Page 22 of Dark Knight

Evie

When I woke the next morning, I was alone, which was both a relief and a disappointment. Something about the way Dylen had put me to bed last night after I'd cried my eyes out on his shoulder made me hope that he'd still be there in the morning.

I got up and took care of my morning needs before showering. As far as I knew, there was no plan for today, so I was free to do as I pleased. My mind raced as images of what happened yesterday filled me, and all they did was leave me with more questions than answers.

The main question was why did I trust these men? What was it about them that blew past my defenses? Yes, they rescued me from the auction and Sean, but was that enough for me to blindly trust them?

I didn't think so, and yet I did, at least to an extent. There was still the fact that I was a pawn, though, a piece in a game Dylan was playing. It was a game that I didn't understand or even know existed until I met Lyric and subsequently Dylan. Even though I was a pawn and I knew he was using me, I also knew I owed him.

Clearly, I wasn't suited for working in the club as a dancer, so I had to find another way to pay Dylan back for rescuing me. Maybe this could be another opportunity for me to convince him to let me go back to school. I mean, I'd already failed all of my classes from last semester by disappearing, but maybe when the new semester began, I could start fresh.

I was sure that if I explained to the dean's office what happened, they would give me some kind of leeway. I pulled on some sweatpants that were more luxurious than anything I had ever really owned before, and certainly cost more than anything I had ever spent on clothes before. I wouldn’t have even spent the amount that the sweatpants cost on an entire outfit, but it wasn't my money that was being spent. I just dealt with it, even though I wanted to scream that we could just go to the grocery store and get necessities there. Or better yet, go to a second-hand store. Dylan and Hudson didn't exactly seem the type to enjoy thrifting, though.

A sports bra with entirely too many straps and a tank top completed my outfit. I couldn't deny that even though these were just athleisure clothes, I still felt comfier and more dressed up than I would have if I was in clothes that I bought myself. Maybe knowing how much they cost had that effect, but thinking about that also made me a little nauseous at the amount of money they had already spent on me.

It was certainly hard to get out of the frugal mindset, especially since I had only been given certain things at certain times while growing up. Then, of course, when I ran away, I was on my own and had nothing to fall back on. Everything then was a matter of balancing my money against my needs.

I made my way downstairs once more, fully expecting Dylan and Hudson to be gone and at work for the day or something. After all, they couldn't just stop their lives because I suddenly fell into them. I figured the kitchen would be the best place to start since I could make myself some breakfast, but I was surprised when I got in there to find them both standing in front of a blender.

They looked like they had just finished some kind of intense workout. Neither of them wore shirts, basketball shorts hung from their hips, and their hairlines were damp with sweat.

It was like standing in front of an all-you-can-eat buffet. My stomach chose that moment to growl, as though I was actually going to eat them.

They both turned and looked at me. Hudson simply raised one eyebrow while Dylan smirked. "Would you like some shake?" he asked.

"Um. I'll pass. Thanks." Dylan gave me a nod of acknowledgement as he poured the thick green liquid into a glass.

It didn’t exactly look appetizing. In fact, I wouldn't even call it liquid. It was more like slush. Somehow, I still couldn't move from the spot I found myself in in the doorway. My eyes were too focused on the expanse of skin before me.

When the glass was full, he set it in front of Hud before picking up a second and pouring the rest of the shake in there. He glanced up at me. "Is there something else you would like?" Dylan asked, raising his eyebrows with a knowing smile.

As my gaze dipped between his face and the waistband of his shorts, I couldn't stop them from flicking over to Hudson either. They were more than just strong. They were lean and muscular. They looked like fighters, the idea of which I found strangely attractive.

With no small amount of effort, I wrenched my gaze away from them and turned it on the fridge. The first time I saw the fridge, I stood slack jawed as I stared at it. Something which I managed not to do this time. Still, I was left in awe of how big it was, especially when there were only a few people that lived in the house. The thing could house enough food to feed an entire restaurant worth of people.

It was like at any moment, Dylan expected hundreds of people to descend on his house and demand food. As far as I had seen, the fridge was always stocked with a variety of beverages and pre-prepared food. All of it seemed to disappear quickly, even though I never saw anybody except Dylan and Hudson eating. I assumed Theo did as well, but he seemed to take his meals separately from me.

At last, I pulled the jug of orange juice out of the fridge and poured myself a glass while Hudson and Dylan whispered between themselves. It wasn't that I wanted to pry into their business or demand that they tell me what was going on, but I was curious by nature. It was part of what made me such a bad fit for the cult. I didn't just accept what I was told, I asked questions about why things were the way they were.

"There's some cereal in the pantry if that's what you're hoping for," Dylan said when I gave them what was probably a quizzical look.

Hudson moved to a tall cabinet and opened it. A whole other set of shelves were inside, filled with different dry food goods. Boxes of cereal that I'd only encountered once I left the cult lined the top shelf, making it look like there should be kids here. As far as I knew, it was only adult males in the house.

A tiger, a bee, and a leprechaun made up most of the varieties. I went with the tiger because it was the first one I tried when I left the cult, so it was nostalgic for me. A bowl and spoon had appeared on the counter behind me when I turned back around, and Hudson handed me the jug of milk from the fridge.

"Don't you guys have work to do or something?" I asked, feeling slightly awkward.

"The business can run itself for a little while. I'll only get interrupted if it's something urgent." Dylan was so matter-of-fact as he spoke that it left no room for questions as he took a drink from his glass.

I nodded like I understood, but really, I had no idea. Shouldn't he know what was going on with his businesses, or was he more of a hands-off type that just let managers handle things? Was the business he referred to even really a business? I mean, I knew he had the club, but I also knew there was something deeper going on here than owning a strip club.

I may have grown up sheltered, but I wasn't stupid. "I was wondering, since the club was obviously a bad fit for me, if you might consider giving me an installment plan on the debt and letting me go to school first. Then once I get a well-paying job, I can pay you back," I said as I went to sit at the table with my cereal and orange juice.

"That's a long time to ask me to wait, sunshine," Dylan said while Hudson scoffed.

"You think you can find a well-paying job right after college in this economy? You'll be drowning in student loan debt, not to mention the debt that you owe Dylan. Even if you were to get a decent job, you wouldn't be able to pay them both back at the same time." Hudson wasn't afraid of dropping the reality of my situation on me.

My little bubble of hope popped, shattering like fragments of a balloon with all the air that was inside suddenly releasing. I felt the weight of Hudson's words land squarely on my shoulders. Of course I heard talk about how hard it was to get a job in this economy, and apparently finding a decent job right out of college was more than a little challenging. However, I'd also heard there was no way to get a job if you didn't have a college degree, so I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

---