Roses For Little Swan

No One Touches What's Mine

Odette did not sleep after he left.

She sat on her mattress on the floor, white cover around her shoulders, knees to chest, thin-waisted, curvy even when curled small.

The apartment was cold. Heater making noise. She didn't turn it on.

On her desk, laptop closed, loan portal still open in her head: $47,820. Due in 6 days. Now 5 days because midnight passed.

On her sock drawer, four notes from D. Four thorned roses she threw away but kept notes.

On her phone, last text: "24 hours, Little Swan. Then you are mine anyway."

She should be scared. She was scared. But she was also mad. Who did he think he was? President, billionaire heir, biker, offering $200,000 to fake date him like she was a thing?

"I'm not for rent," she whispered to her teddy bear with one eye. The camera in its eye watched her whisper.

Teddy didn't answer.

She got up, checked door. Two locks locked. She had watched him lock it when he left. He had a key. Harold must have given him. She knew now.

She couldn't stay here. But she had nowhere else. Aria's apartment was small, with boyfriend. Marty's back room was not for sleeping.

She lay down, long lashes wet, bright eyes tired, fine hair messy, and finally fell asleep at 4 am with light on.

She woke at 7 am to alarm. She had college.

She wore same big sweater to hide curves, jeans, ponytail. She didn't want D to see curves. She remembered his text: "Only I should see those curves."

At City College, she tried to focus.

English Lit, Professor Miller again. "Today we talk about possession in Wuthering Heights..."

Odette wrote nothing. She kept looking at windows, at doors, expecting black truck.

At 10:30 am, break between classes. She went to courtyard to get air. Cold air.

"Odette! Hey!" A voice.

She turned. Leo Marley.

Leo Marley was in her Lit class, 24, blonde, basketball team, always smiled at her. Prospect in Damien's club in your rank list, but in college he acted like just student, still proving loyalty. Odette didn't know he was prospect. She just knew him as classmate who always asked for notes.

"Hi, Leo," she said, small smile. Sunshine polite.

"You missed class yesterday," Leo said, stepping closer. "I saved notes for you."

"Thanks," she said.

He grabbed her wrist. Not hard, but firm, fingers around thin wrist.

"Maybe I can bring them to your place tonight? Study?" he said, smiling, but hand tight.

Odette pulled wrist back. "No, it's okay. Just give them here tomorrow."

Leo didn't let go right away. Held half second longer. "Come on, Odette. You never go out. One drink?"

"No," she said, stubborn, hard to get. "Let go."

He let go, hands up. "Okay, okay, hard to get, I get it. Virgin girl playing hard."

Her face went red. "Don't call me that."

"I'm just saying, you wait too long, you know?" Leo said, still smiling but eyes not nice.

She walked away fast, into building.

She didn't see across street, parked under tree, black bike, not truck today, bike.

He took phone, typed one text to Steel Smith: "Leo Marley. College. Wrist. Handle."

Steel replied: "On it. Prez."

Damien stayed on bike, watching Odette go into class building, thin-waisted, curvy, ponytail bouncing, fine hair. His Little Swan.

He said out loud, quiet: "No one touches what's mine. Not even hello."

Odette finished college at 1 pm. She had Marty's shift 2pm to 6pm, then no bar shift tonight. She requested off because she was scared of Damien at bar.

At Marty's, Nora was there.

"How you doing, Swan?" Nora joked, because Odette told her about nickname yesterday.

"Don't call me that," Odette said, but smiled small.

"Did he text today?" Nora asked, wiping table.

"No," Odette said. That was strange. No text since morning. No truck across street at college? She didn't see truck at Marty's today either.

Maybe he gave up? Maybe 24 hour offer expired and he left?

Part of her felt relief. Small part felt... no.

She worked, tips $41.

At 6:30 pm, she walked home. No truck following she could see. No bike.

She got to building, front lock still broken. She went up to 3B, unlocked two locks, went in, locked again.

She made instant noodles, cheap, ate on floor mattress.

At 8:14 pm, her phone buzzed.

Unknown: Did he hurt your wrist, Little Swan?

She froze, noodles halfway to mouth.

How did he know about wrist? Leo grabbed wrist at 10:30 am in courtyard, no one from bar there.

She typed fast: HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT

Unknown: I see everything, Little Swan. I told you. No one touches what's mine.

She stared at wrist. Faint red mark where Leo held.

Phone buzzed again.

Unknown: He won't touch anyone ever again. Not even hello.

"What does that mean?" she whispered to empty room.

She texted Aria: leo from class grabbed my wrist today and now D texted saying he wont touch anyone ever again im scared

Aria: WHAT?? thats the biker guy?? Odette call police for real

Odette: i dont know

At 9:02 pm, another buzz, not unknown, news alert from college group chat.

Group chat: OMG DID U HEAR LEO MARLEY FROM LIT GOT BEAT UP BAD OUTSIDE GYM TONIGHT??? IN HOSPITAL ICU???

Odette's blood went cold.

She opened chat.

Message 2: yeah someone said bikers jumped him, face messed up

Message 3: police there

She dropped phone.

Leo. Less than 24 hours after grabbing her wrist. Beaten, ICU.

She remembered Damien's rule in her head that she didn't know was rule yet, but now heard first time: No one touches what's mine.

She picked phone, hands shaking, called unknown number. It rang once, voicemail, no answer.

She texted: DID YOU DO THAT TO LEO

No reply for 10 minutes.

Then: He put his hand where it doesn't belong, Little Swan. I fixed it.

Odette threw phone across room. It hit wall, didn't break.

She hugged her knees, crying, shaking, long lashes wet.

"He is monster," she whispered to teddy bear. Camera in teddy watched her cry.

Across town, at clubhouse, Damien sat in his booth, knuckles wrapped in gauze, small blood spot coming through. Steel Smith sat across, cleaning hands.

"ICU, not dead," Steel said. "You said not dead first time. Teach lesson."

Damien nodded. "First one is lesson. Next one dies."

"She will know it was you," Wolf said, sitting down.

"Good," Damien said. "I want her to know. No one touches what's mine, not even hand."

He opened phone, teddy camera live. He saw her crying, hugging knees, white cover, fine hair messy, pretty even crying, brave sunshine scared.

He typed: "Don't cry, Little Swan. He touched you. He answered to me. If anyone hurts you, they will answer to me."

Her phone lit up on floor where she threw it. She crawled to it, read, cried more.

She typed: YOU ARE SICK STAY AWAY FROM ME

He replied: "I am sick for you, Little Swan. And I am not going away. 24 hours almost up. $200,000. Think about your mom's house."

She didn't reply.

She turned light off and tried to sleep but kept looking at door, at window, at teddy bear.

She didn't know teddy was watching.

Damien watched till 3 am again.

At 6 am, Odette woke to alarm, eyes puffy, wrist still red.

She had 5 days loan due. Now 4 days? She lost count.

She had text from loan company: FINAL NOTICE. PAY $890 IN 4 DAYS OR DEFAULT PROCEEDINGS START AND CO-SIGNER CLAIRE STERLING WILL BE CONTACTED.

Her mom.

She sat on floor mattress, holding phone, crying quiet.

She had no $890. She had $41 tips plus $75 saved = $116.

She looked at sock drawer with four notes. She looked at phone with unknown texts.

She thought about $200,000 offer. Fake dating for 3 months. Separate bedrooms. Strict rules she could make. No touching, no real s*x, no cameras.

He would break rules, she knew. He already broke.

But her mom's house.

She picked phone, opened unknown chat, typed with shaking hands:

Odette: Is offer still standing

Reply in 30 seconds.

Unknown: Yes, Little Swan.

Odette: I have conditions

Unknown: You can try.

Odette: No touching. Separate bedrooms. No real s*x. No cameras. No claiming in public. No killing people.

Unknown: I agree to first four. Last two we negotiate.

Odette stared. He agreed to no cameras? But he already had cameras.

She typed: I want contract written. And money upfront half.

Unknown: Come to bar tonight 8pm. Bring nothing. We sign.

She put phone down. Heart beating fast.

She just agreed to fake date a stalker who put a boy in ICU in less than 24 hours because he grabbed her wrist.

What was she doing?

She got ready for Marty's shift, big sweater again, but today she felt watched more than ever, and part of her, small part she hated, felt safe that no one would touch her wrist again.