FOURTEEN: I Want To Know What's Going On

Initially, I think it might be Marcus again. But then I realise that the person is still dragging me backwards, and something feels very, very wrong.

I start squirming. They hold me tighter as I am pulled into a dark alleyway. I rush to find my pockets, desperately looking for my keys, my phone, anything I can hit them with, but then I am shoved face first into a wall, pinning my hands to my stomach.

“Nora Ellis. At last we meet.” The person growls into my ear. Their voice is horrible, and it makes my skin crawl as they hold my head to the brick.

“Who are you?” I spit, trying to move my hands from between my body and the wall, but they just push me harder and chuckle.

“Someone who needs to speak to your boss, very urgently.”

Just as I’m about to reply, about to ask another question to find out who they are, there is a thud from behind me, and their hands disappear from me.

I instantly whip round.

There is a guy on the floor, and Marcus is standing beside them.

“Are you okay?” Marcus asks, rushing up to me and putting his hands on my shoulders, his eyebrows pinched together in concern.

“I…I think so, yeah. What…” I look down at the unconscious guy. “Is he dead?” Marcus’s face falls. So do his hands.

“No. We don’t kill everyone we see Nora. Just knocked him out.”

“Well…thank you.” I say. Then I see Marcus getting his phone out of his pocket. “Who are you calling?”

“David.” He says simply, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards my building.

“Why do you need to call him? I’m fine, don’t you need to…get rid of that guy?” I ask, glancing back at the guy who is still laying on the floor.

“Harlan will get him. David, hey,” Marcus says into the phone as he pulls me up the stairs. “Someone tried to take her. No, she’s fine, I’ve got her, taking her back to her apartment now. Harlan is already on his way to pick him up. Okay, see you soon.” He taps the screen, hanging up, and gestures for me to open my front door. I just frown at him.

“Why did you say see you soon?” I ask. He raises his eyebrow at me. “He doesn't need to come here. I’d rather he didn’t come here, infact.”

“Would you like to argue with him? I’ve never been successful, but you are welcome to try.”

I breathe in, knowing how right he’s, and reluctantly put my key in the door. I walk in, hearing Marcus shut the door behind me and put the deadbolt on. Before I even turn around, he’s already walking over to my windows, locking them and pulling the blinds. It’s weird how he looks like he already knows his way around.

I grab a bottle of water out of the fridge, leaving one on the counter for him without saying anything, and go to sit on my sofa, the fact that someone just tried to hurt me finally catching up to my brain.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asks once he’s returned from locking the windows in the bathroom.

“I’m pissed off that you called David at 2am and invited him over.”

“He was already awake.” He replies, and I shift uncomfortably.

I already know he’s awake, because two hours ago, he was with me at the club. I just don’t know how to talk to him properly anymore, unless I have a mask on, it seems.

Not even a few minutes later, there’s a knock at my door.

I go to stand up, but Marcus holds his hand out, making me stop, his other hand going to what I assume is a gun on his belt. He steps slowly to the door, then looks through the peephole. Dropping both of his hands, he opens it to reveal a panting David.

Who immediately looks round for me, then marches over once he spots me.

He crouches down, his hands going to my face, and his eyes run over me.

“What happened? Are you okay? Did he touch you?” David rushes to say, while I just stare at him with wide eyes.

He’s still in the same clothes as he wore to the club, and my brain instantly floods with inappropriate memories.

“Harlan has him, taking him back to HQ.” Marcus says in the background. His words sound muffled though, as the only thing I can focus on is David’s hands on my face.

“Come on.” David whispers to me, moving his hands to mine and pulling me out of the chair I appear to be frozen in.

He puts a hand on the small of my back and walks me through my apartment to my bedroom, where he flicks the light on, and leaves me standing in the middle of my room while he rummages through my closet.

“What…what are you doing?” I ask. He pulls my suitcase out and puts it on the bed.

“Pack what you need.” He says simply.

“Why?” My question goes unanswered as he moves back to my closet and just starts grabbing random things, chucking them in the case. “David...” I say, putting my hand on his arm as he passes me a second time. “What are you doing?”

“You’re coming to mine. Pack what you need.” He repeats, his jaw tense as he speaks.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” He doesn’t reply. “I’m not going to your house.”

“This is not a debate.” He growls, stepping closer to me.

The commanding tone in his voice makes my skin prickle, reminding me of The Red Room, and I have to force myself to remember that I am not in that situation at the moment.

“I'd very much disagree with you, sir.” I spit, folding my arms over my chest. “Why in God’s name are you even trying to force me to your house?”

“Because, you were just grabbed outside your building. Clearly, they know where you live, and you are not safe here. So,” He grabs my arms and pulls me over to the closet. “Take what you need, and I will take you to mine.”

“Right, to keep me safe?” I scoff.

“Nora–”

“Ever thought that I could have been safe the whole time if you decided not to kill Trent?” I snap.

He glares back at me, clearly deciding not to respond, so I just go to my clothes and pick out what I need, although as I’m choosing, I realise that I don’t know how long I’m packing for.

Which means that there are a few drawers of Mistress outfits that I’m not sure if I should go into.

“How…how long are you keeping me hostage?” I ask, not missing the way his head snaps to mine.

“Until it’s over.” He says angrily, before storming out of my bedroom, slamming the door behind him. I roll my eyes. Like he has the right to be angry right now.

Either way, it gives me the opportunity to grab my Red Room clothes and shove them at the bottom of the suitcase, covering them with my other clothes. Then I throw some underwear in, head to the bathroom to grab my toiletries, and also get my pyjamas. In the end, I have my suitcase, a duffel bag, and the bag from tonight at the club. I’ll have to work out how to wash my outfits without him seeing, but I resign myself to the fact that he won’t leave this building without me, so I have no choice but to go with him.

And to be honest, I’m not too pleased that some dangerous assholes know where I live.

I walk out to the lounge, where both him and Marcus are chatting away on the sofas. David stands up instantly.

“Are you ready?” He asks, his voice the epitome of professionalism as he buttons up his suit jacket. The same suit he was wearing at the club.

I nod stiffly. Then, Marcus is opening the door, David is taking one of my bags, and he starts leading me out. I follow him down the stairs in silence. When he pulls me away from the front door, directing me to the back exit, I allow him to.

He gestures to the black car waiting in the alley behind my building, and my paranoia from the night makes me look up and down before getting in. Marcus and David put my bags and suitcase in the boot, then David gets into the back with me, and Marcus gets into the front passenger seat.

The car starts driving with an eerie and tense silence between us all.

Suddenly, David’s hand is on my knee. I flinch.

“Hey, it’s okay. Just me.” He says, but he removes his hand all the same. “I know this must be–”

“No, Mr. Reid. You don’t know.” I snap. “In the last week, I’ve seen you kill someone, then you can’t tell me that it’s the first time you’ve done it, THEN I almost get kidnapped, just because I work for you. And now, now I’m being kidnapped again, by you, and you’re going to keep me in your house because of what you’ve done. So no, sir, you don’t know what the fuck is going through my head right now.”

I see Marcus and the driver shift uncomfortably in the front, but I just glare out the window. David sighs from beside me.

Then he leans forward, and presses a button on the console. A screen slides up, separating me from the front seats. Once it reaches the top, David turns to me.

“You have every right to be mad at me. But I can promise you, that I’m not doing any of this to hurt you.” He explains, but I keep my gaze out the window. “What will it take for you to trust me?”

I shrug, honestly. I’m not sure if it is a lack of trust that I feel towards him anymore, because if it is, then I wouldn’t be doing half the things I do in The Red Room with him.

The more I think about it, the more I realise that there is a simple similarity. David has evening activities that I don’t know about.

Just like he doesn’t know about mine. I am projecting my anger.

The difference is that my activities don’t involve murder. And I’m not involved in his activities. But maybe I can be involved. Maybe then I won’t feel so guilty about my own secrets.

I slowly turn my head towards him.

“I want to know what’s going on.” I say quietly. “Every last detail.”