was cut off by River placing his lips over mine, capturing my first kiss.

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A/N: that took forever, sorry for the wait. :)