Page 137 of Ominous: Part 1
Eli smiles, leaning down closer, until his mouth is inches from Dom’s, close to the sticky blood on his face. “If you ever touch her again, you’re gonna be feeling a lot worse than this, okay?” He asks the question as if he’s speaking to a small child.
Dominic swallows, and I can almost taste the iron in sympathy. He glances at me, but Eli jerks his chin toward him, capturing Dom’s attention again. “Nah. Eyes on me, all right?”
Dominic nods slowly, as much as he can with Eli’s death grip.
“And if you ever give her coke again.” Eli’s smile widens, and he steps even closer, no space between the two of them, and I know Dominic can feel Eli’s breath against his lips. “I promise I’ll kill you.”
Dominic doesn’t make the mistake of looking at me again.
I realize I’m digging my nails so hard into my palms I think I’m bleeding, a sharp pain in my hands, but I don’t look.
“Now, you think you’re ready to get on your knees and fucking apologize to me?”
“Eli.”It’s a hiss of a word, from someone in the pool. It’s not Luna, I don’t think, but it was a feminine voice.
Eli doesn’t respond.
Dominic’s nostrils flare, and I swear I see tears in his eyes. My throat feels tight, and I know Ishouldstop him, orsomeoneshould dosomething,but I don’t move.
There’s a part of me waiting to see how deep Eli has his claws in Dominic. How far his friends would be willing to go for him, to stay on his good side. The fact no one physically tries to stop him seems to mean something about Eli’s influence.
The factIdon’t stop him seems to mean I’m caught in his web too.
Dominic tries to pull his hand from Eli’s grip on his wrists, but Eli just smiles, and it looks as if he exerts minimal effort to keep Dom in his grasp.
Knocking his head back against the glass door of the pool house, blood crusted over his lip, flecked on his chin, Dom closes his eyes. “Fuck you,” he says, but the words are shaky and hoarse, and they lack any punch at all.
I take a step closer to them, and Eli doesn’t look at me, but I know his words are for my ears when he says, “It’s okay, baby girl. He’s a big boy.”
I narrow my eyes into slits, glaring at the side of Eli’s head, but I don’t say anything.
Dominic’s throat rolls beneath Eli’s hand, Eli’s fingertips digging into his flesh. Dom’s eyes are squeezed shut, his face red and wet with tears.
“You had no problem being all over Eden, but now you can’t even look at me?” Eli’s words are so strangely sweet, if I heard them through a phone, I might think he was genuinely forlorn.
But I know better, and the contrast between how he speaks and what he means is eerie. I can feel everyone watching us, but still, no one moves or says another word, and it’s unnerving, too.
In class, Eli is so polite. So mild-mannered. I’ve noticed the flash of violence in his eyes when that girl kicks his chair, but he doesn’t ever scold her, or cut his eyes to her, or anything at all. He’s so… fucking charming to the world.
Now, he’sthis.
And no one is surprised at the abrupt shift in his demeanor. It must not be the first time he’s switched from calm to carnage in the blink of an eye.
Once more, Dominic tries to shrug out of Eli’s grip, his eyes flashing open, but this time, Eli releases his throat and bars his forearm against it, driving Dominic further back against the glass with athud.Eli lifts his arm, marginally, forcing Dom’s chin up, his throat to arch, and he’s looking up at Eli.
“Don’t touch her again,” Eli whispers, a smile pulling on the corners of his mouth as he croons the words. “Don’t give her fucking drugs again. Don’t even look at her too long, ever again. This is different.Okay?”
Dominic presses his lips together, crimson crusted on the corners, over the cupid’s bow. I see Eli’s hand, curled into a fist and grazing Dom’s shoulder. Blood coats Eli’s knuckles.
“I’m sorry,” Dom whispers, and the words are croaked. His face turns a violent shade of red. He closes his eyes, then opens them again, looking at Eli. “I’m sorry, I…” He must see something in Eli’s expression, because he doesn’t offer an excuse, instead letting it trail off. He dips his chin, looking at the ground. “I’m just sorry.”
For a second, Eli just looks at him, smirking, basking in the satisfaction of Dom’s submission.
Then he lowers his arm from Dom’s throat, and I watch Dominic take a deep breath as Eli pulls back.
Something like relief floods through me, warm and light.
Until Eli leans in close, whispering in Dom’s ear, his voice low, but loud enough I can hear him. “Good boy,” he says softly. “Now get on your fucking knees.”
