Carnage by Sarah Bailey
Twenty Eight
Scarlett
I jerked awake from the sound of birdsong. Opening my eyes, I found myself tucked up in my own bed in the flat I shared with Mason. The curtains were open along with the window and the light streamed in, hurting my eyes. I rubbed my face before shifting. My body ached with the movement.
I brought my hands away from my face and stared at my wrists. There were faint marks around them. I swallowed, the memories of the previous night flooding back to me in a rush. No wonder my body hurt. I’d been drugged and fucked by four men who had given me so much delirious ecstasy I’d passed out. The worst part was, I couldn’t be sure who was who. Well, at least not until West had pulled the headphones off and taunted me whilst he fucked me from behind.
I covered my eyes with my hands, remembering where his dick had been. It fucking hurt at first, being impaled on two cocks, especially since I’d never done anal before. Hell, the first time I’d ever had sex was earlier this week. The pain of the experience had somehow morphed into pleasure. And I’d been utterly lost in what they were doing to me.
I’d fallen headfirst into the deep, dark abyss, welcoming the depravity lying in wait at the bottom.
I dropped my hands and sat up. How did I get home and into my own bed? Did they bring me here? How did they even get in?
Looking around, I found the clothes I’d been wearing neatly folded on the chest of drawers, along with my bag sitting next to it. My keys had been in there. I stared down at myself. They’d dressed me in pyjamas.
I sat there, absolutely dumbfounded. Given the way they’d handled me last night, the fact they’d brought me back here and dressed me was beyond my comprehension. There was no way this was West. The fucker didn’t have a tender bone in his body. The only one of them who I could envision taking any care over my wellbeing was Francis. I might not know him very well, but he appeared to be kinder than the others.
Well, if he had been the one who jammed his cock down my throat and painted my damn chin with his cum, then perhaps not.
Did it even matter? I was home now. The problem was, I felt kind of used. They hadn’t even bothered to talk to me afterwards. I’d fallen asleep, but they could have woken me up. They could have said something rather than drugging me, fucking me and putting me in my own bed to sleep it off. What the hell was their game? Why would they even do this to me in the first place? It made no sense. None of it did. The whole thing confused me. Why had they decided to fuck with me? It made me feel like they knew something I didn’t. They had reasons for their behaviour I wasn’t privy to. And it made them even more dangerous than I’d anticipated.
I got out of bed, taking tentative steps towards my chest of drawers. My body ached with the movement. I checked through my bag. Nothing was missing. Knowing one or more of them had been in my room and gone through my things made me uneasy. I didn’t know what they wanted with me. Well, other than they clearly wanted to defile me in ways I could barely begin to comprehend.
How on earth would I face them on Monday? I’d have to pull myself together and deal with it. My mission here was too important for me to run away and hide. No matter how uncomfortable I felt about what they’d done, I had to stay the course.
First things first, I needed a shower. No way I wanted to walk around today still smelling of them even though they’d cleaned me up whilst I’d been passed out. I grabbed my robe and a towel before dashing into the bathroom. The hot water soothed my aching muscles.
When I stepped out, I looked at myself in the mirror. One of my nipples was darker than the other like it’d been bruised. They’d been rather insistent on the whole biting thing last night. The marks on my wrists were still there. Long sleeves were a must until those faded. Couldn’t have Mason asking me questions about them. I didn’t want to tell him what happened last night. He would lose his shit over it. To be honest, the whole thing made me want to do the same, but I couldn’t afford to fall apart.
I dried myself off, pulled on some comfy clothes along with a hoodie to hide the marks on my wrists, and went out into the kitchen to find Mason. He wasn’t in there nor in the living room and when I checked his bedroom, I found his bed neatly made. Made me wonder where he’d got to. Padding back out into the kitchen, I made myself some tea and cereal, taking a seat at the table to eat.
A few minutes later, the sound of the front door opening rang through the flat. I barely had time to swallow when Mason walked in, looking a little dishevelled. His brown hair was messy and his clothes were rumpled.
“What’s this?” I asked. “You a dirty stop-out or something?”
He gave me a dark look and went over to the kettle, flipping it on.
“Or something,” he muttered.
“Where you been?”
If he’d been out all night, I could use it to my advantage. He might not ask about what I’d done last night.
“Nowhere.”
The way he said it told me it was not open for discussion. I frowned. It’s not like I knew a lot about Mason’s life outside of his work for my father, but I thought we were friends. It wasn’t like him to be so cagey or out of sorts.
“Did you come home last night?”
He turned and gave me a look.
“Shouldn’t you know the answer? You were here, right?”
I swallowed, my words getting stuck in my throat, having not expected him to turn it around on me.
“I told you I was staying late at work.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“What time did you get in?”
I shrugged and looked at my mug.
“Guess it was like after ten.”
In all honesty, I had no fucking clue what time it had been. I hadn’t been conscious.
“They should not be keeping you that late. Did you even eat?”
“Of course, I did, Mase, they’re not completely heartless.”
Though, after last night, I was beginning to wonder if they weren’t the most psychotic men I’d ever met. They’d acted one way with me in the office, and a completely different way when they’d had me alone in their penthouse. Well, except for West. He made his intentions towards me very clear. He didn’t care about me, but he saw me as his and wanted to use my body for his pleasure.
Mason narrowed his eyes.
“Not heartless? You do remember why we’re here, Scar, right? Those men are not right in the head. Not after what they did as teenagers, and I dread to think what they’ve done since.”
I flinched, not wanting the ugly reminders of the past. The one I’d only heard about and not seen with my own eyes. It was the reason I was here, however, being lectured over it had got old fast. I wanted to see for myself who the Horsemen were and why everyone seemed to fear them.
“As if you’d ever let me forget,” I muttered.
I wasn’t exactly scared of Prescott, West, Francis, and Drake. They were an enigma I hadn’t yet worked out. It didn’t help that I was drawn to them. There was a sense of familiarity between us, which was fucking crazy, but I felt it all the same. I wanted to find out why they’d taken me last night. Why they’d decided to use me for sex.
“I’m worried about your safety, Scar.”
“Safety? Are you kidding me? If you cared so much about my safety, I wouldn’t be here.”
He gave me a wounded look.
“You know I don’t have a choice.”
I went back to my food, wanting this conversation to be over. It was the very last thing I needed, Mason giving me a hard time. He had no clue what I’d been subjected to by them. And how much I’d liked it when I shouldn’t have.
“Scar…”
“Don’t, Mason. I don’t want to hear it.”
“I’m sorry.”
I scoffed.
“Yeah, so sorry you came home and started on at me when you’re the one who spent the night out doing god knows fucking what, huh? You don’t get to give me shit. I’m an adult, I don’t need you babysitting me.”
I shoved my chair back, picked up my mug, and stormed out of the kitchen, not caring if he followed me or not. My feet carried me into the living room. I sat on the sofa, pulled a blanket over me and switched on the TV, cuddling the mug to my chest as I flipped through the channels. For a moment, I wished they hadn’t brought me home. Right now, I’d much rather be dealing with my four psycho, but attractive as hell, bosses than Mason. And that was too fucked up for words. At least I knew I shouldn’t trust them nor like them. With Mason, I didn’t know how to feel. I loved him like a brother, but his behaviour always made it very clear where his loyalties lay, and they weren’t with me. They were with my parents and their insane schemes. Their damn revenge plot they’d dragged me into… well, more like blackmailing me into going along with. Dangling freedom over my head and making me jump way too high to catch it.
“Scarlett.”
I didn’t look at Mason, even though I knew he was standing in the doorway.
“Go away.”
“I really am sorry. I shouldn’t have had a go at you.”
My eyes fixed on the screen, ignoring his presence because his apologies were meaningless to me. They didn’t make a difference. Didn’t change a fucking thing.
“I was with a girl last night.”
“Well, good for you.”
“Scar, please, I’m trying here.”
“What do you want me to say, Mase? You aren’t making my life any easier, you know.”
He sighed. It wasn’t his fault I’d had a night of it, but he’d given me a hard time for no reason.
“I just… I hate that you have to be near them. I hate it so much.”
I looked at him then, not understanding why he sounded so distressed.
“It’s not like I enjoy it either.” Liar. You want them. You crave what they give you.
I hated my brain telling me things I didn’t want to hear or admit to.
Mason came into the room and sat down next to me. He took the mug from my hands and placed it on the coffee table. Then he wrapped them in his own hands.
“You think you have to get them to want you, but you don’t. I… I don’t want you doing anything with them like that.”
I’d only ever hinted at getting the Horsemen to want them so I could manipulate them. I’d not outright told him it was my plan. Somehow, they’d turned the tables on me, but I wasn’t going to think about that. Not when Mason was staring at me with a look I’d never seen on his face before.
“It makes me sick to think of them touching you.”
“They haven’t.”
The lie didn’t stick on my tongue. I’d said it out of self-preservation. For some reason, I knew telling Mason the truth would not end well for me.
“But what if they do?”
“I’ll deal with it. You heard Dad. He said by whatever means.”
“Fuck what Stuart said, Scar. You do not have to use your body to get them to trust you.”
Too late. Way too fucking late.
I tried to pull my hands from his grasp, but he held them tighter.
“Please, find another way, okay? You’re smart. You’ll think of something.”
“I don’t think I can.”
He shook his head, his eyes growing pained.
“You can… just try, please… for me.”
The last part came out all shaky as if he was trying to confess something to me. A thing I didn’t want to think about or even consider. And I couldn’t promise him I would try. There was no retracing my steps. The wheels had already been set in motion. If the only way to get the Four Horsemen to let me in was to allow them to use my body any way they wanted, I’d do it in a fucking heartbeat. As messed up as it sounded, after last night I couldn’t deny how much I liked it. How much I wanted it. How I needed it all, even though I shouldn’t.
“This is how it has to be. It’s my way in. You have to understand, I need this. I need my freedom. I can’t live another day locked up on their estate. It almost killed me, Mason. I was drowning. I can’t do it again.”
His expression fell and he let go of my hands, only to wrap me up in his arms. I gritted my teeth as my bruised nipple rubbed against his chest. Damn the Horsemen for their biting.
“I know… fuck, I know, Scar. I’m so sorry. You don’t have to go back. I promise. Whatever it takes, I won’t let them lock you up again.”
I wanted to cry. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my emotions at bay. Instead, I let Mason hold me, all the while wishing I could be holding a different man… if I was honest, four different men. And I realised I hadn’t had a nightmare last night. I hadn’t dreamed of the past, nor woken up covered in sweat.
I couldn’t help wondering if it had something to do with the Horsemen and why they felt so familiar to me. What it all meant and whether the reason I kept remembering things from the past was because of them, even though I had no clue why it would be that way. Nothing about my life had made any sense since I’d come here. And I wished more than anything I could remember what happened all those years ago before my accident had changed my life for good.
