Don't You Trust Me?

Chapter 14- Rat

A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! And to my readers who don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays! To those who don't observe any special holiday around this time of the year, I wish you a wonderful day filled with smiles and togetherness of family and friends. But still, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all <3

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"Nice one, Robbie." I laughed, making sure to hide away my phone in my waistline and blouse out my dress shirt. Somehow I knew they'd check.

Sure enough, before I was able to go to the restroom, I was crashed into and fully patted down. As I closed the bathroom door behind me, I felt through my jacket pockets and nodded in resignation. The paper that I had scribbled Sal's address on was gone, and so were the three mint candies I have had in my jacket pocket for years. They didn't want me to call for help. They're snatching me.

I locked the door and flipped on the water, hitting the fan to create as much noise in the bathroom as possible. So those 18 year old boys are fully in it? Their choice. No mercy, Jo. They go down too.

I flipped the seat cover up to make it look like I was never there and hopped up on the toilet, reaching up and stabilizing myself on the paper towel dispenser while I pried at the vent cover. These old establishments always have big vent covers- the new style of streamlined ones didn't come in until the 90's. Thankfully, this bar definitely looks like it's been here for more than 25 years. 18 year olds to snatch me, Mica? Really? Insulting.

I kicked and ~gracefully~ slithered into the vent, huffing and puffing as my weak noodle arms shook and quivered from heaving my body weight up. Once the vent cover was back in place and I made sure it wouldn't swing open again, I tried to calm down and wipe the beading sweat off my forehead. Army crawling quietly above the wild party down below, I made my way along the wall towards the room where the business meeting was taking place. It took me a while to make sure I was silent, but I pulled myself up to the last opening and peered in, relieved to see a group of men pulling out some papers and a briefcase. I quietly took out my phone, set it on silent and began video taping the exchange. My skirt had hiked up from the crawl through the venting and I smiled wryly at the irony.

"So you can guarantee the girls will be there?" A clear voice rang through the room, but I slid the opening behind me, the one to the bar, shut anyways to make sure my phone got it all. I couldn't see the speaker, but I could clearly see Xavier standing in the back, facing me, and seated in front also facing me, Mica and...

"I assure you they will be there. Now, as per the arrangement we have agreed upon, 10% of the payment is due at closure. Do you have the money?" The suave, tan, perfectly chiseled man breezed through his words, commanding the attention of the room with ease and cockiness. He seemed like he was untouchable, not a worry in the world making its way into his head, yet completely unreadable as happy. I've seen that face one too many times.

Bile bubbled into my constricting throat as the air locked in my chest, Sebastian smiling as he leaned forward to the computer that the thin wiry man that had slinked out of the corner was now holding up to the man just out of view. "10% wired to the agreed upon account. Authorization required."

Short, tan fingers reached out to press many keys on the laptop, a chunky gleaming ring sitting atop the pinky finger of the wrinkled hands. I zoomed in on the computer, hoping to catch any of it that I could. I raised my phone to get Sebastian's reptilian smile, smug and disturbing as he clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "Excellent. Now, Joshua?"

A man I assume to be Joshua stepped closer to Sebastian, holding a laptop that his eyes were glued to. The air was tense, buzzing with potential action as Sebastian raised his crystalline blue eyes to take in the mystery man sitting across from him. I looked down on the man that single handedly ruined my confidence, the man that left bruise upon bruise on my skin and lash upon lash on my psyche. I looked down on the shimmering blonde hair of the man I once loved so deeply I was willing to forgive everything he seemed to need to do to me, and I couldn't breathe.

Sebastian. I could feel the white hot pain of the now years old branding on my neck, the skin itchy. My new tattoo now covered up what was once the most horrible reminder that I was nothing, no one, worthless... But I could still feel its' weight. Where he had touched me, my skin crawled. The way his voice snaked its way deep to my head, chilling me to my bones. And even though I'm hidden, unseen and invisible up here, I felt the icy, bony fingers of fear wrap around my throat and begin to strangle me.

Joshua nodded and affirmed "Got it" to Sebastian, before closing the computer and nodding to Mica. Mica stepped up, dropped a briefcase next to Sebastian and backed up a step. Joshua left through the back with several men, sounding a blaring alarm in my head.

"And as an act of good faith, a premium advance. The rest of the shipment will arrive with the girls." Sebastian placed the briefcase on the table and clicked it open, flipping it around for me to see as he showed the mystery man with the giant ring. Six packages were compressed into the briefcase, brown paper taped shut cleanly and precisely. The man lifted one up, revealing another row underneath and weighed the package in his hand.

"Would you be terribly insulted if my men sampled it now?" The man asked, shutting the rest of the packages away in the briefcase and standing up. Sebastian stood up too, smirking and nodding. "I'd be insulted if you didn't wish to sample it now. It's a party; enjoy." He shook the man's hand and made to exit the room back into the bar. Ice ran through my veins yet again, my muscles frozen and my breath barely hissing out. I need to leave. Now.

"And my men mention a girl, outside? She will be part of the deal?" The man asked, standing and turning to finally step into view. He had black eyes and a well kept mustache, his wrinkled skin tanned and hair turning grey. Sebastian turned to Mica who jolted and leaned in to whisper to Sebastian.

"My associates and I have business with her this evening, but she will be there with the rest of the shipment." He said matter of factly, speaking about the life of the poor girl that made the mistake of being Mica's assistant- my life- as blithely as he would a cloud passing in the blowing wind. Before he could excuse himself, the man piped up again, batting away the man talking his ear off.

"My apologies, Mr. Cross, but when will that be again?" He asked, moisture shining on his forehead. Sebastian turned on the man, swelling up and glowering at the poor man that began shrinking before my very eyes.

"7th of next month. Jarlesbay Docks." He snapped, oozing disappointment and contempt. "And Phil? I'm aware that he cannot cross the border, and I respect his wish to do face to face transactions, but kindly tell Mr. Iglesias that next time we do business, if it must be in my backyard, to at least send more than his paperweight of a receptionist to meet with me. I don't mean to threaten, but my business is highly desired elsewhere."

Once my hands left the slippery metal of the fire escape ladder and my feet hit the wet asphalt, I took off towards my car faster than a pregnant woman is magnetized to a double fudge brownie chocolate cake.