The Colorless King || Stephen James

18 ~ Unguarded.

Unguarded.

A R A B E L L A

-sunday, 2:25 pm-

When I feel my body start to wake up, I look up and around, only to realize that I am in pitch black. A small, almost inaudible, whimper leaves my mouth, due to hating the darkness and coldness around me.

I try and lift my hand to wipe my face, but my hands are tied behind my back, and I feel a jolt of fear run through my body. Oh god, where am I? Where is Jaxon? When am I going home? He said everything would be explained but now everything makes sense. Everything that the butler said, now makes sense. Perfect sense.

I am such a fool. I should have told Jaxon. I just didn't want him to laugh it off. It had really frightened me. But now it is too late. I am not with Jaxon and I am unprotected. Unguarded. And I have to face what is coming to me, regardless.

I hear a chuckle echo off the walls before dark, loud, and heavy footsteps enter the space that I am in. I wonder if there have been any other people who have been in my place. With these people, maybe even with Jaxon. Did they get out? Did they... die?

"Ah, hello, angel."

The voice is dark. Cruel, and nasty. My skins crawls at the way he says 'angel'. I am not his angel. I am Jaxon's. Only Jaxon can call me that. I keep my mouth shut, subconsciously biting the inside of my mouth with anger.

How dare he. How dare he invade our home and fire guns and destroy it. Destroy not only the actual home, but the peace within it. The love. The trust. The safety. It is not their place to do so and I wish they would have the decency and respect to leave us alone.

I let out a laugh before I can stop myself. Who am I kidding? They don't care. I am sure they couldn't care less, in fact. I realize I must sound absolutely insane, laughing to myself, but I can't bring myself to care or say anything to back up my reasoning.

The male chuckles (probably from my insanity), but this time next to my head. I flinch away. He must have made his way toward me and behind me while I was thinking to myself. I really should pay more attention.

"Sleep well?" He hums, pressing his rough and small fingers (compared to Jaxon's) to my left eyebrow, causing me to unknowingly let out a loud whine, my eyes watering. He laughs and wipes his fingers on my cheek, and I feel something stinky smear against it.

"Well, I sure am going to have some fun with you, Bella."

---

It has been so long. The hours feel like days, and the days to me are unknown. I get regular visits from the male, Dominic. He has tied me up, so I am hanging from the ceiling, and had someone with a ski mask videotape him whipping me with something so sharp that it cuts my skin in one swipe.

He has done that twice, both times whipping my back. The second time was only a few hours after the first, reopening sore and delicate wounds that had started to heal, just barely. He has also hit me quite a few times, but other than that he interrogates me about Jaxon, and something called the Mafia.

I don't recall learning about them, ever, so I couldn't help Dominic. He apparently didn't like that, seeing as he hit me so hard I fell over in my chair and hit the floor. He also reduced my two meals a day down to one.

My bathing schedule is nonexistent, and I can feel dried blood along my back, dripping onto  my sides and behind, and along my face and ears. The only clothes I wear are a pair of tight athletic shorts, which feel as if they have been passed down and worn for years.

I also wear a short sleeve shirt that is torn up and low cut, without a bra on. I guess they assumed I would use the wire in it to get out. Right, with my hands tied behind my back. Because that makes so much sense.

My thoughts are cut off by Dominic entering the room, an annoyed look on his face. I tense up, all of my muscles in my body freezing and becoming immobile. He walks toward me and for the first time, flickers on a light above my head. One of those that you see in movies, in the basements.

I flinch and squeeze my eyes closed, whining at the harsh and drastic light difference. Dominic grunts and chuckles, walking around my chair while my head still hangs down. trying to adjust to the light still. My vision cuts in and out, before it sort of steadies.

"Since your boyfriend ," he sneers, "doesn't believe I have you yet, due to 'the darkness'" he mumbles, raising his voice to mock Jaxon at the end, even though Jaxon's voice is deeper than his, "Lets give him a call, shall we? Facetime him and then perhaps he'll believe us."

I whimper, wishing to god Jax didn't have to see me like this. Dominic's phone starts ringing and I notice it is the call of Facetime, and when it goes silent, I hear Jaxon's breathing. It is heavy and uncontrolled. He is angry. Very angry.

And he has the right to be. After all of this trouble, after everything Dominic is doing to us. Why can't people just let others be happy? What did Jaxon or I do to deserve this, for gods sake we have never bothered anyone.

Before I can produce another thought, Dominic harshly grabs my hair and yanks my head back as hard as he can, making me yell out in pain. Tears leak from my eyes, creating streams of clean lines along my dirty face.

I hear Jaxon growl before he softly says, "Babygirl..."

I whimper in reply, forcing my shaky eyes open to catch a glimpse of him. He is shirtless, all of his tattoos on display, and his eyes are dark and angry as well as red, as if he hasn't slept. His jaw locked and tense, and his hair is tousled and messy, as if he has been running his hands through it for days.

"And goodbye!" Dominic cheerfully says, and Jaxon says 'wait!' just before he hangs up, causing him to pause. A sinister grin overcomes Dominic's face, and I finally have time to study it. He is probably not a lot older than Jaxon, mid-twenties I'd say, with a buzz cut and hazel eyes.

Jaxon takes a deep breath as Dominic makes a ticking sound to resemble our lack of time. Jax lets out a growl and grumble before opening his mouth and glancing at me before training his hard eyes on Dominic, anger consuming them.

"What do you want?"

Dominic laughs loudly, his head hanging back on his shoulders and bringing my head back too by pulling my hair back and giving me an evil look, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He leans in to kiss me but I ignore the pain of my hair being pulled and yank my head to the side.

He huffs and turns back to Jaxon, his grin reappearing. "Oh, old friend. You see, what I want is already in my grasp." And he pulls my hair, erupting a groan from me, "Your issue is finding out what will replace her. Seeing as I have already found a liking to her- ay, piccola ragazza? (little girl)"

I begin to cry again, and Dominic chuckles, "Say goodbye principessa. (princess)" I whimper and shakily say Jax's name, but it comes out in a plea, soft and desperate. I open my eyes to look at Jaxon, who stares back at me with sad eyes, before Dominic ends the call.

"Well, now you owe me, don't you, Bella?" And with that said, Dominic uses his phone and hand to backhand me, and I lose consciousness.

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Hope all of you enjoyed!!!!! there is so much going on for me rn i am so sorry for the late late late update but i am not planning on ending this story!!!! <3

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