Found

Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE: IRIS

I pulled away from the conversations taking place around me to go in search of a bathroom. I finally found one in the upstairs bedroom. I was a little relieved to get away from everyone. Not because they were bothering me or anything! Actually, I really liked all the people here, especially Sarah and Colette. The two of them remind me a bit of Lila, and Sarah seems to have taken me under her wing so to speak. The real reason I wanted to get away was so I could think. It seems like everyone here knows something that I don't. They didn't say anything; it's just the way they were acting, like there was some big secret that I wasn't clued into yet.

I come out of the bathroom and look around the bedroom. It's huge! I could probably fit my bedroom and my kitchen in here... And the view was just breathtaking. The window, which was really the wall, opened up to the river below, and the sun set turned the water a pretty peachy-pink color.

I walked over and sat down on the bed. I could stare at this view for hours. But I can't right now because I'm sure Sebastian and Alexander are wondering where I disappeared to...

"Didn't you know it's not safe to go snooping around places alone?"

My heart stopped.

That voice...

I whipped my head around, and standing behind me is a young man (I quickly do the math in my head; he'd be twenty-two years old by now), with blue-black hair and grey eyes. He's wearing an expensive looking jacket, dark jeans, and designer shoes. His skin is so pale, he looked like a ghost. But the thing that stood out the most was his smile. It wasn't a kind smile like Sebastian's, or a confident smile like Alexander's; his smile was cold and lifeless and full of ill intent.

"Zachary..."

"Hello, Cutie. Did you miss me?"

I flinch when he calls me that. There was no warmth left in that name. When Zachary said it, all that was left was a twisted sense of ownership; I was an object to this sick person, and Zachary hated when other people came near his things. It wasn't hard to figure out why he was here now.

He was standing directly in front of me now. "What's the matter? You can't talk to me anymore, now that you have your little boy toys waiting for you downstairs?"

I brace myself... and Zachary smacks me so hard across the face that I'm sent backwards against the window. I can taste the blood in my mouth, and now he's standing over me.

"Did you honestly think I was going to let you leave? Ha! YOU leave ME? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"P-Please, Zach--"

He kicks me in the stomach and I crumble on the floor. It feels like my whole body is being torn apart, as my lungs stop working and my mind dips dangerously towards unconsciousness. Then, Zachary grabs me by my hair and yanks me off the ground. I yelp in pain, but he just tightens his grip.

"You make me sick! After everything I did for you, you lousy piece of shit, this is how you repay me?! By running around with those two men? You perfect little slut. You think I wouldn't find out about this? Did you think I was gone?"

Why...

"You said you needed time, needed a little space, and I gave you that! When you ran off, I didn't try to bring you back. I followed you to make sure you were safe. I was a good guy! I WAS THE BEST DAMN BOYFRIEND YOU EVER HAD! If it wasn't for me, you would still be wandering this city looking for someone to take you in like a lost little kitty cat! And now that I'm home I find out that you've been running around with those two Neanderthals downstairs?"

Why can't he just leave me alone? Why does he have to come back now?

I'm crying at this point. Zachary's eyes are as dead as his soul, and his terrible smile is back. He grips my face forcibly.

"Aww. You really are so pretty when you cry. You know I don't like hurting you. It's your own damn fault for being so disagreeable. But I'm a really forgiving person by nature, so I'll think about taking you back," He squeezes my cheeks until they throb, "all you have to do is say it."   

He pulls my face up to meet his, and he sticks his tongue in my mouth. I struggle to pull away, but he grabs my throat and presses down until I can't breathe. I try hitting him, pulling at his hand, kicking at his knees, but he's stronger than I am... and everything starts to fade...

"SAY IT!"

No!

Suddenly I can breathe again.

Zachary no longer has his hands on me. But that also means that there's nothing left to hold me up. I start to collapse when a pair of arms catch me and lift me up. 

"It's okay, little one, just hang on. I've got you."

Sebastian.

 "Just who the hell are you? Get out of here!"

And Alexander...

 I can hear Zachary laughing, but I'm too afraid to look. I cower into Sebastian's chest, and he hides me in his arms. I can no longer tell what's happening but if Alexander tries to pick a fight I know how all of this will turn out...

"ANSWER ME!"

"Why don't you just ask that little slut you have behind you?"

"THAT'S IT! I don't know who you are or how you got in here, but don't you EVER talk about Iris like that again!"

"I don't take orders from you."

Zachary's voice turned deathly quiet, and I knew he was baiting Alexander. I can hear movement, and I know that Alexander is trying to take a swing a him...

"Alexander, DON'T!"

I've finally opened my eyes in time to see Alexander's fist a mere two inches away from Zachary's eye. The two of them are frozen, like a snap shot from an old boxing match. Then, Alexander slowly steps away from Zachary and turns to look at me. I've never seen him look so angry! His eyes seem to be glowing, they're so dark. He takes one look at my face, and his eyes soften. Stiffly, he turns back to Zachary.

"Get out. Now."

I know that Zachary's pissed that Alexander didn't punch him. He gives me the most hateful look I have ever seen, and it tells me exactly what he's thinking.

He's going to kill me.