Stalking the Dancer || 18+

Part Eight - Options

I wake in a panic, sitting up in a mass of bedding that I don't recognize as my own. My mouth is dryer than a desert but I'm not sure that's what roused me. A glass shattering from somewhere downstairs confirms that theory and the shouting that follows leads me down the stairs to see the guys, all gathered in the living room.

"Doll, I'm glad you got some rest." Ray appears at the bottom of the stairs and extends a hand out for me. When I'm close enough, I reach for him. "We were just talkin' 'bout you." That stops my feet in their tracks as I take in the tension in the room. I'm hardwired to end awkward situations, so I say the first thing that comes to mind, "You threw a glass over me?" 

Antoine rubs the back of his neck guiltily, "You heard that?" 

I scoff, "Yeah, I heard it." 

Ray starts to tug me toward him and I don't know why until I feel hands circle my waist, locking me in my spot. I slip my hand from Ray's so that I can turn to face Billy. "What is it?" I bite out. He slowly moves his hands from my waist to the back of my thighs, picking me up and wrapping my legs around his toned middle. He only needs a single word to shut my protests up, that word being a muffled, "Glass," that he speaks into my neck before kissing it and walking us over to the couch. I hear the shards crunching underneath his boots as we go and I'm not at all mad that he didn't let me walk through the mess barefoot.

"In my defense, he wasn't listening to me," Antoine says from his spot in the chair across from us. I let my eyebrow pop up before asking my burning question, "Did he listen to you after you threw a glass at him?" Antoine groans in response, which is a good enough answer for me. "Yeah, he didn't listen after I threw one at him, either." 

"Shit, Dorothy. I think this may work itself out if we let it." Rome says through his smile, the other guys had a hard time hiding their pleased reactions at my shitting on Billy. "Not up to you, Romeo." Billy sounds harsh and agitated, speaking through gritted teeth though his hold on me is gentle. "Romeo?" I ask the room, finding Rome's eyes along the way. "Rome's short for Romeo, I'm sure you can guess why I stopped going by it as a kid." 

I chew on my lip in thought, mulling over his name before I decide, "I like it." The room is still, silence falling over us as we all wait for whatever's coming next.

Lee makes himself known by clearing his throat from where he stands in the corner. I can't help but think he looks uncomfortable, but maybe we're all starting to look that way a bit. "Well, boys, you heard her. She likes it." His tone is casual, a stark contrast to his statuesque body language. I feel like I'm missing something as I watch them look around the room at one another, sending secret messages back and forth with their minds. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit, but it bears repeating: I feel like I'm missing something.

Ray sighs and drags a large palm down the side of his face, "This conversation isn't gonna be easy, darlin'." The feeling of five sets of eyes on me warms my face faster than a heat wave in August. I don't know what the hell they're about to tell me but the big ass pit in my stomach is screaming, telling me that I'm not going to like it one fucking bit. 

"I know this isn't fair, but you've got to make a choice." My eyes go wide at his words and he takes my speechlessness as an opportunity to go on. "We can take you home, that is an option. But- god, this is the fucked up part- we'd need collateral. Something to keep you quiet, god I'm so sorry Dorothy." I'm sure my face is accurately depicting the horror I'm feeling right now, I've never had a good poker face. My mouth is probably open and I'm sure my eyes are tearing up, it's probably not pretty, yet I can't be bothered by anything other than that word, collateral. 

Nudes? A sex tape? I've heard of this shit before and I know whatever they'd decide on, it wouldn't be good. The wind is knocked from my chest and I feel my fingertips dig into the skin there. I don't want to look at any of them, let alone sit on a crazy brute's lap. Yet, I'm starting to learn from experience and I know he won't let me go. He can't give me any real freedom, just the illusion of it.

"Your other option," he sighs again, as if this is painful for him, the weak bastard. He hasn't been kidnapped, after all, ", is to stay here. With me." He swallows hard and I narrow my eyes as I watch his adams apple bob. I hope he's uncomfortable, he fucking deserves it. 

"So, shoot a porno or live with you?" I let the venom seep into my words, anger easily overtaking my system. 

"I think I'll do the porno." 

Muffled chuckles are nothing compared to the whiskey that Antoine snorts up his nose at my declaration. He is laughing so hard that he spills half of his drink, which is even more karma for Ray and his matching furniture set. 

A squeeze on my hip brings me back down from the good moment. "Baby," Billy's breath is on my ear in a way that sends chills down the side of my neck, ", stay. You'll be safe, you won't have any bills to worry about, and you can recover from your injury in peace." I can't tell if my head is spinning because he's actually making sense or because I'm losing my marbles. 

"The mountains are a pretty kickass plus!" Rome urges, trying to minimize the scariness of moving in with a strange man I met yesterday. He's not doing a bad job, but I'm a hopeless realist. I have to be, it's the only way I've survived on my own. 

I still can't bring myself to look them each in the eye, so I shift myself to face Billy as much as possible from his lap. I can't lift my eyes from his chest as I twirl my thumbs mindlessly together to quiet my mind; it doesn't work. I can't force my volume to exceed a whisper, "Could you stay, too?" 

He lifts my chin until we're nose to nose, "You want me to stay?" His question makes my cheeks go hot all over again. I know he's rubbing my question in his friends' faces, but still, I couldn't care less what they think. I'm blushing at his raw honesty, he seems to hide nothing from his friends. I nod my head slowly and watch his smirk crack into a bright smile of pleasure. 

"Well, if you two are both moving in we're gonna need some ground rules," Ray says as he walks down the hallway, out of view from us.

Billy's arms snake around me, "Does that make us roommates, little Doe?" 

"I think so."

I can hear the smile in his voice even though I've looked away from him. "This's gonna be fun."

______

"Why in hell would you wanna stay?" Antoine talks through a mouthful of rice noodles. We're sitting around the kitchen island on stools, eating the Thai food that Lee ordered for us. When it arrived, they all wordlessly dug into the takeout containers until they started eating. Then, they began a lengthy debate over whether or not I was crazy for staying here with Billy. I can't say it hasn't been fun to watch, however, a few minutes ago they shifted their line of questioning to me, which isn't comfortable in the slightest.

"Well, my deli-scented studio apartment doesn't compare to a McMansion in the mountains," I pause to take a bite of rice, ", so there's that." 

Rome looks up from his plate for the first time since he laid eyes on the food, "Deli-scented?" I nod my head at his intrigued reaction, "Cold deli meat, all the time." He shrugs as if he wouldn't mind that much, he definitely would. 

"Sure, sure, but what about your whole life? Work, family, friends- what about them?" Antoine presses on, his mission undeterred by Rome's question. I don't know what to say about that, honestly. The answer makes my heart pang as I feel it roll off my tongue, "My mom doesn't live in the state, my job was dancing and, well, I'm not doing much of that these days." 

"A dancer?" 

"Shit, man, let her eat!" Lee says from across the island, using the chicken on the end of his fork to point accusingly at Antoine. He throws up his hands in surrender as he chuckles. Ray pulls our attention with his baritone voice, "You're right, Lee, she's had enough." His smirk is devious, "So, Billy, how 'bout you?"