Page 51 of The Devil of Hollywood

The voice echoed, but I didn’t turn to face The Unavowed. I kept my face at Drayton’s neck with my eyes closed as he began walking. I was still sleeping. I had to be. This wasn’t real. My brain was inventing this rescue because more men were back. Yes… I kept doing this. Imagining myself so far away. Drayton wouldn’t be here. That’s why he wasn’t answering. My mind somehow knew it was impossible for him to be. It didn’t make sense, but that was okay. This was my dream or a hallucination. My mind was protecting itself. I’d stay like this. It had to be bad, or this wouldn’t be so real. Dream. Dream. I wasn’t ever going to wake up.

Even as I thought it, my lids grew heavier.

Dream. Yes. The movement from walking. It was the thrusts from the men. I was gone from there now. I’d stay here. Stay. Right. Here.

I breathed in deep, letting Drayton’s cologne and aftershave register. Heavenly. I liked this dream.

“Right through this door. You can put her on the bed. There are towels in the restroom if you need to put some down. The doctor will be here soon. Elec, a word, outside.”

Of course.

I didn’t want Elec or The Unavowed here. Me and Drayton. That’s all I wanted. And he’d keep me in this room. Keep me safe from any other men who wanted to get to me.

“Brace yourself, Marian. This may hurt.”

Drayton eased me to a bed, and the pain snapped me out of the fogginess in my mind. My eyes flew open, and I dug into the comforter as I rolled to my side and drew my legs towards my chest. I could do nothing but writhe in pain as Drayton rushed away, only to return. He put a towel underneath me, holding to my shoulder as I clung to the edge of the bed.

“I’m sorry. I know you hurt.”

A dream wouldn’t hurt this bad. Unless, outside of the dream, I hurt. No. My mind wasn’t right. I knew that… I kept… knowing that.

“I want to go home. I don’t want to wake up.”

“Marian.” Drayton lowered to his knees on the floor, becoming eye level with me. “You’re awake.”

“No.” I sobbed. “I want to go home.”

“You can’t go back home. You have to come to my home, Marian.”

Harder, I sobbed, and I wasn’t even sure why.

“No running. I… I did this? I didn’t know. I didn’t. I ran. I⁠—”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re here because of your mother.”

“M-My mother. Yes. No… I ran. I was bad. I… I… I want to go home.”

“Jesus.” Drayton let out a deep breath. “You’re in shock. Look at me.”

The slight blur of his face had me blinking to try to bring him in clear. I felt sick. My mind was going so fast, I couldn’t even decipher what any of it was about.

“I need you to listen to me, Marian. We’re in London. Underground. Elec, Bram Whitlock, and I are trying to get you out of The Order. It’s going to take some time. You’re hurt. A doctor is coming to make sure you’re alright. Once Bram gives The Unavowed what he needs, I’m going to take you home. To my home. With me. We’re going to get married.”

“What? Marry? You?” I laughed as his face turned defensive and angry. I couldn’t help it. “… Now I know I’m dreaming.” The words were low through realization. “I’ve never been so… far from sanity, and yet, I know the truth. I saw it at the hotel, even if I didn’t want to. You don’t love me. You hate me.” I lowered my head. “I hate myself, too. I don’t want to wake up.”

For seconds Drayton didn’t speak.

“You’re awake, Marian. This is real. You don’t have a choice but to marry me. The Uppers, The Collective High Council, they’ve given you to me. I own you now. It was me, a place like The Order, or death. Your mother went too far this time. To save you, and… to get my own revenge, I said I would marry you.”

One blink. Two. Despite the pain, I forced myself up to stare down at him. The words were melting the fog like acid. They were triggering… something. But with that knowing came fear. Marry Drayton? So he could get his own revenge against me?

“I’m not dreaming.”

“No. Before this is over with, you may wish you were.”

Drayton

Silence. Marian didn’t say a word as she rested on the bed. She was on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Gone… Since the doctor had left and said there was no severe damage and that she would need to heal, she was so far away. And me, I didn’t know what to think.