Criminal Affinity

Chapter 5

Ava doesn’t expect the mansion to be so loosely guarded. Being as prestigious as the Underlord supposedly is, she expected tight security and surveillance cameras in every nook. It hardly took her an hour to undo the electrically controlled doors and to get them open.

But she waits. They are unlocked, thanks to the code pattern Valdez had taught her, Jon’s boyfriend. All she has to do is push them open. She could have escaped from any of the thousands of windows, but that isn’t her style.

If she leaves, it is through the front door.

But the security is always more forcible outside than it is inside. Guards might be ready with weapons to shoot her down. Dale had told her many times that training is never really complete. Their job required maintenance and more than improvement, it required consistency.

They would be nothing without it.

A throb of discomfort passes in her chest. She hasn’t trained in seven months. All she did was work out until pain explodes in every muscle. Muscle damage was no joke, she knew that. But the pain gave her a sort of balance nothing else could.

Maybe it will cause her failure today. All that muscle damage must have left some mark.

Regardless, working out and training are two different things entirely. Being fit gives you agility and strength, but training gives you direction. What good is a soldier in a garden?

Mulling over her thoughts, Ava gently pushes open the door and…

Dead silence surrounds her, the sun shining harshly over her head. It must have been a streak of panic, because slowly the rustling of trees drone in. Then come chirps. Ava inhales the crisp air deeply before closing the magnificent doors behind her.

But what now?

Nothing she hears is human - footsteps or voices. They must be hoarding good positions. Ava’s eyes scan for cameras and she finds plenty. That instills some reassurance in her.

This isn’t a trap.

Ava peers into the inside of the mansion one last time, drenched in the soft reflections of the stained glass and clenches her teeth. The house is too beautiful, it is really a shame. When she turns back, she is shocked to find a car pulling into the entrance through the gate. Ava ducks while keeping an alert eye on the pale, veiny designs on the main gate.

To her left, she finds bushes lining the fence, so she lunges for cover. Once fully out of direct view, Ava calms her heartbeat and watches the front gate open and close automatically. Cameras will be watching who enters and leaves.

The front door is great, but the front gate is a pipe dream. She will have to find another exit.

The black Bentley parks crooked near the doors Ava slipped out of. Her breath catches as William Chevalier strolls out of the driver's seat, cloaked in black. Ava hates that she likes to look at him, hates that he looks nothing like any of the men she’s been even a little interested in.

She used to think she was actually in love with Julien. She remembers not knowing how to act while he was watching - the painful, breathless moments of having a teenage crush. But it went downhill when Ava conjured up enough courage to confront him, and how badly it ended.

Thankfully, they were able to establish a strong and deep friendship, above all. That’s all that matters to Ava, even if she never sees him again.

Two guards in identical clothing approach him, one daring close enough to speak in his ear. William’s calm face curls with silent fury, eyes so severe Ava feels her cheeks warming. The way his eyes cast out to the expanse of the mansion tells her he knows what she’s up to.

That can’t be good. She has limited time. Maybe she did make the grave mistake of underestimating him.

He snaps a short order at them and strolls into the house, narrowly missing her. Ava sees a small garden to her left, to the back of the mansion. The best option is to wait out patrol. She has tried the method of hiding then escaping at the right time.

There has to be a backyard door. Guarded or not, she will get through that.

Ava waits till all the men are out of her sight and she starts moving. She is in the same clothes as she wore before coming down for that stupid dinner. Her skin crawls with shame. That was a mistake. The whole thing had become a dark hole in her memory.

Ava reaches further enough to spot a wide cerulean pool and a beautiful gazebo. Lights are everywhere; in the night the backyard must look like a dream. If it manages to get the stench of blood off it.

Footsteps suddenly break from her right and Ava’s head whips to find the same two men and now an additional company. Her eyes go from their identical hair colour to their matching dark clothes.

Brothers. Not too far off in age.

Their young faces don’t look too tense about a notorious killing machine on the loose.

Ava buries herself further into the bushes and holds her breath. No place for panic in her stomach now. She’s made her bed painstakingly; now she must lay in it.

“She’s here somewhere.” One of them mutters. She would say they are handsome if burly, tanned men were her type. Their eyes carelessly scan the grounds. Do they even care about catching her?

Even if she manages to escape them, where will she go? A tight knot forms in her stomach, so strong Ava almost chokes. The last time she felt like this was when she was forced to homeschool from the Quarters. Certainty feels a mile away.

Ava is pulled back into reality as the footsteps draw too close and stop. Ava falls so still that even the movement of her chest falls flat. But she is in an awkward position she can’t hold for long.

A chuckle is her only warning before thick hands delve into the grassy mess and grab her hair. Light breaks and for a moment all Ava can see is her mother’s face.

"There you are." The man drawls. His glimmering hazel eyes snake down her frame. “My name is Matias. These are my older brothers, Samuel and Nicolas.”

As Ava begins to kick, confused and terrified, the two others club down on her and one effortlessly seals her mouth and nose in a way she can’t bite out of. Panic starts to lick up her chest.

"Don’t worry, we won’t take you back to him." A thick Spanish accent laces his words. She only swallows, unable to even breathe. Are they sent by Pandora?

"First, we have to take you somewhere safe." Samuel dares closer to her than who she assumes is the oldest one. It doesn’t matter. Whether they are here to help her or not, they are suffocating her.

They drag her to the closest door and push her back into the house. No one crosses their path as they hold her tight and take her deeper into the house. An area she doesn’t expect. She tries to keep track of the cuts and turns but soon falls victim to hope. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Maybe she’s okay.

They enter a room with minimal natural light. Ava is released and she quickly takes her back to a wall, eyes drilling into the three tall men in the room.

“Sit down.” The oldest one says. Nicolas. “We have an offer for you.”

“I’m fine here. Talk.” Ava says.

They regard her, but something is not right.

“I don’t like that tone.” Matias takes two big steps towards her. “Look at your position and act that way.”

“I don’t owe you anything.” Ava says, unable to stop herself. A snarl comes over his face, making him uglier than before.

“But you do. You do owe us.” Samuel says. “Do you have any idea what the Underlord will do to you if he finds you now? He won’t kill you. But he definitely doesn’t like being fooled.”

Ava believes him. There is too much darkness in that achingly handsome face of the Underlord.

“He is already making preparations.” Nicolas warns. “You are his new toy.”

“What do you want me to do?” Ava readily asks. She can’t listen to them spell out her horror story any longer. She will be no one’s toy. She won’t let cage her.

Never again.

They smile in unison, seeing through her mask of calm. “You can start by taking off your clothes. We will go from there.”

In cold clarity, Ava understands exactly what she has gotten herself into. Dead silence surrounds them. Her screams won’t reach anyone. Even if they do, another hell waits for her on the other side.

As she is about to answer, the door is thrown open by the same girl Ava was forced to endure during the dinner. Her eyes shoot from person to person, as confused as Ava feels.

“Aren’t you the new guys?” She asks softly. New guys. Not his main circle then. Her dark eyes cut to Ava. “What are you doing with her?”

"Leave us, ma’am." Nicholas says, eyes fixated on Ava's body with an explicit hunger in his eyes. Ava feels her stomach collapse. "Unless you'd like to join us."

Katrina’s eyes widen in acknowledgement and disgust, going straight to Ava again. Judgement lies in them and Ava wants to scream. But her panic holds her to the ground. One wrong move and this whole thing can blow over.

She turns to leave but stops as if remembering something. Ava’s panic freezes over into cold fear. Too many emotions churn in her stomach. She turns and asks, “Did you see Alec anywhere?”

“No, honey. But we will let you know if we see him, okay?” Matias replies gently. She stares at him for a moment and turns to leave again.

Something in Ava leaps. “Wait.”

Three sets of watchful eyes regard Ava as she tries to find her next words. They watch her like vultures, whereas Katrina looks inconvenienced.

Ava lets some of her fear leak into her eyes. “Don’t catch your dress on that.” Ava points at a crooked piece of wood on the doorframe. All eyes move to her signal. Katrina looks back up and quick enough for none of the men to see, Ava mouths help.

Katrina stares at her for a moment. A moment that feels like an hour.

A cold smile curves into her face. Then she leaves.

Defeat consumes Ava. Katrina saw it

They lock the door and she stares hard at the floor, frozen again.

Ava doesn’t raise her eyes until Nicholas' hand curls upon her elbow, hauling her to his rigid frame. Her head buzzes. In a flutter of helplessness, her eyes cast around. “You don’t have to be afraid. We will not hurt you.”

His words are a sweetened lie. They all say the same things. But Ava has already made up her mind.

“I’m not interested.” She says coldly. “Let him do whatever he wants with me, I’m not sleeping with you.”

Their expressions collectively sour at her words.

“So let me go.” Ava watches her words carefully. “I know you mean me no harm.”

Nicolas finally rises, taking measured steps towards her. “We don’t. That’s why we made you an offer.”

For a second, Ava is convinced they will help her regardless, that is until Nicolas’ face twists with violence and he pulls her shirt until the hem splits in two. Delighted with the sound, Nicolas tries again but this time Ava shoves him out of the way, only to fall into the hands of Samuel and Matias.

“There is no point in running. Or screaming. Katrina only came down here because she once caught her boyfriend cheating on her with some w***e. That won’t happen again.” Nicolas’ words feel miles away as Samuel rips off the top of her dress, exposing one of the lacy, soft pink bras that she found in the closet.

Their hands grope and tear at her and she can’t help the horrified scream she lets out. Her hair falls loose from its tight bun and falls around her face. Ugly, pathetic pleading stops at her throat. Never again, never again, never again.

Nicolas pulls out a knife before her eyes and takes it low to cut the rest of her.

“Don’t.” Ava heaves. “Not that-”

She feels the cold metal graze her flesh.

All hell inside her breaks loose. Ava roars so loud her ears ring, but she tackles Nicolas and takes hold of his hand. Focussing on nothing else, Ava angles it down and buries it deep into his throat. Blood sprays and bubbles on his mouth but Ava doesn’t wait to watch.

Catching Matias off guard, Ava slashes him once on the face, then once over his pulse. He falls to the ground and chokes. But wait doesn’t watch him either.

Her eyes turn to Samuel, eyes now filled with terror. Before Ava can attack him, he makes for the door and breaks into a run. Ava wipes her knife on her thigh as she watches him disappear, and then waits.

Promptly, not a second later, she hears him shout, “She killed them! She killed my brothers! Help me!”

Help me.

A mirthless laugh falls from Ava’s mouth before she sprints to the source of the voice. She catches him at the end of the large staircase she saw multiple times earlier, and tackles him with no effort. Not even an anguished sound before Ava shoves the knife right into his mouth.

“Beg.” Ava says. “Let me hear it.”

He croaks in pain and Ava holds him up until he goes still. Once his pulse dies, Ava rises off his body and heads to the fountain. She can’t wash off the smell, but she can wash off the colour of death.

There goes everything.

The water is cool and kind to her tender skin as she splashes some on her face and the rest on her oily, bloody chest. Murmurs echo above her but no one nears her.

Ava can almost smell their terror.

She brings some water to her lips and breathes deep. Inhale. Exhale.

But from somewhere deep within, that rotten, ruined part of her snarls with victory. With blood dripping her maw and merciless shadows under her eyes.

In her world, showering in blood is a trophy. She didn’t escape. She’s awaiting more punishment. But they couldn’t hurt her because she can still kill in a blink. That is enough for her.