Page 13 of Grit & Glamour

Chapter Eight

“Your friend lives there?” One asks me, sounding surprised when I lean forward between their seats and point towards a posh-looking building up ahead.

“Yeah, there’s valet parking too,” I mutter glumly, turning head towards the car window to my left, choosing to stare at the grey sky instead of him.

“We’re not using it.” He pauses for a moment before adding, “Three, pull up outside the front and let us out. Park as close as you can without drawing attention to yourself, then message me for further instruction.”

“Got it,” Three answers simply.

“Is there security?” One demands.

“What do you think?” I bite out with a roll of my eyes, unable to stop my sarcastic reply.

“They won’t be a problem. They’ve seen me here before, and they’re only downstairs anyway. Theo doesn’t like people milling around upstairs near his place,” I add, hoping the information will relax them a little.

The trip here had been frustrating to say the least. They blindfolded me, and then they drove me around in circles, taking twists and turns for only knows how long. Every second Three wasted taking another unnecessary turn at One's request, my fury grew at their ridiculous tactic for keeping me unaware of their hideout’s location. Neither of them trust me not to run and report them, so in their mind, if I don't know where my brother is, I can't lead anyone else back there. It's also a guarantee I won't just try and run for my own safety too, as I wouldn't be able to get my brother back without their help.

The lecture they gave me was unwarranted, as I’m already aware of all that, and regardless, I have zero intentions of turning anyone in. It's not like it's an option, even if it was something I’d considered doing. There isn't anyone influential in this city that my mother hasn’t either fooled with her act or paid off. Including the police. I tried that once and learnt my lesson the hard way about that. Nobody believes the bratty little rich girl over the successful, smart, business woman.

“You better not be thinking of fucking with us, Scarlett,” One calls from the passenger seat up front. He'd switched from sitting in the back with me to moving up front about twenty minutes ago, once he'd come to the astute conclusion I had no hidden desire to jump out of a moving vehicle. Idiot.

“Not at all. I'm just nervous to see Theo,” the lie slips from my tongue without thought or effort. I hate lying, but my life and circumstances forced me to become one of the best at it. Now it's as easy as breathing, and that fact alone catches my breath as I fully realise it. Self-loathing twists in my gut.

“Why are you nervous, I thought he wasn't your boyfriend?” One mocks, looking back at me as Three brings the car to a stop outside of the building. I feel trapped by his green eyes, pinned to the backseat of the older Mercedes.

“I'm not worried about my romantic entanglements,” I answer bluntly.

“Well, what are you worried about?” he asks, the corners of his lips twisting up as if he already knows the answer.

“Screw you,” I mutter, folding my arms and sitting back. “You can either shut up, and we can go do this and get it over with, or you can have fun getting into that building without me.” I jerk my head in the direction of the bulky doorman. “There's more security inside the building. Cameras. A desk. You two don't exactly fit in. You need me if you don’t want to draw attention to yourselves.”

“Neither do you,” One retorts. I frown, my confusion bringing the furrow to my brow.

. He leans towards me and brushes a finger lightly across the top of my cheek. I flinch from the light touch and the sudden reminder about the dark, purple-blue bruise on my face.

“You'd be surprised. Your clothes will draw more attention than the bruise on my face. At least I'm dressed right,” I reply, pressing my lips together as I run my eyes over his attire. Dark, ragged jeans, and a tight black t-shirt. His clothes look worn, and not in a distressed jeans fashion statement kind of way.

“Whatever you say, Princess,” he taunts, before sliding out of the car without another word.

“Are you going with him or not?” Three asks, turning back to look at me. I look up at the building and frown. I can't let Theo talk to this psycho alone. I'll go in, clear Theo's name, then I’m grabbing my brother, and we’re getting out of here. We’ll finally escape this horror show that is our lives once and for all.

“Yeah, I am,” I answer, placing my hand over the door handle before adding, “He's not going to kill Theo, is he?”

“Not if he's innocent,” Three answers plainly.

“You make it sound so black and white, so simple,” I reply, nervously darting my gaze to where One is waiting for me outside of the car.

“Sometimes it is.” He turns back around, not saying anything more. Taking my cue, I get out of the car and walk over to One, hearing the car immediately pull away behind me.

“Are you ready for this?” One asks me as I reach him. I keep walking, and he falls into pace with me as we head towards the main entrance to the building.

“Of course I am,” I answer. Another lie. I offer the security guard a bright smile as we approach, and even that feels like yet another. One leans down, and I fight all my instincts telling me to pull away, for fear of drawing unwanted attention to ourselves when we're this close to the guard.

“You're a beautiful liar, Scarlett. But you're not nearly as good as you think,” he whispers softly, and then he straightens back up and looks ahead as if he'd never spoken at all.

* * *

One staresat the back of my head as we rise in one of the building's four lifts. I watch him watching me in the reflection on the shiny, metallic doors. The floors tick by as we stand in complete silence. Tension crackles in the air between us, and it only gets worse the higher we go.

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