Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Nova

“You ever lay your fucking hands on me again and I’ll break your eye socket!” I scream at the bastard. His laughter just fuels my anger. I already have bruises forming on my arms from where he grabbed me today and the new one on my forearm is going to be on display tomorrow for all to see.

“Stop acting like a slut that the boys can run a train on and I won’t manhandle your ungrateful ass.”

“Fuck you!” I scream.

“I’m down.” I reel back in disgust at his answer.

“You’re fucking sick!” I spit out.

“You have no fucking idea, piggy, now shut the fuck up. I have a stop to make before we head home.” I cross my arms over my chest and lean back in the seat, staring out the window trying to tame my anger. My phone rings in my pocket but I ignore it, knowing it's Waylen. The last thing I want to do is answer the phone and let him see the look on my face, he would know something is wrong and call me on it. “You stay the fuck in the car and don’t move,” Nexus grits out when we pull up in front of… the town hall!

“Why the hell are we here?” He ignores me as he climbs out of the car and stalks off toward the building. I wait till he disappears inside the hall before shoving my door open and climbing out. Fuck him if he thinks I would actually listen to what he has to say and wait for his entitled ass. I break out in a run across the parking lot and cross the road using the cover of the buildings to hide me. It’s getting dark out and I know I don’t want to be walking all the way home at night. I could call my mom but then she would ask questions, I’m no fucking snitch so I choose to call Vivian instead.

“Nova, are you okay?” she asks as soon as she answers.

“Yeah, hey, is there any chance you could pick me up?”

“Girl, in a heartbeat but my car is broken down on the side of the road. Archer is fixing it now.”

I scrunch my face. “Archer’s with you?”

She sighs. “Yeah, he showed up as Nexus was dragging you out and broke Leo’s nose.” For someone who was flirting with the linebacker she doesn’t seem too put out about her brother’s best friend breaking his nose. “I can’t believe he did that to you!”

I tug the band from my hair and let it fall down my back as I continue walking home. “I’m not surprised. I think Nexus likes to think he’s the boss when it’s clear without him needing to even try who is the top dog.” Vi snorts out a laugh.

“I should not be laughing at you calling my brother a dog,” she says through her laughter. A breeze has my hair flying around my face and obscuring my view. I bat it out of my face and dart across the road, pulling my blazer tighter to shield me from the cold. Being in a skirt doesn’t help but it’s not like I have a fucking choice.

“Where are you?”

I look around trying to find a street sign but come up blank. “I don’t know, I’m by the woods,” I answer.

“Well, that narrows it down.” I hear Archer mutter in the background.

“Drop me a pin to your location, Archer fixed the battery terminal.”

My shoulders droop in relief. “Thank you, I’ll send it now.”

“See ya soon,” she says, then ends the call. I do as she asked and send her my location as I wait on the side of the deserted road with my back to the creepy ass woods. A feeling of being watched sends a cold shiver down my spine, I shake out my shoulders trying not to dwell on the thought of being watched. My eyes skirt around as I wrap my arms around myself to ward off the chill that has seeped into my bones. I hear a branch snap behind me and my spine stiffens, I have seen enough horror movies to know if I turn around I will probably see something that will have me running and screaming.

“Deep breaths, it's probably just Nexus being a prick,” I mutter to myself as I fake being brave and don’t turn around, telling myself it's just my fear playing tricks on me. Then I hear rustling of leaves and I know for a fact that isn’t my mind playing tricks on me. I peer over my shoulder and my eyes bug the fuck out of my head at the sight of two masked men standing there dressed head to toe in all black. Fear cripples me and my knees begin to shake. Both of them wear wooden, satanic looking masks. The one on the right has two horns on his mask with specks of blue through it, there is a carving in the forehead of it but I can’t make it out.

When the one on the left cocks his head to the side as I look to him. Unlike the other guy, his mask only has one horn on the right and his mask has flecks of gray through it. Much like the other guy there is a carving in the center of his mask but I can’t see it. Both the masks are eerie and designed to impose fear. The intricate carving of them has me intrigued but scared out of my fucking mind. I’ve heard of the standard Halloween masks and all that shit but these are so different, there is an aura of darkness that clings to the men and the masks—they aren’t friends, they are foes.

Then it hits me, the guy with the mask in my room. I felt the rough texture of his mask scrape along my neck and cheek and I know with certainty that it was one of these creeps that broke into my house and tried to scare me. My phone begins to ring in my pocket but I’m too stunned to move to answer it.

“A favor is a debt owed,” the two-horned guy says, his voice is distorted like the one from the other night.

I shake my head. “I want nothing from either of you, leave me the fuck alone!” I scream trying to fake braveness but even I can hear the quiver in my own voice.

One horn takes a step forward and I snap out of it. I step back, causing him to stop or risk me bolting like any sane fucking person would. “A favor can be granted to those invited, no favor is unanswered but the debt will be owed to the Filthy Few. ” I store that name away on the back of my mind to dissect later and look into it more.

“I don’t want a favor. I don’t need anything from you, now fuck off before I call the cops,” I warn, the maniacal distorted laughter that comes from them both has me gritting my teeth.

“A favor is a debt owed,” two-horns repeats.

“Fuck you!” I snap. When his body coils like he is about to charge at me, I make a split second decision. I turn to run but don’t even make it a step when I see another masked person standing in the middle of the road, illuminated by the light of the street lamp. My jaw unhinges and I suck in a large gulp of air. This one has only one but on the left side. His mask is exactly the same as the others, except this one has flecks of green through the grooves of the wood. His relaxed stance and the way he just stands there staring at me without uttering a single word is unnerving and has my pulse thrumming through my body at a worrying rate. I look left and right trying to decide if I can make a run for it without these bastards catching me, when out of nowhere a hand wraps around me from behind plastering my back against a solid chest. Another hand comes up to grip my throat in warning, he doesn’t apply pressure but he doesn’t need to, the threat is clear.

“Ask the favor and it will stop until the debt is paid.” I swallow audibly and close my eyes, trying to ward off my impending tears, I have never been this scared in my life. Behind my lids flashes of the faces of the two people I love most in this world can be seen—all I can think about is never seeing my mom or Waylen again, and that has a sob tearing out of me. Masked guy bends down and groans in my ear when the first tear rolls down my cheek. “Ask the favor?—”

I shake my head ignoring the tears that flow down my cheeks. “No.” I choke out as I blink my eyes open and see left horn and right horn standing a few feet away from me—two horns is clearly the leader of this sick fucking group! “Just let me go,” I plead as I flick my eyes to the side, my brows draw in when I’m met with intense blue eyes staring back at me. His eyes don’t scan my face or hold a hint of emotion, the void of everything except for retribution and malice.

“A favor is a debt owed?—”

I cut him off before he can continue spewing the same fucking line again. “I know!” I scream right in his face, my fear has me in its clutches, forcing me to not listen to rational thought. “I have the fucking postcard. I have nothing to ask and I don’t need any favors from you or your sick fucking friends.” His hand around my waist shifts and glides along my stomach until he is cupping my pussy. My breath hitches as I jerk onto my tiptoes. I dart my gaze to his friends who stand there just watching, offering no form of help. I implore them with my eyes to help me and not watch their friend rape me. When he flicks my skirt up, I begin thrashing in his hold, swinging my arms and legs, trying to break free until his hold on my throat turns punishing and has me gasping for air.

“Ask the favor,” he says loudly but then he drops his voice to a whisper so only I can hear. “They wear gloves but I don’t.”

My brows slam together in confusion. “I don’t understand,” I rasp out. He lessens his grip on my throat and I drag in lungfuls of much needed air.

“You get off on fear.” I shake my head trying to deny his claim but he pushes on. “I felt how you soaked through your panties.” I inhale sharply through my nose. “If the favor isn’t asked soon, I will return just to play with my new toy.”

“I’m not your anything,” I grit out through clenched teeth. He pushes his hand under my skirt, forcing a whimper from me as he runs a single finger along my pussy. The distorted groan that comes from him has me hating my body’s reactions to this situation and the fact that he is right, I can feel how soaked I am and it disgusts me.

“Ask soon or I will be forced to take what you are unwilling to give,” he growls before releasing me and shoving me forward so I fall to the hard ground. I keep my head down and breathe in and out, listening to their pounding footsteps racing away from me—thank God. My blood is rushing in my ears as I try hard not to give into the black dots in the corners of my eyes and pass out. I see headlights out of the corner of my eye, then jump to my feet and dash into the middle of the road waving my arms forcing whoever it is to stop.

“Help!” I scream as the car skids to stop. Smoke clouds surround the vehicle and me from the sudden stop. Both doors open and I want to weep when Vivi rushes toward me with wide eyes filled with worry. Before she can utter a word, I throw my arms around her and hold her close, all the fight fleeing my body and I sag against her.

“Archer, help me!” she calls out, then in two seconds I’m pulled from her hold and scooped off my feet as Archer places me in the back seat. Vivian climbs in beside me and looks me over for injury. “What happened? You’re pale as fuck and look like you have seen a ghost.” I open my mouth to answer but clamp it shut when Archer puts the car in drive and plants his foot. I shake my head and flick my gaze toward the front hoping she understands that I don’t want to say anything in front of him. She nods then reaches across and places her hand on my leg in a gesture of comfort.

I lean my head against the window and close my eyes, my heart still working overtime and I can feel the fear still lingering inside me. I have never been so afraid in all my life. I just want to go home, climb into bed beside my mom, then have her stroke my hair and tell me everything is going to be okay, it was just a bad dream.

I have a feeling those masked sicko’s aren’t done with me and will be back sooner than I want.