Vivian
This feels like the biggest trap in the history of big traps.
The only consolation I have for where I’m currently standing is the ridiculously amazing ride we took to get here.
Confusing. Frustrating. But amazing nonetheless.
While Zion is outwardly screwed up, I am just as bad on the inside. And the fact that he kept removing his glove to touch my hand only messed me up even more. That is, until he eventually moved my hand under his shirt and pressed my open palm against the bare skin of his stomach.
His rock-hard abs that I caressed lightly with my fingertips before coming to my senses and clutching him rather awkwardly. I haven’t the first clue what in the hell is going on, but I spent the last part of the ride warring between aching need and abject denial.
And then there’s the mystery that is still Gemma. As far as I can tell, I’m no closer to figuring out where she is, never mind finding a way to rescue her, and this only adds to my overall frustration with my current situation.
I feel as if I’m on the cusp of some life-changing revelation with no warning or clear indication of what it all means. It weighs heavily on me, while also leaving me an odd mix of exhilaration and dread, impatience and denial.
After a final steep climb up what appears to be a mountain, we finally arrive at our destination. Slowly, I remove myself from where I’m plastered against Zion’s back, using the moment to take a good look around.
The road up here was lined with parking spots, most of them obviously designed for bikes. The building itself seems rather small and awkwardly placed, as if it's been built within the earth.
I wait for Zion to secure our belongings and his bike, and then when he turns to me, I ask, “What is this place?”
Surprisingly, there’s no hesitation in his answer. “This is the main compound. But don’t let it deceive you. Once you go through those doors, it’s massive.”
I squint at the entryway, cocking my head in confusion as I mutter, “It certainly appears rather underwhelming.”
Zion laughs, and I have to crane my head to look up at him because he’s standing ridiculously close to me. Then he leans down so his eyes are staring into mine as he says, “It will be the complete opposite when you get in there.”
I frown. Nerves flutter in my stomach, and I swallow the lump in my throat. “What do you mean?”
He raises his brows at me, and I cringe at his knowing look as he replies, “Come on, Viv. You busted into the backroom of a rather notorious club, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, you decided to stealmygun and threaten me with it.”
I make a face that I’m sure is entirely unattractive and wince. But when I say nothing, he adds, “To make it even worse, most of the witnesses there are complete douchebags. So, they will be crying foul and wanting your head on a platter.”
“So, what’s going to happen?”
He shrugs as he steps back. He looks toward the door and then looks back at me. “Nothing good. But if nothing else, I’ll do my damndest to make sure your head stays where it belongs.”
“Well, thanks,” I reply dryly. “But what about the rest of me?”
The asshole grins at me. “Well, I’ll try to save that, too, but no promises.”
He appears pretty tense given the nonchalance of his words as he starts walking toward the door, but when I don’t move, he turns back to me. Shaking his head, he comes back, grabbing my hand and giving me a tug so I’m following him.
We stop in front of the door, then he drops my hand, and he turns to me again, a stern expression on his face. “Don’t give us any fucking trouble.”
My eyes widen, his sudden change of demeanor throwing me off, but then I remember he’ll most certainly have to play a certain role in there. The door opens before he even knocks, and I blink into the darkness for a moment before, finally, a large black man steps into view. He looks at Zion and then glances at me, his head cocking to the side as he gives me a good look over. Then he turns his attention back to Zion and says, “They just want her.”
Zion’s laugh is hollow and short. “Come on, Cornelius. You know that’s not going to happen.”
Cornelius squints at him, and at first, I think he’s going to argue, but then I notice his lips twitching a bit, and after a long pause, he laughs, throwing a punch into Zion’s arm playfully. “That’s what I thought you were gonna say.”
Zion shakes his head and jabs Cornelius in the stomach as he replies, “I don’t know why you always gotta mess with me.”
Cornelius steps back and shrugs. “It’s just the way we’ve always done things.”
Zion smiles but doesn’t say anything further, and then Cornelius turns, and we follow him into the building. The doorslams shut behind us rather ominously, and a shiver goes down my spine. Both men are quiet, and I do my best to take in all the small details of my surroundings, grateful they’re not hurrying. After a bit of a winding walk, we come across a staircase, immediately heading downward. I quickly lose track of the number of floors as it spirals, the doorways becoming less conspicuous as we go.
As if these criminal hangouts weren’t creepy enough without intentionally being sunken into the earth. With each step we take, the more my worry for Gemma grows, knowing that in the amount of time she’s been missing, anything could have happened to her.
