Page 19 of Beautiful Delusions

“Oh, you must think you’re so funny,” I drawl into the speaker. “The masks were a real nice touch.” I can’t hear the response due to the music, but the name lit up on the screen shows he’s listening. “How was that for a hunt, Lucas? Not as helpless as you expected.” I start laughing, wandering away from the speakers. “If you’d wanted an easier prey, maybe you should have chosen someone else.” My smile is so wide, it hurts. “One point to Sophia, minus fifty to Slytherin.” Wait, that’s not right.

“Sophia!” Lucas shouts into my ear when I can finally make out the words. “What the fuck are you talking about?!” I stop wandering around between the bodies, taking a moment to string together my thoughts.

“The…the attack you staged…in the alleyway,” I reiterate.

“Attack?! What the fuck–” Lucas cries out, and another voice takes over.

“Where the fuck are you?” It’s Ezra, of that I have no doubt. I shake my head. It’s all part of their game to trick me, to put me on edge. And they’re doing a damn good job at it.

“As if you don’t know,” I roll my eyes and end the call. My phone immediately vibrates in my hand, and I ignore it. They’re lying. They have to be because the alternative isn’t something I want to think about.

I hover, at a loss for what to do. The enjoyable buzz has flooded my system so I stop by the bar, accepting another drink and a round of flirting from Antonio. This time, I keep looking over my shoulder, waiting for the next surprise to creep up on me. This is so typical of them. I’m a fish on a hook, being given a little line, only to be reeled straight back in. But what if they’re telling the truth?

I open my phone, ignoring the thirty-six missed calls, and quickly load a local tabloid site. They’re supposed to be at a family event in this very city, and their parents are film stars. It shouldn’t be too hard to disprove their lies. But sure enough, an article pops up beneath my thumb, added four minutes ago. “Thorn Brothers Hastily Leave Parent’s Premiere.’ The headline is supported by an image of the three in their perfectly fitted suits, storming toward a limousine. Pure, unadulterated anger contorts their beautiful faces. Oh, fuck.

Ice-cold dread courses through me, and I glance back at the alley door. It’s no longer locked, lingering ajar with the darkness waiting just beyond. I spin around, searching the crowds. The men, I don’t know who or where they are. I need to get out of here–now.

Rushing back to Letty, I grab her arm, desperation clawing at my throat. "We have to go," I plead, trying to ignore the way my vision swims. There are too many influences battling here, both internal and self-inflicted.

"Chill, Soph," Letty slurs, clearly more intoxicated than I. She's making out with a girl, their hands tangled in each other's hair as they remain pressed close. I continue to pull at her arm, begging over the beat for her to listen. Letty bats my hand away. "Loosen up and have some fun,” she groans, clearly annoyed. She won’t budge.

Panic builds inside me like a tidal wave; I can feel it cresting, threatening to crash down and drown me whole. Oh no, not now. This isn’t the time or place to let my anxiety win. I need to escape the crowds, the suffocation.

"Where are you when I need you, Jazzie?" I whisper to myself, teeth gritted. My heart races, and my breaths come in shallow gasps as the masked men from earlier flash before my eyes. I know it's just my mind playing tricks on me, but the delusions are all too real. When Jazzie doesn’t respond, I have to fake the reinforcement she normally provides. I stand still amongst the bumping bodies, closing my eyes. I've faced worse situations before. With a deep breath, I attempt to steady myself and push my fear aside.

"Fine," I mutter to myself, determination flaring in my chest. "I'll take care of myself." I make my way through the rippling bodies and pounding music, each step feeling like a battle against my senses. My pulse races as I weave past drunken dancers, their sweat-slicked skin brushing against mine.

"Stay strong, Sophia," I whisper to myself, repeating it like a mantra as I force my body to keep moving. The exit seems to recede further and further away with each step I take. The room tilts and sways as dread claws at my insides. The sea of bodies around me feels endless. They close in on me as I desperately try to navigate through the throng, making it impossible to move. To breathe. I can't blackout here. Not now.

"Focus, Sophia," I tell myself again, trying to drown out the music hammering inside my skull. I’m sure there weren’t thismany people earlier. I become disorientated, unable to see the way out. Hands grab me from behind. A scream rips from my throat, lost amid the pounding bass. I jerk my elbows back, aiming for the ribs of whoever has grabbed me until I’m spun around.

“Don’t ever do that again,” Ezra consumes my vision, his growl ripping through me. His hands are tight on my sides, but I don’t care. I crumple then, crushing myself against his suit. He smells incredible, far too expensive for a club like this. Winding my arms around his waist, inside his jacket, I ground myself. Mimicking the rise and fall to his firm chest, I breathe an apology for wishing I’d kicked him on his ass. Ezra doesn’t rush me, his arms a solid reminder of the dangerous situation I’d put myself in. I should have known it wasn’t them. I shouldn’t have let my drunken ideas bleed into reality, distorting what was with what I wanted to be. After a few minutes, he tilts my chin up, our mouths surprisingly close with the height of the heels.

“I mean it,” his face doesn’t show a trace of kindness. “Don’t fucking do that again.”

“Do what?” my voice cracks as a tear spills over. I’m a mess, breaking right before his icy, blue eyes. Ezra stands stoically, only his gaze roaming my body. Assessing for damage, I quickly decide. Amongst the strobe lights, his fine suit accentuates his dark, brooding appearance. Leaving me hanging, he twists his fingers into mine and turns away.

"Stay close," he orders. The warmth of his touch calms my racing heart ever so slightly, a mixture of relief and confusion beating within. I drop my head to the floor, feeling the softening of my resolve as we navigate through the club together. The lights cast kaleidoscopic patterns across the floor, causing me to trip over myself. Ezra's grip on my hand tightens, anchoring me in place amidst the chaos. The cold air outside physically hits me like a slap of reality. I gasp, hastily pulling to a stop.

"Wait! Th-there were men in masks," I stammer, the words spilling out in a frantic rush. "They cornered me in the alley." Ezra's jaw tightens, his eyes blazing with barely controlled fury.

"We know," he growls. "Lucas and Kyan caught sight of them doing it to another girl when we pulled up outside. They're dealing with them now." A shudder runs down my spine at the thought of those masked men, their twisted intentions clear from the predatory gleam in their eyes. And I nearly let them do it to me. I bend in half, retching. Had I not decided to play along, had I continued thinking the brothers were toying with me…Ezra lowers his jacket over my back before gathering my hair as I empty the contents of my stomach onto the sidewalk. It’s not pretty, as many people passing by feel the need to comment. I wish I could disappear, just fade into nothing. When I have nothing else to bring up, I straighten as much as I dare.

"What do you mean, dealing with them?" I croak. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, Ezra quickly hands me an embroidered handkerchief.

“We protect what’s ours,” is the extent of his answer. My knees tremble as the gravity of the situation begins to hit me. Ezra’s eyes are dark and stormy as swoops me up, approaching a limousine waiting at the curb. The driver opens the door, and I am surprised that Ezra doesn’t just chuck me inside. Instead, the warmth of his body stays against mine, seating the pair of us behind blacked-out windows when the door is shut. At last, silence settles.

“You must think I’m such a fucking idiot,” I grumble, slumping into him further. As long as Ezra isn’t insisting I should get off his lap, I have no intention to. I need the comfort, the reassurance. "How did you get here so fast?"

"When we couldn’t get a hold of you, we started calling around the girls you tend to have lunch with. We figured one would know where you were," he grunts, his eyes never leavingmine. His anger is palpable, a living, breathing force. It crashes against me like waves, leaving me breathless and uncertain. I knew he’d be pissed, more than the others, but this…this feels like something more.

"I-I'm sorry for sneaking out," I stammer, lowering my head in shame. My apology feels hollow, inadequate given the danger I've put myself in tonight. But it's all I have to offer in this moment. Ezra remains silent, his grip on me tightening ever so slightly as if to remind me of the consequences of my actions. For the first time since meeting him, I truly understand the power he wields over me–and the vulnerability that comes with it. That very same vulnerability I was running away from. “I just…I didn’t want to get to the point of feeling trapped,” I admit quietly.

"Trapped?" Ezra's voice is barely audible above the hum of the engine, but the shift of intensity in his eyes speaks volumes. “Sophia,” he groans. My name on his lips, the way he says it like a curse and a prayer, has my stomach tightening in knots. “You have more liberties than you know what to do with. You're not like any of the other pets we've had. You’re not trying to screw us for the fame or money. We’ve already broken several of our own rules for you, and now,” he looks away. My diaphragm has constricted, and I can’t let him leave me hanging.

“And now?”

“Now we're more invested than usual. It's making us act out. All I want to do is jump out of his car and get my own pound of flesh from the assholes who scared you. But that would mean putting you down, and I’m not quite ready for that yet." I swallow hard. The others may have been forthcoming with their possessiveness and lust, but not Ezra. I thought I was merely an inconvenience to him.

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