Aaron. [Aaron Paul]

Twenty-One.

(A/N: HEY! Time to celebrate. Aaron. Is not going to end YET!!! So, here is chapter 21~ I hope you enjoy! Happy reading <3) ~writingslayer

My surroundings felt more than familiar. The ropes, the hard floor, the uncomfortable position; it was all known to my body. I had been through it before, more than desperate for it never to occur again. Yet here I was, tied up and cold.

"Hello?" I whimpered out.

I couldn't see anything--the room or place was either super dark or I had a cloth bag over my head. I couldn't tell.

There is a slight change in the air and the sliding sound of a van door fills my ears. "Get up." someone says. A rough hand slips around my upper arm and pulls me to my feet. I stumble along next to the stranger as we tromp out of the van and into the night. 

Now that we're outside, I can tell that there is a bag over my head. I can feel the chilly breeze on my bare arms but I can't see anything. My breath heats up my entire head while I'm tugged somewhere unknown.

"Wha-whe-where is Zeke?" I stutter.

There is no answer, but instead, a large metal door (sounding as if it's an entrance to a warehouse) slams downward. I jump as the leader tugs me harder, urging me to use my legs. "Come on," he grunts under his breath, irritated with my little involvement.

I want to mumble that I'm sorry but I hold my tongue. Whoever it is, he doesn't nearly deserve my little apology. 

After what seems like walking a whole mile, I'm tossed to the ground against a wall like a piece of trash. I tense up, in pain, but try to sit myself up. If there's anything I've learned from last time, if you show weakness, then they'll just make it worse for you.

In the next instant, the bag is torn off my head and a bright artificial light fills my eyes. I have to squint to let my eyes adjust, and when they do, a man is standing before me. And who other than the bald one from the gas station....

I scramble back into the wall, wishing and praying that it will hide me somehow, but I have no such luck (of course.) The man glares at me, and then shakes his head and starts pacing back and forth. It seems as if he is trying to decide what to do with me; like, he wasn't planning on getting an 18-year-old today.

I glare up at him, trying to seem strong, but dying on the inside. The scar on my shoulder from the bullet wound years ago starts to ache, as if it wants to remind me of the nightmares I'd been through. I push my shoulder back into the wall and switch my mind so it's not thinking of that anymore.

A minute later of tense silence, the man stops and turns to me. A chill runs through my spine and all the way through my toes. I do my best to hide the shiver but the man sees me cringe.

I'm not sure if that was the main reason he took action or not, but either way, he bends down quickly and slams me hard into the wall using my arms. I slide down and retreat under his fierce weight, but he pulls me back up.

"I'm gonna give your little ass one more chance to answer my question." his spit flies into my face when he yells. I can only pull my head back so far before there is nowhere else for it to go. 

"I told you the first time," I clench my jaw to keep from quivering. "I don't know what the hell you want from me."

I feel my fists clench tightly as I speak, squeezing harder with every word I say. I ignore the fact that my small fingernails dig into my palm, but instead, I tilt my head forward so that we are inches away. His facial features are musty and dirty and his face is almost dripping with sweat. Anger pulses through him with every harsh breath that he takes. The sight is terrifying.

Suddenly, his teeth bare as he grunts and withdrawals from me angrily. 

"Your dad!" he walks aggravated over to the wall across from me and kicks it. "Your damn dad."

All fear escapes me at once and is replaced by pure appall. 

"He's in prison." I mumble. At once, I'm asking myself why I'm in this position. I'm too old for this. I don't wish it were Zeke instead of me, but I do wish that I wasn't the source to all their answers.

The bald man shakes his head, continuing to stride back and forth until he makes his way to a gray file cabinet in the corner of the mysterious room. With his rage, and needing something else to destruct, he furiously (almost viciously) kicks the metal cabinet. The loud bangs echo and sting through my ears. To top it off, he slips his fingers behind it and flings his arms back. It clatters to the floor in a mess of sound and papers.

All I can do is watch helplessly, unknowing on what to do or say.

"Oh, we've done our research, sweetheart." his words are meant to hurt me, but I try not to let them as he continues to let out his anger. Soon after, though, he lets out a low chuckle and mocks me. "Heh," he smiles sickly to himself. "'Prison.'"  

I nod. "Prison." I try to make my voice sound as harsh as his, but I end up failing and sounding like a newborn cow. 

"Well you're damn wrong. You ain't heard about it, have you?" he walks up to me and leans down to get the message to me clearly. His arm automatically points somewhere unknown as he says, "Your daddy ain't been in jail since three months ago."

That one sentence sort of shuts my whole body down. I can't really react; I don't know how. I should be scared, but I really only feel hatred and disgust. "Why?" is all I can produce.

"He escaped!" he yells, swinging back to face away from me. Mr. Bald picks up his pacing once again.

How had I not heard of this? Three months and nobody told me about it. I should be worried about it, but my feelings aren't working properly. The only thing that my brain is letting me do is blame the people I've been close to; as well as me. I should've watched the news. I should've known. He was an impatient man, my father. So I can't imagine him being in prison for years.

But I can imagine him escaping. And now that he's out of jail, Xander wants his money more than ever.

(A/N: Hey guys. I'm super sorry for the long wait.... the past few weeks, I've been in constant debate with myself whether or not to end this one or not but I finally decided to continue it. So, I hope you enjoyed chapter 21! I enjoyed writing it! Comment what you think!!!) ~writingslayer