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  "You're not going to kill him Rock I won't allow it," I said.

  "Who the hell is this? Do we take care of her too?" One of the men asked Rock.

  "No..no she's with Ross we don't touch her," Rock said alarmed.

  "Oh, apologies my lady," he said.

  "Is that Monique? The one we hear so much about. Thought she was blond?" One man said.

  "Nah, this is Eden she's like his sister, " Rock said

  "Oh," they said.

  Like his sister. That was painful to hear.

  "Okay well we are too far from hell land, so we got to take him somewhere else closer," one man said.

  "Okay, I know where," Rock said.

  "Jack, I need you to take Eden back to Ross's place you know where it is. I'll call Ross when he is done and let him know what happened I gotta clean up my own mess" Rock said but before he went to grab the man, I stopped him

  "Rock, you can't kill him we are not murderers," I said pleading with him.

  "I don’t take orders from you but lucky for you Ross isn't a murderer either," he said.

  "Now go with Jack he's going to take you back" he threw the keys of the expensive car to Jack.

  "Jack remembers Eden is family to Ross don't you dare let anything happen to her or is your life," Rock told him with a serious face.

  "I wouldn't dream of upsetting the boss," he said.

  "Let's go, little lady," he told me, and I had no option but to go.

  We were on our way back, but I couldn't let it go. What were they going to do with that man? What did they do to Earl? I had to ask.

  "What happened to Earl?" I asked the guy named Jack. He had long blond beard and hair.

  "Boss hasn't told ya?" He asked.

  "Boss, you mean Ross...no he has not"

  I said.

  "Then why would I open my mouth and say something if he hasn't. Best he tell ya if he wants too" he said.

  He turned the radio on pretty loud as if to shut me up. He didn't seem like he wanted to talk.

  Ross's gang members we're all so serious and extremely devoted to him by the looks of it.

  We got to the house. Jack helped me with my bags and left. I had to call Ross I don’t care if he was at a meeting, I had to talk to him. They can't hurt that man I will never forgive myself if they kill him or something. No way! What a nightmare!

  I got my cell phone and dialed Ross's number. But it just rang and rang and went to voicemail. I tried again and the same thing. I better leave it alone. I thought. I didn't want to be here. I didn't even get a chance to look at the attachment the Swiss school had sent me.

  Why do bad things have to happen to damp the good things?

  every time something good happens to me it is always followed by something bad. Is like I can never just be fully happy or enjoy something.

  I went to the kitchen to talk to Carol but there were at least a dozen people there all moving around and there were tons of plates of food set out on the island table. Oh, that's right the party tonight. With everything else that was going on, I had forgotten. Ross wasn't going to cancel it just because of that. I didn't want to party. I wasn't in the mood for any of that. I wanted to get out. But decided to go to my room instead and rest a bit. If I even could. Ross will come to find me when he gets back.

  2 hours later I wake up and see him there standing at the door just staring at me.

  "You look like an angel when you sleep way more peaceful and quiet," he said smiling.

  "Ross..."

  "Tell me what happened babe?" He said sitting at the corner of my bed.

  "Rock didn't tell you?" I asked sleepily.

  "Yes, he did but I want to know if you are okay, I tried calling you, but you didn't answer. I was returning your call" he said.

  "Ross, they didn't kill that guy, did they?" I said tearily.

  "No, sweetie we don’t kill people that's my number two rule and if anyone breaks it then they are out of my family," he said.

  "What's rule number one?" I asked. It had to be something bigger than two.

  He smiled and pulled a string of hair away from my cheek.

  "You curious little thing, rule number one is we don’t sell to minors"

  "Sell what?" I asked.

  He took a deep breath " Eden, there are things you still don't know after 7 years of knowing me. Things I rather keep away from you and not tell you. Respect my things okay please" he said.

  That pissed me off.

  "Respect your things!" I got up.

  "Respect your things?! Why don’t you start respecting me too then!" I said angrily.

  He got up too and I wish he hadn't. He was so much taller than me.

  "What are you talking about I do respect you I do everything for you"

  "You try to control me; you tell me what to do I can't even go to the mall by myself...".

  "well good fucking thing you didn't! What we're you going to do if Rock wasn't there to save your ass!"

  "I wasn't in danger!" I lied. I really was and I knew that.

  "Oh, fuck Eden! You are so full of shit! You are so ungrateful! After everything, I do for you what does it cost you to respect me and listen to me more! You used too! What's happening to you?!"

  He said fury in his every word.

  "You are defying me more and more each day and is pissing me off, to be honest!"

  "You are just angry because I'm no longer your puppet willingly! You don't care about me! You only see me as a responsibility, someone, you have to babysit! A weak link!" Tears were coming down my cheeks.

  "What the fuck are you talking about? Eden, of course, I care about you more than you know" he said getting closer, but I pulled away.

  "Bullcrap! You only see me as a child because I’m still a virgin! And because I don’t have anything! I'm just here on your good graces! I don’t have a job I don’t have a car I have nothing!"

  "Babe I can give you a car if that's what you want. You never asked"

  "Why?! Why Ross why give me a car? Why?! I’m nothing to you! A car is something you give someone that is important to you! I’m nothing!" Too late the tears we're pouring down now. I was an emotional wreck. Between Monique's words and what happened today with that man. I just couldn't deal with everything.

  He wanted to get close, but his phone rang.

  "Hello, " he answered. I went to the other side of the room.

  "Okay, fine whatever I’m in the middle of something important just have her pick whatever the fuck she wants she has my card, " he said to whoever was on the phone and hung up.

  "Buying Monique stuff?" I asked. He just nodded.

  "Eden, I don't..." I didn't let him finish.

  I picked up all the bags I bought and all the things I bought with his money and threw them at him. I started throwing more than clothes. I threw him with pillows and blankets and even a shoe.

  "What the fuck Eden!" He shouted covering the hits with his hands.

  "Have you gone fucking mad?!" He was shouting.

  "You buy that bitch stuff after all the hell she puts me through! Of course, you don’t give a shit because no one has ever bullied you!" I just couldn't take it anymore.

  "Take all your shit!! Take it give it to her sell it! Is your money not mine!" I shouted.

  "You need to calm down," he said trying to grab me, but I pulled away. Was I having an emotional breakdown? Maybe? I just couldn't take it anymore. My parent's house catching fire, my family moving and leaving me alone. It was too much.

  A couple of guys came into my room.

  "Boss, you need help?" They asked.

  "No! Nobody touches her!" He shouted.

  "I got this," he said. He reached for me and caught me he grabbed me by the back. And held me down. He must've done something to me because I fell asleep.

  Chapter 11.

  Ross POV

  I had to put her on a sleeping hold. It broke my heart to have to do that to her. Especially to her. I've done it to so many people before, but I
never thought I would do it to her! She was just so out of control.

  I called Monique and told her to meet me here. I needed her now. She was out shopping but I needed her right away. I left Eden there sleeping and went to get ready for the party. I wasn't going to cancel it just because Eden had a bad day. I mean she had to understand that business was important to me. How else would I afford to live the way I do if I don’t work? I can't do a simple job. I wouldn't be able to afford my lifestyle. She had to understand. Lucky for me Monique understood everything. She was becoming more of my go-to person while Eden was becoming a nag.

  I don’t know what was going on with her. She was never like this. She was always so calm and sweet I could talk to her about anything.

  I never told her what I actually did. I never told her that all my family and I are part of a secret mafia-style world. We make our own supplies in our secret underground lab. I have a scientist, a chemist working on that day and night. Our supplies are sold all over the world. Shipped and sold. We have our own boats that take it to their destinations. We work with the local police to cover our tracks and pay them very well for it. That's how I am able to afford the way I live. I know is not right but is the only thing I know. Eden will never approve of it. She only thinks I’m part of a motorcycle gang. But in part is true. We do own motorcycles but is much more than that.

  Monique, on the other hand, knows what I do and is okay with it. She lives a comfortable lifestyle as well. She is from a middle-class family, so she is used to having good things. Eden is poor so she doesn't know what it's like to have nice things. She will never understand.

  I went to my room got dressed in an all-black ensemble. Black like my soul.

  I went downstairs to party. I wasn't going to allow anyone to ruin my night. Yes, I loved Eden, but she had to understand how things were. How I was. I wasn't going to change. I wasn't going to leave my life. I wasn't going to stop being the leader of something like this. People respected me. Looked up to me. Followed my orders we're loyal to me. I became addicted to the attention and respect I got. I wasn't going to stop. I stood in place when I saw Monique with like 7 of her friends equally as gorgeous as her.

  Ross POV

  Tonight, was going to be epic! We will party all night and do all kinds of stuff. Nobody was going to ruin this night nobody!

  EDEN POV

  I just stood there. At the top of the staircase witnessing my heart leave my chest. He was hugging her, kissing her. Making pretend love to her with his body, touching her all over and she enjoyed it. She was smiling and laughing and kissing him back with the same ardent passion that he was kissing her. All her words were right. Everything she said that he has said about me was true. He didn't care about me and he proved it every day.

  He put me in a sleeping hold or something like that and left me there. He didn't stay with me. He didn't cancel this damn party. He didn't end things with Monique. He actually welcomes her. Even more now it seemed. He was a bastard. Such a liar. I had to get out of here. He was too busy kissing her face to notice that I wasn't going to stick around here. I packed a small bag of clothes and went to his room. He wasn't there yet. The room smelled clean and everything was nice and new. Not for long. I thought. I opened his terrace door and walked out. I closed the door behind me and looked unto the water. I knew what I was going to do.

  I climbed all the way down from the terrace I had to jump to get down. I landed on the floor. There were tons of people around but none of them noticed me. Probably too drunk to notice anything. I ran all the way to one of the boats I climbed in and turned on the light of my cell phone to see what I was doing. The night was dark but there were lights all around. I wondered why Ross's neighbors never complained about the noises. Maybe he had them all threatened who knows. I decided to stay on the boat until my trip to Switzerland happened. It was all paid for. I'm a dual European citizen being originally from Spain, so I don't have to worry about any visas or anything. I just have to get on a plane and leave. But It wasn't save staying here so close to the action and to the house. I decided to take the boat out to the water. It was a lovely night and the water seemed still and calm.

  I didn't know anything about boats. I had been on them with Ross a couple of times but he always road it. I didn't. But I’m sure it wasn't so hard. I went down to the bottom to see if I could find instructions. When I froze in place. A huge tall man stood there. His face is equally surprised to see me.

  Earl!

  I was done. He will take me straight to Ross and he will lock me in my room no doubt. But to my surprise and shock Earl went up didn't grab me to take me to Ross and started the boat. I had already untied it from the pole. It was ready to take off and so it did. We did.

  We took off into the calm waters of the Queensland shores. There were no other boats in sight. I looked back and saw quite a distance already from Ross's house. We were getting farther and farther away. But it still didn't feel like far enough. Earl kept looking at me to see when I wanted him to stop the boat. But I didn't. I wanted more distance. He steered the boat further about an hour later I told him to stop. The house was long gone from sight and so was everything else. We were in the middle of the ocean.

  It was a bit scary to be in the middle of the ocean in a small boat. I will admit. But at the same time, it felt liberating. Earl didn't say anything. I wondered why he stopped talking all of a sudden.

  "Thank you," I told him.

  He nodded. It was peaceful. The water was nice and calm perfect for swimming. I wanted to throw myself into the deep waters of the ocean and get lost in there. But it was dangerous. I wasn't looking for danger. I was looking for an escape at least for a little bit. Until I calmed down. I decided to light a lamp and decided to pour my heart out to Earl. Did he seem willing to listen or was it my imagination? Either way, I don’t care. I wanted to talk.

  "He is so inconsiderate" I began.

  "Monique has made my life hell all throughout high school and he knows it. I thought for sure that he will send her away or tell her to stop bothering me or something. But instead, he buys her expensive clothes and always has her around the house!" Earl seemed sleepy and come to think of it so was I. But he was still listening.

  "You know when I was growing up my parents would kill me if I was alone with a man that wasn't family. Julio was the only one allowed to be near me and that's because he lived next door and my parents, and his parents attended the same church. We grew up together. We went to the same school. Our village was small, and everyone knew each other. That's until the British started showing up and taking over our village. Destroying everything and building new modern things. It ruined it..."

  Earl was fast asleep now. Was my conversation boring? I just wanted to talk. My childhood in Spain was so peaceful and lovely. Everyone in my small Andalusian village helped each other out. Julio was always stuck helping the old ladies in our village with their small bags of groceries up the hills. He would tell me he had candy for me if I helped him but all he had was a banana and sometimes a peach. We would sit under a tree and share it.

  We would talk for hours and then he walked me home. My parents trusted him and so did I.

  He was so different from Ross. Julio always treated me with respect. He listened to me. I knew him since we were born, we grew up together. As we got older, I developed feelings for him that went beyond friendship. He was always so gentle and polite. He started messing around with girls at a young age. But he would never talk bad about anyone. His family moved away from our village to Barcelona and we moved here when I was 12 and that was the end of our friendship. I never saw him again. I thought about him every day. I cried myself to sleep every night wondering how he was and If I will ever see him again.

  7 years had passed and now Julio would be around 21 around the same age as Ross.

  As I laid there thinking about Julio, I saw lights in a near distance. They got closer and closer flickering at my boat. I woke up Earl and pointed at the nearby boa
t. A PATROL BOAT! OH NO!

  "You there! Stay right where you are and don't move" the man shouted. They got closer to the boat and he climbed in.

  "I'm sheriff Schnell" he showed me his batch. "Are you stuck out here?" He asked.

  "No... We are not we were just taking the boat out for a...a... swim" A swim?! Since when does a boat swim Eden! That voice inside was telling me to watch what I said.

  "You wanted to go swimming in the middle of the ocean at this time?! Do you know how dangerous that is lassie?"

  The cop didn't believe me.

  "Is this your boat?" He asked.

  "No...is not. It belongs to a friend we were just borrowing it," I said which was kinda true.

  "Has it been reported stolen?" Stupid question Eden! Just keep your mouth shut I told myself.

  The water patrol officer looked at Earl then at me.

  "I need you both to come with me to the station," he said.

  "But we didn't do anything illegal officer," I said. Earl didn't back me up. He just stood there in silence. Ugh! How irritating.

  "Hey Dan!" Another patrol officer called him.

  "Yes, Jeff?" He said looking around the boat with a flashlight.

  "The boat belongs to Norman Lyner"

  Jeff shouted back.

  "Are you Norman Lyner?" He asked Earl who shook his head as in a no.

  "Didn't think so, and you don’t look like a Norman either?" he said pointing at me with his flashlight. "therefore, you both come with us to the police station if you refuse, we will take you in handcuffs?" he said.

  What was going on? We didn't do anything bad.

  "Call Norman's son Ross tell him these two stole his boat," the cop named Dan told the other cop.

  WHAT?! NO! Now I really was in trouble.

  Chapter 12

  EDEN POV

  On my way to the police station. This was absurd! I wasn't a criminal nor a thief. Being treated like one was a crime on its own.

  Thankfully there were no handcuffs on me. I listened and did everything complying with everything they said. Earl, on the other hand, was fussing and puffing all the way there. I couldn't blame him. We did nothing wrong. If Ross hadn't reported the boat stolen, then why we're we in trouble?