Alex
I don’t like this.
I drum my fingers nervously on the steering wheel and look through the window of my truck to try and see inside her apartment, but I see nothing.
I frown and go back to my drumming.
I don’t like this. Have I said that? I don’t like this.
And it’s not just nerves because I’m scared of Erik saying something to her to make her change her mind. There’s a sense of dread inside me that I can’t place. I didn’t want her to go in there alone, but she distracted me and jumped out before I could collect all my senses.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
I sigh as I keep drumming the steering wheel and then fiddle with the stereo controls to find a song to listen to, but my attention is diverted by movement in my rearview mirror.
Erik is walking down the street, his head bent down when he’s not nervously looking behind him. I frown. The frown doesn’t leave my face as I watch him enter her building.
Something isn’t right here.
Then I see them. The three guys that have been hanging around the races recently. I sink down into my seat and watch as they follow Erik inside. This can’t mean anything good.
I slip out of my truck and close the door quietly behind me. I wait to see that they’re completely out of sight and then tug open the door. I take the stairs slowly, not wanting to catch them unawares around a corner.
“...deliver on your end of the bargain, it’s time to make good on your debt.” I hear it as soon as I step onto the landing of Quinn’s floor.
“Erik, what is he talking about?” There’s fear in Quinn’s voice, and that’s enough for me. I spring into action and push into her apartment.
“Yes, Erik,” everyone turns to look at me. “What is he talking about?”
“Oh good,” one guy, who I assume is the leader of this band of misfits, says as a devious smile spreads across his face. “We’re all here!” He claps his hands together. “Just in time for our friend over here to spill his guts,” he turns to Erik who is as white as a sheet. “Go on, Erik, why don’t you tell them?” The man takes a seat on the couch, and after crossing his leg over the other, he wipes an invisible piece of fluff off his jacket and motions for Erik to go ahead.
“I… I… we…” Erik stutters nervously.
“Oh, for god’s sake, this is going to take too long.” The man says and rolls his eyes. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Sebastian, Bastian to my friends. Thomas, the blonde one over there with the unfortunate scar over his eye, and Charles, the one with the permanent scowl on his face, are my associates.” I look at the three guys and then narrow my eyes at Erik. They’re the same guys I saw him talking to at the race. The ones who scared Quinn. What the fuck has he gotten us into?
“Now,” Sebastian gets up and comes to stand in the middle of the room. “As the astute… businessmen, we are,” snickers sound from Thomas and Charles’ direction. “We are always on the lookout for promising financial opportunities. Which is how we came to know your friend here,” he gestures at Erik who is trying to look invisible. “We backed your boy on a promise that he could guarantee us a certain… return on our investment, so to speak. A guarantee he has failed in delivering…”
“Is something going to start making some fucking sense soon. What the fuck is going on here?” I interrupt through gritted teeth.
“Such language, Alex,” he tuts at me. “But alright, let me speak plainly since we are friends here. Your little accident on the football field, wasn’t an accident. It was all engineered by our Erik here.”
“Erik?” Quinn looks at Erik. “What is he talking about?”
“He means your boyfriend here promised us that your other boyfriend over there would lose the races, so we could collect on the bets and when he didn’t, he tried to make it so he wouldn’t be able to race anymore. Paid some guys to hurt him. Make it look like an accident,” Thomas says, and Sebastian levels him a glare. “Sorry, I was getting impatient.” He shrugs and looks sheepishly at Sebastian.
“Erik, how could you?!” Quinn shouts.
Sebastian purses his lips and sighing, looks back at me. “Yes, and as a result, we are now greatly out of pocket with some very dangerous people, very angry with us. And we’ve come to collect.”
“How much money are we talking?” I ask.
“Oh,” Sebastian looks up to the ceiling and shakes his head as if he’s calculating something in his head. “With interest and the surcharge for the irritation this caused us… just short of ninety-eight large.”
Quinn gasps and I fist my hands at my sides. Christ.
“Bastian, I… I don’t have that kind of money just lying around.”
“Oh, I know,” Sebastian says and walks slowly towards Quinn. “But perhaps we can come to some other kind of arrangement.” Sebastian signals at Thomas who grabs Quinn by the arm and drags her towards Sebastian. “It’s too bad she isn’t a virgin anymore, but hair like this could fetch quite a price amongst our clients.” He takes a strand of her hair between her fingers and Quinn tries to pull back, but Thomas’ hold on her is too strong.
“Don’t fucking touch her!” I leap forward but I’m stopped by Quinn’s scream and the gun Charles pulls on me. I stop and pull my arms up, nostrils flaring. I’m sure he’s about the pull the trigger when a growl sounds behind me.
“What the fuck?” Noah says.
“What.. oh my god.” Harlow follows in behind.
“Can someone please lock that fucking door,” Sebastian gestures to Charles who is now aiming the gun at Noah and Harlow. “Are we expecting any other guests this evening?” He looks at Quinn who shakes her head, fear on her face.
“Good, now as I was saying. She probably won’t get us all our money back, but we’re willing to lose a piece if we all get to have a piece. Right, boys?” More snickering from Charles and Thomas.
“Don’t you fu…” I shut up when Thomas pulls a gun.
“What’s going on?” Harlow manages, her hands raised and her eyes flicking between everyone in the room.
“This asshole over here made a bet that I would lose races and when that didn’t happen these assholes lost money and want to take Quinn as payment.” I grit out.
“What the fuck? Erik, I always knew you were a fuck up but this… this is next level, even for you.” Noah’s face is livid as he shakes his head at Erik.
“Now that we’re all caught up, we’ll just take our payment and be on our way.” Sebastian gestures his head to Thomas and Quinn screams as he pulls her hair.
“What’s to stop us from us calling the police and telling them everything?” Noah rushes out.
“Well,” Sebastian laughs cruelly. “Assuming we let you live, we wouldn’t want the police involved, now do we? We are all involved in some degree or another. It would mean that all of you, including Alex and the two of you,” he points at Harlow and Noah. “Will be going to prison.” He finishes on a smile.
“Really? You’re actually threatening me with prison? Motherfucker, that’s my favorite search on PornHub.” Noah says, sarcastically. Charles cocks his gun at him, and there’s a deathly quiet that falls around the room.
“How dumb do you think we are?” Harlow pipes up, squaring her shoulders. “We didn’t do anything wrong, and even if we did, the information we have on you is way more valuable to the cops than putting a couple of college kids behind bars.”
“You’re right,” Sebastian says after considering her. He looks at the guy with the scar. “Best to kill them and get rid of the loose ends.”
“No!” Quinn screams.
“I’ll race you!” I shout. Sebastian holds his hand up to stop Charles and looks at me.
“Your best racer against me. I have fifty grand in my apartment. I’ll put it up as a bet. If I win, you get more than your money back. If I lose... I...I will race for you until I’ve paid your money back.”
He rubs a thumb along his lips as he considers me.
“But you have to let everyone go. Including Quinn.”
“Alright,” he begins. “I will let all of your friends go, including the pretty pussy over here, and accept those terms, but only if you agree to race for me, when you lose, for as long as I have use for you.”
“Alex, no!” Quinn shouts.
“Shut up, cunt.” Thomas pulls her hair again. Sebastian looks to Charles who shrugs.
I grit my teeth and consider it for a moment. I can’t let everyone’s lives be ruined by this world I’d gotten myself into. Even if I wasn’t the one who made the agreement, I’m just as guilty as Erik. And them taking Quinn is… unthinkable.
I finally nod. “Deal.”
“Well,” Sebastian claps his hands together happily. “Since we have an arrangement I suppose our business here is concluded. We shall leave you now and contact you once we have made all necessary arrangements. You can expect to hear from us tonight. I will leave Quinn and Erik here, but,” he signals to his associates. “We will be taking the funny gay one and the one with the pink hair with us, as security. We wouldn’t want anyone to do anything stupid.”
“No!” Quinn shouts but the two guys are already manhandling Harlow and Noah out of the room.
“Relax, sweetheart. You can have them back once your boy finishes the race. If he finishes.” He laughs as he leaves the apartment.
As soon as we’re sure they’re gone Quinn collapses on the floor. I go to her and hold her as she sobs into my shirt. “I’ll fix this, Quinn, ok?” I put my hands on her face and make her look at me, I kiss the tears from her face and pull her to me again. “I’ll fix this.”
“Quinn, baby, we need to get to my apartment,” I whisper to her when her sobs have stopped.
“I...I need to make a call first.” She sniffs. I let her up, and she goes to her room. Erik and I glare at each other while we wait for her to come back.
“I’m ready.” She states when she enters the room. She’s changed into a pair of jeans and a dark hoodie, and there’s determination and bravery on her face. “Let’s go.”
All three of us are quiet as we drive in my truck to my building. I help Quinn out of the truck and don’t wait for Erik as I walk us up to my apartment.
“Quinn, Alex...I...” Erik starts quietly.
“You just shut the fuck up, asshole. How could you let this fucking happen?!” I shout at him, and he takes a step back. I let go of Quinn’s hand and walk up to him.
“I think you better get the fuck out of my sight right now, Pres,” I sneer at him. “And if you for one second think your cowardly ass is going to skip out on the race tonight, you have another thing coming,” I get my finger in his face. “Because I will fucking find you, and I will make you fucking sorry.”
“I’ll be there. I’m sorry. This is all my fault.” Erik at least has the decency to look guilty.
“Well, it certainly isn’t mine, motherfucker.” I can’t stop the anger seething inside me, from bubbling to the surface.
“I’ll fix it. I’ll…”
“Fix it? You’re going to fix it? No, asshole. I’ll fucking fix it.” I say and turn to grab Quinn’s hand and lead us into my building, not caring what Erik does or where he goes now.
As soon as I step onto my floor, I pull Quinn behind me when I spot a man hovering outside my door. He looks to be about middle-aged, and weirdly familiar. He looks up when he hears us, and when I see his face, my entire body goes cold.
“Hello, son… it’s nice to see you again.”