Page 4 of Redeeming Logan

Who’s him?I think to myself as one of the goons opens my door for me to get out. I follow after Mr. Adams as he leads us into the fast food joint with his guys flanking us.

“What do you want? I’m sure you have to pee too, so I’ll order, and one of them will take you to the bathroom. Don’t give me that fucking look; roll your eyes again, and I’ll have them removed. They’ll just wait outside for you.” He rolls his eyes, sensing my dreadful thoughts of having a bodyguard while I'm trying to pee.

I rattle off my usual order of chicken nuggets and fries, making sure he doesn’t forget the BBQ sauce and sweet tea. After he takes my order, he motions towards the bathroom, where my escort is now making his way towards. I hurry after him, not realizing until now how badly I need to pee. I have no idea how long I’ve been holding it, but it had to be before I even left for the party.

Pushing my way through the bathroom door, I quickly find a stall, pulling my pants down, and throwing myself down on the grimy seat. I should really squat, but the endless stream of piss entering the toilet right now happened too fast for me to even think about that. I sigh in relief as my bladder empties. Finishing up in the toilet, I flush and head to the sink.

As I’m washing my hands with the cheap soap that always dries out your skin, I look up into my tired eyes. Thedark purplish blue circles under my eyes are highlighting the few blue flecks in my green eyes. My cheekbones look sharper than I remember them being. Why is bathroom lighting so damn harsh? I dry my hands with the scratchy paper towel provided and head out the bathroom door.

My personal bodyguard ambles behind me as I make my way to the front of the restaurant. I spy Mr. Adams seated at a table in the back corner, and I walk to him slowly and take a seat across from him. He slides my nuggets over to me, and I tear into them like a starving animal. Honestly, I kind of am. My parents never fed me much. My only friend taking the time to feed me is the single reason I’m not entirely skin and bones.

We eat in silence; the only sounds surrounding us are the other patrons in the restaurant. I wonder if they can tell that they’ve stolen me away? Can they hear me pleading inside my head for them to look my way? No, of course not. They’re oblivious just as I would be if I were them. Not wanting to ruffle any unnecessary feathers in fear that they too would end up like me.

I finish up my food and sit back and stare at Mr. Adams. He’s typing away on his phone in his own little world. His thumbs fly over the keyboard, and I wonder how many times he messes up with how big his thumbs are compared to the keys of the keyboard.

“Who’s him?” I ask him. He slowly sets his phone down on the tabletop and looks up at me with questions in his eyes. “You said that you wouldn’t hurt me, buthewould. Who ishe?” He stares at me for a moment before he opens his mouth to speak.

“Taliah, you’re a good girl who grew up in a shitty situation. You didn’t deserve any of that, and you don’t deserve any of this. I’m sorry for my part in all of this. You’ll meet him soon. You won’tforgive me, and I’m okay with that.” He states ominously before he pushes his chair back, standing and stretching. He ushers for me to get up and follow him out of the restaurant, but I notice he’s left all of our trash on the table. I sprint back, gather it all in my arms, and toss it in the trash before making my way to his black SUV. No one likes a litterbug, no matter how big and bad they look.

I don’t even wait for one of them to open my door. I tug it open and slam it behind me, rattling the truck. So many questions are flying through my head. Why is he sorry? Yeah, he stole me away, but he honestly hasn’t done much to me beside that. He said I’d never forgive him, which makes a chill run down my spine.

Mr. Adams pulls out of the parking lot and drives back the way we came. Weaving through the winding deserted roads of the countryside. As the sun makes its way higher into the sky, we’ve ended up in the middle of nowhere. The only thing out here are wooded areas. We pull off of the paved road and onto a gravel road.

It winds through the dense trees, and I’m almost sure we’re lost at this point, but he keeps driving us into the unknown. We make it out into a clearing, and I look out the window across the grassy field all around us.

Leaning over into the center of the backseat, I peek out the front windshield as we drive under a sign that says Harmony Heights. Beyond the sign, I see a tall and sinister building. Vines wind around it like they’re trying to drag it down into the earth. Gargoyle's perch on the roof as if they’re trying to keep people out. Shutters are falling off some of the windows, and bricks are missing. I almost think it’s abandoned until I spy a man in a suit standing out front on the cracked concrete steps.

Mr. Adams pulls the car up next to the steps, and the man walks over to open my door. It swings open quietly, and the stranger plasters a smile on his face as he waves his arm towards the front door while saying, “Welcome to Harmony Heights, Miss Barlow. It’s a pleasure having you here with us.”

Chapter Five

Taliah

I'm escorted up the cracked cement steps towards the large wooden double doors that appear to be splintering from age. The brass knockers have started to tarnish, and cobwebs have gathered in the corners. The stranger grabs ahold of one of the knockers and hauls the heavy door open.

I couldn’t conceal my shock even if I tried. The inside of this place is a huge contrast to the outside. I step inside and my ratty Converse squeaks across the black-and-white tile floor. Above me hangs a vintage chandelier with crystal drops that are reflecting rainbows across the walls. The walls are bright white and house black frames full of old photos and news articles.

The too-happy stranger leads me through the hallway by several closed doors with frosted glass. An ominous feeling starts building in the pit of my stomach. I take a look behind me all but forgetting that Mr. Adams and his goons are following us.He gives me a reassuring nod as he urges me to keep walking. I follow the man into a plush office at the end of the hall.

A large cherry wood desk sits in the middle of the room with a black leather chair behind it. The man flings himself down into the leather chair and folds his hands in his lap while giving me a chilling smile. He waves to the set of leather chairs in front of his desk. Mr. Adams and I each lower ourselves onto the stiff seats while his men line up along the back wall by the door.

The still nameless stranger picks up the phone on his desk and dials a number before requesting for someone to meet him in his office. He leans back in his chair, steepling his fingers and eyeing me like a predator. His smile makes my stomach roll with nausea, but for some reason I feel like he’s not the one I need to worry about.

His wandering eyes gleam with sinister intent as goosebumps raise on my skin. I grip the arms of my chair tight, my nails almost piercing the leather. My leg bounces up and down against my will with my anxiety. The door opening behind me makes me tense, and my back goes ramrod straight when I hear the footsteps padding across the carpeted floor.

Another man walks up beside the nameless man's desk. He’s dressed in a suit without the tie and shiny leather dress shoes. His brown hair is longer on the top and shorter on the sides. He has it gelled back from his face so tight that his wrinkles seem to be non-existent. His hands are clasped in front of him, and black tattoos peek out from the cuff of his suit jacket. Dead brown eyes peer at the other man as he starts to speak.

“Thank you for joining us, Dr. Logan. You know Mr. Adams already; he’s brought with him Miss Taliah Barlow. She will be our new resident here.” He sweeps his hand out in front ofhim, gesturing to me. The other man still doesn’t look my way, though. “Taliah I’m Mr. Pickett, the headmaster here at Harmony Heights, and this is our resident doctor, Dr. Logan Mitchell.”

The other man, who I now know is Dr. Logan, finally looks over at me. His dead eyes make shivers run down my spine. The ominous feeling that I had when I walked in here I now realize is fear as he stares at me. As he scrutinizes me from across the room, there is a flicker of something in his eyes. I’m not sure what it is, but his eyes seem less dead for a few seconds.

“Mr. Pickett, as I mentioned on the phone, Taliah is here to pay off the large debt from her parents.” Mr. Adams speaks to the man behind the desk. “We don’t need to sugarcoat any of this, but I do ask that your doctor over there keeps himself in check.”

The hardness in Dr. Logan’s eyes is back as he stares down the bridge of his nose at Mr. Adams. I’m not sure what Mr. Adams means about the doctorkeeping himself in check,but it makes my heart beat faster.

“Well, I can’t promise anything, as you very well know, sir. You did agree to bring her here in exchange for payment, and you know exactly what that entails. The moment you walk back through those doors, her fate is in our hands.” The smile that Mr. Pickett gives Mr. Adams makes me want to vomit up everything I ate earlier.

I shift in my seat, sweeping my eyes around looking for a way out of here. My odds of escaping without being caught are slim, but the fear that I have right now makes those odds seem much larger than they are. Bracing my feet on the floor, I go to stand up, and Mr. Adams grabs my arm, tugging me back down into the chair with a glare.

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