Pulling up to the café parking lot, she slung her tote bag onto her right shoulder and stepped out into the rain. It was drizzling now. So there would be no need for her to run into the Cafe.
You would most likely fall six times if you run. Her subconscious reminded her. And her subconscious was right she would fall and probably break her leg in the process. And that was the last thing she needed.
The door chimed as she walked into the café. She looked for her favorite spot in the right-hand corner. It was a small iron table with a wooden chair and cushion. It was the only table with a view of the entire café. But it looked like someone beat her to it. A laptop had been set up, and a coffee cup and a half-eaten muffin lay visible on the table. But the owner was nowhere to be seen.
She looked for another spot to sit and decide to sit by the counter facing the window of the café. She placed her bag down and slipped out of her bright yellow raincoat her mom got her when she moved to Seattle for schooling.
She walked over to the ordering counter.
"Hey Easton, the usual?" Paul asked from behind the counter. He was a thin man with pale skin and dark brown hair.
"Yes please," he was in her math class, and Easton had a small crush on him. But she would never admit that, she hoped he could realize her affection towards him through her actions.
"Hey, Easton! We are all going out to a new club called Eddies tonight, and you are going!" Payton came from around the corner, they had been friends since middle school. And one could ask how the hell did that happen, Payton was the it girl, while Easton was the nerd who hardly left the library. But it was Payton who used Easton for her money, and family vacations.
"I just want to stay home,"
"Absolutely not! We are in college and sophomore year is finally over!" She slid over her tea and blueberry muffin.
"You. Are. Going." Payton sat, she gave her no choice on the matter, no matter how many times she tried to set up boundaries Payton trampled all over them.
"Fine," she cut the conversation short before it turned into an argument. She did not like confrontation, it gave her anxiety.
She brought her items to her spot and pulled out her book. She read until she finished her book, which didn't take long and then called it a day. She brought her empty cup to the counter.
"Don't forget about tonight at 9 pm" Payton reminded her.
"Payton I rather not go, can't you just call me when you're ready to go home?" she groaned she just wanted to be home.
"No! You own me!" Payton was now shouting which brought all the attention onto them from the few customers that were either working on laptops or reading.
One of those pairs of eyes belonged to the man who sat in her seat. He looked like a Greek god, chiseled jaw and beautiful green eyes. She broke eye contact first. She was scared. He on the other hand. Continued to stare at her. He took a picture of her when she wwasn't looking his brother would want proof. He wouldn't believe him. She was back.
"You're causing a scene Payton stop yelling, ill be there. 9 pm Eddie's," Eaton turned on her heels before walking out. If she would give her more time to reply she would just start a fight and she had embarrassed her once already.
She could feel his eyes on her as she left the cafe.
Easton pulled into Eddies nightclub at 8:50. 10 minutes before the scheduled meet-up time. She sat in her car for those 10 minutes mentally preparing herself for the crappy night she would have. The only reason they wanted her here was to drive them home. If they even went home. Sometimes they would find others to go home with and leave her looking for them at the clubs they got into.
She would rather be home eating takeout and reading a book. That was her version of a good night. This would just be hell. She stepped out of her car and took a deep breath.
"You got this, a few hours of this and you can slip out," She held onto her shoulder purse and walked around the nightclub and towards the front. She wore her a red thigh high dress and black converse. Comfort over style was her model.
"Over here E!" she looked for the source of Payton's voice. She was in the middle of the line with a group of her friends. Easton groaned mentally, She didn't want to be here and now Kevin was here. She slapped herself for not being able to say no.
"Hey East," he slurred they haven't even gotten in and he was already drunk.
"Easton," she corrected him passively. He rolled his eyes and placed his arm around her shoulder. She wanted to barf. She disliked being touched.
He had declared his feelings for her but she had turned him down...four times already. He never got the hint.
She grabbed his hand and removed it from her shoulder gently.
"b***h," he whispered into her ear, before joining the conversation between Justin, Luke, Payton, and Marcus along with people she didn't recognize.
They were next to enter the club, and she showed the bouncer her fake id and he let her in. She followed the group towards the bar and sat down in the chair she sat in whenever she would come there.
"Hi Easton," the bartender Jimmy greeted from behind the counter carrying over a glass of water.
"Hey," she replied and took the glass of water and chugged it down. They had become friends the last time she was here.
"What book did you sneak in this time?"
"Romance book," she said as she pulled the thin book out of her purse and pushed it over to him.
He picked it up and examined the book.
"Let me know how it goes," he handed her the book back with a fake look of disgust and went on to attend another customer. She giggled it was the face he made when she showed him any book.
He had been watching her from the moment she left the safety of her car. He had overheard her conversation from earlier that day. He couldn't get her off his mind, he brought it up to his brother, and if she looked just like Enzo had described they would take her tonight.
"There brother," He pointed at the women through the security camera. They watched as Easton removed the man's hand from her shoulder.
"Good girl you already know you have an owner," Enzo whispered.
His brother squinted his eyes at the camera footage, "Aahh Violette" he whispered, stood up, and pinched the bridge of his nose. She looked just like Vi did, innocent, small, delicate in need of protection.
Consent protection and surveillance. It would be the only way to save her.
The only way. He thought.
Enzo leaned back in his chair and watch her make her way through the crowd and to the bar. Her friends had left her the moment they made it through the door. Each one of them would die tonight. For bringing her to such a place and then leaving her to fend for herself.
He watched her pull something out from her bag and watched as she engaged in a conversation with his bartender-Jimmy. That's who he would use in his plan later.
Cryus moved back to the laptop screen and continued watching the live camera footage with his brother.
"Violette, Violette, how i've missed you my bunny," Enzo whispered. She was back for them.
"No! No! No!" Enzo shouted and stood, his chest falling and rising heavily. Kevin had walked up to the bar and put his hand around Easton's waist. From the camera, you could tell she was uncomfortable. She didn't want him near her, and neither did Enzo or Cryus.
"NO! She's mine!?" Cryus through his shot glass across the room. Steam blew out of his ears. His once tan face now turned bright red.
"Enzo go. Get her before I do kill the entire club. But you," He placed his finger on his brother's hard chest, you leave that son of a b***h to me."
For things to be like they were in the past, the way they were with Violette, she would be with Enzo first, then Cryus would join their relationship later on.
"Resse, things have changed it's happening now," Enzo phoned their second in command. He had already been informed of what would happen tonight.
Payton has been sitting at the bar, talking to one of the guys she came with-Justin. Luke and Marcus had been dancing with girls they had just met and Kevin was all over a very uncomfortable Easton.
"From your secret admirer," Jimmy pushed Kevin a drink specifically made for him. At the request of his bosses. He could see, how uncomfortable Easton was in his presence but soon she wouldn't have to worry about it. He walked over to the other side
"On the house," Jimmy pushed Justin and Payton a drink-you guess it made just for them.
"Hand this to those two guys over there," Jimmy shouted over the music to Ashley the waiter on for tonight.
It didn't take long for all five of them to be completely drugged out of their mind, and it was easy to remove them from the crowded club without raising suspension to those clubgoers around them.
"Here, you look like you could use it," Jimmy passed Easton another cup of water, and just like the drinks he made earlier tonight, it was specially made water just for her.
Before Easton could face-plant- the bar counter due to the fast-acting drug, Enzo caught her face with his hand. "My love, your home."