Asleep *FINISHED!/COMPLETE*

*Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Everything felt fuzzy and my head was pounding as my eyes slowly started to flutter open. I was trying to remember what had happened, still not fully aware of where I was, when I heard my brother’s voice and the day’s events came rushing back to me.

My whole body stiffened against my will and I stifled a groan as the aching in my skull increased, not wanting them to hear me. I realized that they didn’t know I had woken up yet and I tried to listen to what they were saying.

“What did Claudia say when you called her?” Callen asked. “Is this the girl she’s been looking for?”

Luckily my back was to them as I laid on the ground facing the wall, hands tied in front of me, because there was no way I would have been able to keep my eyes from popping open and bulging at the mention of Stone’s first name. No no no no no this cannot be happening. Panic rose up within me in, sucking the air from my lungs. It never even crossed my mind that Callen even still spoke to Stone, let alone that he might contact her.

The few times I had asked Stone about my brother and where he was, or found the courage to ask when he was coming to visit again, she would always give the same vague reply to shut me up:

“Your brother’s a busy man, Elliana. Quit worrying yourself over him and focus on your studies here. You're not making any progress and it’s absolutely infuriating. I don’t want to hear another mention of your brother until you satisfy Oren’s requirements of you.”

And if I persisted, if I did anything other than walk away, I’d get lashes. Technically I was supposed to say “yes ma’am” and walk away, but that would get me more lashes because I could never say it without my voice dripping with disdain and sarcasm. They got tired of chasing me down when I would just walk away, so eventually I got away with it. It was better for both parties involved.

An involuntary shudder ran through me as I thought about Stone and the orphanage and the fact that my brother had potentially sent word to her about where I was.

“The BOLO she put out said the girl had brown hair, but other than that, this one matches the description. One thing that’s still confusing though,” a different man said that I couldn’t see. His voice didn’t sound familiar.

“What’s that?” Callen asked curiously.

“The fact that she gave the name ‘Mave Cross’,” he paused curiously. “Stone said the missing girl had no prior contact with the family to her knowledge. She didn’t even attend public school and did all her studies in the orphanage. Something doesn’t add up,” the second voice said.

“That is very strange to me as well. As soon as she gave Maven’s name, I assumed she had to be working for the Seven. Clearly she doesn’t know who we are though, or she would never have given that name. Especially not Cross,” Callen spat that last word, the disgust clearly ringing through in his voice.

He was right. I clearly did not know who these people were. I barely even knew who Mave and the Cross family were! I was so confused as to how all these people were connected, and of course it would be my luck that I was smack dab in the center of it all. But so was my brother, apparently. Or someone who looked like him was. Even as I had the thought, though, I immediately knew that wasn’t the case. I knew this was Callen, but a part of me wished it weren’t, not wanting this man who apparently kidn*pped girls and didn’t recognize his own sister, to be the only family I had left in this world.

“I’m growing more curious as to who she is the more I think about it. Especially since my Aunt seems so interested in her,” Callen said. Wth does he mean his Aunt?? My thoughts were racing wildly, my mind refusing to consider even the most distant possibility of what he could be suggesting.

“Do we still have a Truth Shade on staff?” Callen asked.

“Of course, sir. Would you like me to get him?” the man replied.

“Yes. I’d like him to speak to the girl before my aunt arrives. I need to know what her value is to the Shades. And I need to know her connection to the Seven,” my brother spoke as if he were lost in thought, probably trying to piece together some of the same information I was. But I had no idea what he meant by the “Shades” or the “Seven.” I was honestly getting more confused the more he spoke.

“Yes sir, I’ll have him here in 10 minutes,” the other man said before heavy footsteps sounded on the opposite side of the room and I listened as I heard a door open and then click shut.

10 minutes. That was all I had before this “truth shade” guy would be here, whatever the hell that was. And I now knew roughly how far away I was from the door. Which meant it was now or never. I had no idea what exactly was happening around me or who these people were, even my own brother, but all I knew for certain was that the only way I was ever going back to that orphanage was in a body bag. I’d rather die free than be imprisoned again, locked away from the world without answers or any hope for a better life. For my own life.

As quietly and slowly as possible, I rolled onto my other side, pretending to just be turning in my sleep in case he was watching. I waited a moment and listened for any approaching steps or sounds. Honestly it didn’t even really matter if anyone was walking towards me, I only had a few minutes and I’d make a run for it either way. I’d just rather be smart and quiet about it if at all possible.

I opened my eyes slightly, then fully, when I saw Callen’s back to me. He was doing something on his phone, texting maybe, leaning on the edge of his desk and facing the huge wall of windows that showcased the city below. I was in the adjacent corner, close to the same window wall, but on the opposite side of the large office space. Bookshelves and filing cabinets towered over me. Staged headshots of my brother lined the walls, his charming and cunning smile making me nauseous, his blue-gray eyes watching me as I began my escape attempt.

I started scooting, inching my way slowly to ensure I was out of his line of sight. From my original position, if he started to turn even half an inch, he would have noticed me. When I was sure my movement wouldn’t catch in his peripherals, I managed to sit up.

My chest began aching at the breath I was holding, adrenaline spiking my heart rate. I slowly, steadily got my knees underneath me. My hands were still bound, which was making it exponentially harder to stand up undetected. I placed one foot flat on the floor, and I would have to use my core muscles to pull the other one up to stand, while trying to keep my weight balanced. I got my other foot underneath me and pulled myself up as quickly and quietly as possible. I swayed on my feet, trying not to fall forward at the movement. I was afraid to move my foot even an inch to balance myself in case the step came down too hard. I bent forward a moment, but managed to steady myself, stealing glances at Callen’s back.

I took one step, then two. Every movement was made so silently, that you could hear every click of every letter Callen made on his phone. Steeling myself, I decided I needed to close the distance from here to the door more quickly, as he could turn at any moment. Not to mention I had maybe 2 or 3 minutes left before Goon #3 returned with Goon #4. How many goons did he have around here anyways? What was he, some sort of mob boss?

Reaching the door, I paused and looked towards him to verify he wasn’t alerted to my movements. He was still busy working at something on his phone. I used my bound hands to slowly turn the knob, my heart hammering in my chest as I prayed to God it wouldn’t make a sound.

Almost there… almost there…

CLICK.

That click might as well have been a roll of thunder across the room with how quiet everything had been. I almost didn’t hear him speak with all the blood rushing through my ears, certain I was caught.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Callen said, with an actual smirk on his face. He didn’t move towards me or even seem as though he was worried for a moment that I was about to escape this insane hostage situation.

But I didn’t bother sticking around to answer him and ripped the door open. I glanced right, then left, in a fraction of a second, and then I was bolting in the direction that donned the bright red “EXIT” sign above a door to my left. One that I prayed would lead to stairs and freedom.

I knew I wasn’t on ground level from the view in the office, and sent up a silent praise of thanks to whoever may be listening when I saw the blessed stairs through the other side of the metal door. I bounded down them, taking two and three steps at a time, when I heard voices from the hallway I’d just left.

“She went that way!” One of those voices shouted.

My heart was pounding in my ears so loudly, that I could hardly hear myself think as the door above me shoved open, banging against the wall and echoing through the stairwell. I continued my descent, as heavy footsteps pounded after me, accompanied by shouts I couldn’t quite decipher.

As I finally burst through the door that led into the main lobby of the first floor, I was completely shocked at the scene that was laid out before me.

Jase was there, along with Mave and Kai, engaged in a full on battle scene splayed out across the expanse of the giant lobby. There was blood spattered here and there from broken noses and various other wounds due to violent punches being thrown. Two of the goons I had met earlier that day were facing off against Kai, who held the most cocky smirk on his face I’d ever seen, as if to say come and get me. What were they doing here? How had Jase found me? My thoughts were interrupted when I realized who was coming after Jase’s brother, Kai.

“Kai! Don’t!” My shout echoed across the entry as I recalled one of those men as Rigs, who I remembered had caused me immense pain and then made me feel as though I was drugged earlier that day. I didn’t even know Kai, hadn’t even met him yet, but I knew he was important to Jase and his name rolled as easily off my tongue as if we’d been friends our entire lives. The last thing I wanted was for him to feel that same burning pain I had felt or find himself in a bad situation. Especially if they were somehow, someway here because of me.

His head snapped in my direction and he hesitated. He gave me a questioning tilt of the head and a curious glance, probably wondering what I meant and how I knew his name. My distraction had cost him some precious time, though, and the two men were on top of him in a heartbeat, only the contact from Rigs didn’t make him scream in pain as it had me. He merely gritted his teeth and pushed the men off of him as if they weighed as little as I did.

“ELLIE!” I heard Jase’s panicked voice before I could find him in the chaos. There were at least half a dozen men in black suits fighting only the three of them. No one else was here to help them. This was not good.

I searched for him, needing to see him, needing to see if he was ok, and I began to run into the chaos.

“JASE!” I shouted, still unable to see or find him.

I glanced to my left, then, towards the elevator doors, and I finally saw him. He had blood dripping down his arm, his muscles pulling his solid black t-shirt taught with the strain. He was fighting two all alone as well, and it appeared as if he were losing at the moment, the enemies circling him like two sharks coming in for a kill. s**t. I had to do something. I couldn’t just let him fight alone.

“Jase! I’m coming!”Not sure exactly as to what I was going to do, but equally certain I had to at least try, I ran towards him. Just as I made it about two feet away from their outer circle, ready to kick out the back of one of their knees, as it was the only move I could think of at the moment that might give Jase a slight advantage, a hand grabbed me from behind and wrapped itself across my face and mouth, causing me to let out a stifled scream.

Unwelcome tears sprang from my eyes at the sudden backlash, rolling hot down my face. Tiny trails were left by the tears and could be seen running down my cheeks, as my face had been made dirty from being shoved into concrete and office floors for the past several hours. Not to mention the sweat from the fear and the running that didn’t help my appearance.

In that same moment, everything stopped. Immediately after grabbing me, all the fighting ceased. All the shouts were silenced, and everyone turned to look at me. I still wasn’t aware of who was holding me, but I had my strong suspicions given the power and arrogance that rolled off of him through his overpriced suit. The feelings so strong it made my chest ache, the anxiety at being trapped both familiar and unwelcome. Could everyone in that room feel that same power? Is that why the fighting had ceased?

“Well, well, well,” my brother spoke into the massive space. His tone was light, teasing, “What do we have here? Come to collect your little friend, I see?”

“Let her go, Callen!” Jase snarled at him, and went to move in his direction. But Callen waved his free hand up into the air in one fluid movement, and Jase stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes locked on me and the green in them seemed to burn painfully. Jase gritted his teeth and growled at Callen, “She’s not with you she's-” His words were then cut off as Callen curved his fingers in a way that would fit perfectly around a person’s neck. Somehow he was choking Jase, cutting off his words, even though he was at least 10 ft away from him.

I began to buck against the monster of a man who held me and screamed through his too big hand that smelled of leather and tasted of dirt. Tears started streaming down my face faster, harder, as I watched life drain from Jase’s face, unconsciousness threatening him.

“ENOUGH!” Kai shouted from across the room as he began moving towards his brother, his eyes hard and his form, the way he moved, screamed of a warrior, a force to be reckoned with. But Callen never even flinched, barely even looked in Kai’s direction as he removed his hand from my mouth and used it to place Kai in a similar situation to Jase’s.

“NO! Callen, stop! Please!” I begged, now free of his hold but unsure of how to make my feet move. I turned my head left towards Jase, then right towards Kai. They were here because of me. They had to be, but why? Why would they be willing to risk so much for a girl they barely knew?

“Callen,” I choked, unsure of what I was about to say next, when suddenly Mave appeared in front of us, eyes downcast.

“Enough, Callen,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes were hooded with thick, dark eyelashes. Her face was tan and tinged pink from fighting, and she looked more beautiful in this moment than I remembered from our first encounter in the firelight, with her hair now tied high and battle worthy clothes hugging her curves.

“Nice to see you again, Maven,” Callen said, a smile playing at his lips as he looked her up and down in a way that made my skin crawl. I stood awkwardly in between them, Callen stepping slightly to my side to get closer to Mave. She cast a sideways glance to Kai, who’s eyes bulged out of his skull at the mention of what I assumed was her full name from my brother’s lips. He looked as though he might literally explode at any given moment.

“I said enough, Cal,” Mave spoke with a little more force, more confidence. The familiarity in the way they were speaking to one another had even me giving them both a second glance. But Callen lowered his hands, releasing Jase and Kai from their strangled hold. They fell to the floor, clutching their necks and gasping for air as Callen took another step towards Mave. He moved in a predatory, and yet almost intimate, way towards the beautiful warrior who seemed so much smaller in his presence than moments before.

“Would you like to clue me in as to what exactly is going on here, my dear?” Callen said.

Mave visibly cringed at the pet name, pausing before responding. “I could ask you the same thing, dear.” She said the last word through gritted teeth. Clearly their affection towards one another differed.

“Let’s cut a deal, Maven, darling,” he said, with a handsome and mischievous smile on his face.

She stared at him blankly, and said, “What kind of deal?” She picked at her nails, suddenly interested in every single speck of dirt that might lay underneath them, feigning uninterest. “You’re not known for holding up your end of the deals you make, Cal.” She sounded outright bored at this point.

Callen clenched his jaw, losing some of the control he had exhuberated up until this point. “Says you, Mave,” he practically spat at her, clearly provoked by her comment. “But we both know it was you who walked away from me.”

Kai let out a sound that could only be described as animalistic, and Mave’s previously bored demeanor slipped ever so slightly, a flicker of regret flashing across her face. I could tell it was taking all of her strength not to look at Kai.

“That may or may not be true, however,” she looked up now, and directly stared into my brother's eyes, “here we are. So what will it be, hm? Continue the fighting? Give your aunt exactly what she wants, as you always do?” She paused, rolling her eyes, and I could feel my brother's irritation amp up a notch. “Or,” she paused for effect, taking a minor, seductive step towards him, closing the space between them completely and batting her lashes ever so slightly, “you could make a deal with an old friend.”

A normal person would not have been able to see or feel the disgust Mave felt when she said that last word, but I did, despite her obvious flirtation. I could feel it in my core. She was doing this to save Jase and Kai. And hopefully me. And I could get on board with that.

“Name your price, Mr. O’Dellan,” my lips moved of their own accord as I stepped towards the man that did not know me as I knew him.

He turned towards me and smiled, then cast a sideways glance toward Mave and snickered before facing me fully. “Oh, you are ignorant of our world, aren’t you, little thing?”

Maven outright rolled her eyes at me now, and attempted to get my brother’s attention back on her.

“What do you want, Callen?” she said, no longer attempting to flirt with the potentially psychopathic mob boss.

“A Truth Shade of mine would like to have a word with our girl,” he said, jutting his chin in my direction.

“No way! Absolutely not!” Jase shouted as he moved towards me once again.

“Jase.” Mave’s voice cut hard in his direction and something passed between their eyes, her pleading with him not to intervene. He ran a shaky hand through his dark brown locks and the gold flecks of his eyes seemed to contain fire as he growled before finally turning away, defeated.

“And what do we get in return, Mr. O’Dellan?” Mave said his respectful name with subtle sarcasm.

“You can take your girl with you when you leave. Without resistance. Assuming you make it out before my aunt gets here, that is,” he replied.

Mave eyed him skeptically, clearly not trusting him. “And what’s in it for you besides asking a few questions?”

“Let’s just say that I’m done with my aunt having control over everything I do in this world. She plays games and I’ve grown tired of it. Give me a few moments alone with her, and I’ll return her promptly to you, just as she is now.” He flashed his stupid, straight smile that he no doubt practiced in the mirror before giving big speeches and what not. How had my brother been groomed to be a U.S. senator while I was left to rot in that hell hole all my life?

“No.” Jase stepped forward once more, closing the distance between himself and our strange little negotiation party. “Whatever questions you have for her will be asked here, in the open. You’re not taking her anywhere.” Jase’s muscles bulged and his jaw ticked, daring Callen to challenge him.

“Fine,” Callen replied, with a mildly annoyed, yet still amused smirk on his face. “Bring the Truth Shade to me,” he said, lacing his words with command.

“Right here, sir,” a man said somewhat timidly, as he walked towards us from the back of the lobby over by where I had run out of the stairwell. He looked to be in his early 30’s, handsome somewhat, but with tired eyes and crows feet that did not match the tightness of the rest of his skin.

“I need you to ask her some questions,” Callen said, not tearing his eyes away from me.

“Yes sir… but, I,” the man hesitated and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I’m so sorry, but I’ve been out…” He cast the lot of us a sideways glance as if he wasn’t sure what he should share. “Investigating,” he finally settled on, “all day, and I only have a little strength left. I may only be able to ask one question effectively.” He avoided Callen’s stern gaze, clearly hoping that he wouldn’t be on the receiving end of my brother’s cruelty.

“Fine,” Callen said once more, exasperated. “Ask her what her name is,” he said to the man. “And whoever you are,” he leaned into me, putting his face mere inches from mine, power rolling off of him, “you had better answer him swiftly and truthfully, otherwise the results will be quite painful for you, little one.”

Not entirely sure what he meant, but also utterly exhausted, confused, and beyond ready to be as far away from this place as possible, I ignored Jase’s growl and nodded.

“What is your given name, girl?” the Truth Shade asked.

And before my brain could even process the question, my lips were moving without my permission.

“Elliana Kelly O’Dellan.”