Staled

It only took two days before they noticed his absence and it would only get worse. Igor, the father, would not believe what I fed Maz. He would either come himself or send his henchmen. I needed to get my story straight before they came knocking because they would sniff out the holes in my stories like bloodhounds.

I trudged back through the living room, turning off the lights. I made my way upstairs and went back to bed, the glass of wine helping as usual. I used to smoke weed to get to bed, but that was another thing Tex hated about me. Now that he was gone, I considered hitting up my old dealer and getting some to smoke.

When I woke up the next time, it was morning and there was someone in my room. I was bleary-eyed and struggled to recognize the stranger momentarily before rubbing my eyes and clearing the sleep from them. Xander was leaning against my dresser, watching me intently.

"What are you doing?" I asked groggily.

"Watching you sleep, it's interesting."

"It's fucking weird, that's what it is," I told him.

I rolled out of bed and hurried to cover myself with my hands. I was in underwear and a tank top that got all twisted up in my sleep and my boobs were peeking through.

"Why are you covering yourself like that? I've seen you many times before." A smile slowly crept upon his lips and I squinted my eyes.

"Yeah, because you are a

creep

! Good thing I removed those cameras though, huh?" I winked at him as I grabbed some yoga pants off the floor and a sweatshirt hanging behind my bathroom door.

"I just hacked into the new cameras," he admitted nonchalantly and I fumed in anger.

I spun around and pointed at him. "You are so out of line, get out now!"

"No. I think I'll stay a while. Why was Tex's brother at your house well past midnight?" He cocked his head to the side and my heart beat irregularly for a moment. I shook myself mentally and reached inside myself for that rage I had been feeling moments before. That's what I wanted to hold onto, nothing else.

"He was looking for Tex, what do you think?" I asked with bitterness laced in my tone.

"I'll take care of him, don't worry."

"What does that even mean? Do not kill him too."

"I never said I killed anyone, you've just been jumping to conclusions. I have to say, it hurts my pride you think I'm so callous and murderous," he said with feigned hurt in his voice and putting a hand to his chest.

"So where is Tex then?"

"For hating him so much, you are so worried about him."

"I'm not worried about him, I'm worried about me!" I screamed at him.

He put his hands up in the air in mock defense and I rolled my eyes. "I'm getting dressed, please leave."

"I'll be downstairs," he said while already walking out of my door and into the hallway.

I shook my head, putting my palm to my forehead. What had I gotten myself into? I got dressed quickly, foregoing a shower and using some dry shampoo, and finishing off with a light layer of makeup. I didn't usually wear a ton of makeup anyways. Usually just mascara and sometimes top eyeliner. A good cat eye made me look sexy as hell I had to admit.

I made my way downstairs, dreading what Xander had in store for me. When I reached the kitchen, he was already drinking more of Tex's scotch.

"Don't tell me, you're an alcoholic?" I raised a brow.

"Sometimes my work calls for hard decisions, I had a rough night, to say the least." He suddenly looked far away, a haunted look in his eyes.

"What do you do for work?" I asked, curious.

"I'm a mercenary of sorts, and we'll leave it at that for now," he said in a deeper tone than normal.

"A mercenary? You're kidding me, right?"

"We're not discussing it anymore," he ground out.

"Why not? So you get to make all the decisions?" The anger was creeping its way back in.

"Yes, for now anyway."

I didn't know what that meant and wasn't sure if I wanted to know, so I dropped it. I opened my laptop and pulled up the article I had been reading the other day. I slid the laptop towards him and he spun it around and read intently. He finished and looked up at me with a sheepish smile.

"You're worried I'm going to kill you eventually?" he asked.

"Um, yeah," I admitted.

"I won't ever hurt you, not like that. I've already told you this."

"And I'm just supposed to take what you say at face value? No thank you," I spat.

"This is all going to be an adjustment, but I promise you happiness, don't you want that?"

"I don't want anything from you, Xander."

"I like it when you say my name," he told me.

I stayed quiet, picking at my cuticles and thinking of when he said my name last night. The way it rolled off his tongue and snaked its way into my subconscious, made me shiver from head to toe. I tried to push the thoughts away and looked Xander in the eye. They were so dark and cold. But there was a flicker of warmth deep down and I clung to that, hoping I could reach his humanity and convince him to let me go.

"I just want to be single and live my life, make up for lost time with Tex. Can't you respect that?"

"No, I can't. I'll admit that I am a very selfish man and I want you all to myself. That will never change unless you kill me," he said.

I thought of killing him, taking a knife out of the kitchen drawer and stabbing it into his chest over and over until he was dead on my kitchen floor. The fact I could envision it so vividly scared me to death. What was happening to me? I was never a violent person. Not really even an angry person. But since Xander showed up, I was feeling all sorts of things I had never felt before. I was seeing life in a different light for the first time. I was seeing myself differently for the first time since maybe puberty. It was all so overwhelming.

"Can you please just leave? Come back if you must, but I need some time alone," I pleaded with him.

He seemed to look at me with genuine worry and he nodded after a minute of staring into my soul. "You need some rest, this has all been alot for you, I'm sorry."

My eyes widened at his apology. Was he really sorry? If he was really sorry he would leave me alone for good. Something I knew wouldn't happen and I didn't know what to do with that. "Thank you," I whispered.

He started to walk out the backdoor, but I called out to him. He turned around slowly, smiling. He thought I was going to ask him to come back. Wrong. "Do not hurt any of Tex's family, leave them alone. I will tell them all that I allegedly know and they'll hopefully leave me alone."

"I can't promise I won't threaten them, but I won't hurt them. Just for you, baby girl." He tipped his imaginary hat and exited my house.

That had to be enough for now. As long as he didn't hurt them, everything would be fine. I hoped desperately for that outcome.

After some writing, I decided to call up Sierra and fill her in. I told her everything, and how I was feeling about it all. I told her how disgusted I was by myself and ashamed. She tried to console me and attempted to get me to call the cops again, but I refused.

"Mia, I'm so worried. Should I come over?"

"No, I'm fine, I just don't know what to do about all this," I admitted to her.

"I don't blame you, girl, you got a serious mess on your hands. You know my brother-in-law is a hacker, I can get him to kick that asshole out of your security system I think."

"Really?" That made me feel a little better.

We chatted a bit more about this and that, which helped take my mind off Xander for a few minutes. Eventually, we hung up and I was right back to my recycled thoughts. I was pouring a glass of wine when there was a knock at the door. My heart skipped a beat, it was definitely Maz again, or worse. I walked to the front door and opened it, looking into Igor's face.

"Mia," he said in his raspy deep voice.

"Igor, how nice to see you," I said with mock excitement. Three of his henchmen were lined up behind him and it made me feel uneasy, to say the least. For once, I was hoping Xander was watching. I had a bad feeling about his showing up at my house unannounced.

"And you, may we come in?" He pushed past me, not waiting for my answer. He walked into the living room, looking around and analyzing his surroundings with distaste. "Where is my son, Mia?" He cut right to the chase.

"I have no idea, Igor. I really don't. He came home Monday night and left shortly after. I haven't seen him or heard from him since," I lied through my teeth.

"Now we both know that isn't true. Who are you fucking?" He turned towards me, keeping his face pallid and expressionless.

"Excuse me?" I queried.

"Your little hacker side toy managed to delete all footage of my son leaving that night. Why is that?"

"You hacked into my security system?" Who the fuck else has access to my security system? What the hell?

He ignored my question and just stared at me with no emotion.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Igor. I am not fucking anyone else. I don't know where Tex is."

He walked slowly and lithely to me, facing me with the same expressionless look. "If I find out you're lying, I will cut off your tits and feed them to you. You understand me, Mia?" he said my name like it was poison on his tongue.

I nodded vehemently, shaking in fear but trying not to show it. I didn't want to seem guilty. But behind the fear was anger that he would speak to me like that in my own home. Not to mention he wasn't believing anything that came out of my mouth and that pissed me off as well. I was lying, but they didn't have to know that. But somehow, they did.

Igor spun on his heel and left my house along with his men. I locked the door after him and went to the kitchen to get my laptop and try to distract myself with work. It was difficult at first to concentrate, then eventually I got into it and wrote at least twelve pages before Xander walked in the backdoor. There was something different about him, he was sullen and withdrawn. He wasn't in his usual chipper mood and I watched him walk toward me warily.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"Yeah, baby, I'm fine," he said in a low voice. But I knew he was lying, he wasn't fine, something was off.

"No, you aren't. What happened?" I pried.

"Nothing I want to talk about tonight. My job is difficult sometimes, that's all," he stated solemnly.

He sat heavily on a stool and put his hands over his face, sighing. Then he ran his large hands through his thick hair and tugged at it slightly, making me wince for him. I had never seen him in such a state and it genuinely worried me, although I tried my best not to care. But some niggling feeling told me I needed to do something.

I walked over slowly and hesitantly put my hand on his shoulder. I lifted my other hand just as hesitantly and put it on his other shoulder. His muscles were taught and knotted from stress. I wondered what that stress was, biting my lower lip and wishing I could take some of it away for him somehow. I pushed my hands into his sore muscles and kneaded gently. He groaned in appreciation and I smiled.

Is this what it could feel like if we had met normally and maybe dated? If I had left Tex and ran into Xander at a coffee shop or something, although I couldn't really envision him in a coffee shop. The act of massaging him at my kitchen island was intimate and just so normal feeling. It made me take me my hands away and walk over to the liquor cabinet and pour him a glass of scotch, making it seem like it was purposeful. Really, I was looking to distract him from my touch. Touching him felt so good, and I hated to admit that to myself.

"Thank you," he mumbled as I handed him a glass.

"You look tired. You should rest, I have a guest room you could sleep in."

"I'll lay down with you, come here," he whispered huskily.

I blinked, just standing there for a moment contemplating what I should do. After a minute, I shuffled over to him and into his open arms. He enveloped me in his arms, pulling me tight to his chest. I could smell his scent, smoke, and spice. I shivered and inhaled deeply. He chuckled against the top of my head. I tried to pull away and he squeezed me tighter. I caved and let him hold me for a while. Eventually, he loosened his arms and I pried myself from his grip. I walked around the island and through the living room, looking behind me in invitation for him to follow. He scooted the stool back making a screeching sound and followed me upstairs and into my bedroom.

"I washed the sheets," I told him.

"I'm not worried about it, this bed will be replaced soon and just be ours. I will claim you in it."

I ignored him and crawled into the bed, patting the spot next to me. I couldn't believe I was letting this fucker sleep in my bed with me, but something felt so right about it. He sat on the edge and swung his legs up and over the bed, laying back next to me and pulling me into his chest again. I lay my head on his chest and breathed in his scent.

After a minute, he spoke quietly, "I kill bad people for a living. I work for an underground government group that sends out the hits and I deliver their heads. Sometimes I have to kill people that deserve another chance, but I'm not the one to make that decision. I'm the best at what I do. I can find anyone anywhere. No matter how well a person thinks they're hidden, I will find them," he breathed.

I didn't say anything, I just let him talk. He told me about the job he had finished that night. He was sent to kill a rapist, but upon arrival, he had already killed the six girls he had been keeping in his basement. Xander explained that it was a bloodbath and they had to clean up the entire scene. The girls were young, around eighteen, and were stolen from their homes to be sold into sex slavery.

Everything he told me was disturbing, but I listened intently, wanting to know more about him. Maybe I even wanted to know everything about him. Eventually, he stopped talking and a few minutes later he was breathing deeply. I lay still on his chest and I fell asleep faster than I expected.

I woke alone, Xander gone and three honeysuckles left on his pillow. No note this time. I raised myself up on my elbows and looked around my room. I could still smell his scent lingering in my room and I smiled. It was like our night together brought us closer together somehow. I had never felt this way before, the things he made me feel were foreign to me. And as hard as I tried to hate him and be angry, I still felt this warm fuzziness in my torso that Tex had never made me feel.

I took a shower and got dressed, doing my hair and makeup and heading downstairs to get some writing done. I was inspired to write that day and it made my smile brighter. I walked into the kitchen and something was off. There was an odd smell in the air and I could feel a presence.

"Xander?" I called out.

"Who's that?" a voice from the corner asked.

I jumped, grabbing the wall for support. It was Maz standing in the corner of my kitchen.

"Why are you here? I already told you guys all I know," I said with bitterness.

Before I could get in another word, he was rushing at me and I fell backward. I landed with a sickening thud, feeling my wrists give out and crack. I screamed out in pain, but my scream was cut off by Maz stuffing a cloth over my mouth. It smelled awful and it was making my head spin. My eyes widened in panic, then everything went black. The last thing I saw before falling into a deep sleep, was the smiling face of Maz.

I was jostled awake, and when I cracked my bleary eyes open, I was in some kind of van driving fast. I looked around me, wondering what awoke me, and looked into the face of Maz.

"What the fuck?" I looked at him, squinting my eyes. I was furious but groggy and lightheaded. My wrists hurt badly as well.

He smiled at me. "You really think we believed that bullshit you fed us about Tex? We know you know where he is, and you're going to fucking tell us."

"And if I don't?" I stupidly challenged.

He slapped me across the face, hard. I reeled back, putting a hand on my instantly swollen cheek.

"Then I'll fucking kill you and whoever the fuck else is in on this," he spat at me.

"I don't know where he is, you have to believe me!" I cried helplessly.

He slapped me again, harder this time and I tasted blood. I swung my head back around and glared at him, licking my busted lip. He grinned, his perfect teeth glinting in the sunlight.

"You'll start talking as soon as you get to where you're going. Trust me," he said eerily.

I trembled, staring at his grinning face in fear. I wasn't scared of him necessarily, but of what he said. Where was I going? What would he do to me? I looked towards the front at the driver and passenger. Two burly men with beards.

"Where are we going?" I asked meekly.

"You'll see," he said through a toothy grin.

I stayed quiet the rest of the time, leaning my head back on the headrest and trying to gather my courage for what came next. I started to imagine all kinds of scenarios where I ended up dead in all of them. I shook like a leaf in the wind and couldn't stop myself. I ground my teeth together and tried to focus on the horizon out of the front window. I stared at it intently, clinging to it like a lifeline.

A phone rang and Maz answered it. "Hello? Yes, we have her. We're heading to the dropoff location now. A few more hours. Yes, I'll put her out, sorry. Call you once she's dropped." He ended the call and pulled out a cloth from his back pocket in a ziplock bag. He took it out and shoved it over my face. I tried to kick and scream, fighting for my fucking life, but he overpowered me in the end and I fell into a deep sleep once again.

When I woke again, I was cold. It was starting to get dark and I groggily looked out the window. We were in the desert. I gawked, not believing how far we'd already driven. I looked down at my arms covered in goosebumps and shivered.

"Cold?" came Maz's voice from the side of me.

"Yeah," I whispered hoarsely.

"Good, fucking bitch," he growled.

I ignored him and stared towards the disappearing horizon again, trying to concentrate on pleasant thoughts. It was difficult, with Maz talking shit about me under his breath and the situation in general.

About an hour went by and the car finally stopped moving. We had pulled up to some kind of RV. Maz hopped out, meeting a man and woman walking out of the RV. They shook hands and shared words for a few minutes before Maz turned and pointed to the car. My heart started pounding as they all three walked toward the car. Maz opened the door and yanked me out by the arm, making me yelp.

"This is her?" the woman asked in a nasally voice, clearly displeased with what she was seeing.

"Jealous? She's fucking hot." the man spoke.

The woman spun on her heel and slapped him hard across the face. "I'm not jealous of anyone, shut the fuck up!" she screamed like a banshee.

I winced, trying to make myself invisible and staying as still as possible. The woman turned back around and glared at me.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked.

"I didn't get a chance to brief her, so no she doesn't," Maz told her.

"Well, I'm Stassa. I'm your new groomer. You'll be coming with us now." She smiled brightly showing her slightly crooked teeth.

She was a tall woman, wearing heels to make her even taller. She had short brown hair with straight across bangs. A sharp nose and piercing green eyes. Her lips were thin, but she seemed to use a lot of makeup, her lips were lined making them look larger. She had on false eyelashes and too much blush. She tapped her heeled foot, raising a brow.

"Time to go, I hate the fucking desert," Stassa chirped. "Oh, this is Pope, don't fuck with him and he won't have to fuck you up. Try to run, he'll be the one to find you. Think of him as a bodyguard or something like that." She winked at me and held out her hand for me to take.