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Elliott

I am aimlessly walking the hallways, cup of coffee in hand, trying to pass the time as Hunter works in his office.

I usually sit with him or in the living room but I needed something different today.

My training this morning left my skin buzzing and Marcus seemed eager for me to leave as soon as we were done.

So here I was, walking around the house I’ve been living in and I’m still learning new things about it.

I pass the hall where the gym is, knowing that it’s a dead end.

When I round another corner, a faint light illuminates on the floor from a cracked door.

I don’t hear any sound but make sure to step softly as I inch closer.

The door creaks open a fraction more, and I freeze in my spot when a soft mew comes from the floor. My eyes drop to see a fluffy cat stretching as it walks out of the room. It lazily blinks up at me, taking a seat in the doorway .

They have a cat?

I’ve been here this long and I had yet to see this animal the whole time? How?

“Hey kitty,” I whisper, kneeling closer to the floor, resting my mug on my knee while offering my other hand to the cat.

They take the offer wearily, craning their neck to sniff my hand.

I hold my breath waiting to see if this adorable creature will allow me to pet them.

They give me a soft meow, head butting my hand and rubbing against it.

“Aren’t you just the cutest little thing ever?

” I coo, scratching their chin. They make their way around me, rubbing their body across mine before returning to the open door.

I stand to follow them when the door pushes open completely, making me almost jump out of my skin.

Marcus scoops the cat into his arms, “Oh, they are meowing at you. ” he says to me looking annoyed as ever that I’m in his presence. “Good little guard cat. Yes you are, Garbagè.”

My face scrunches up, “You named him Garbagè?”

“Her.” He corrects me, his hands still petting her. “And yes, I named her Garbagè.”

“Why would you name a cat that?”

“Because I found her in a garbage bag, it’s only fitting.” He shrugs.

“I can’t argue with that logic.” I giggle, sipping my now lukewarm coffee. “I didn’t picture you as a pet kind of guy.”

“Why are you picturing me as any kind of guy? ”

I shift my stance to peek around his form to look into the room. It must be his bedroom with all of the furniture I see. There's a bed, a nightstand, and there are four computer monitors at his desk, the screens facing us.

My face drops when I see what’s on them.

There are pictures of members I recognize on one and another has blueprints of the town. He must be in the Everton server, or maybe it’s part of what he found the last time he got in.

“Ever heard of privacy?” Marcus says, taking a step in front of me to block my view.

“Those are Everton members.” I try to step around him, “Are you on their server?”

He places a hand on my chest, “No. I’m still siphoning through all the stuff I extracted from the last time I got in.” I push further on his hand, “Don’t go in my room.”

“I could help you.”

“Help me what?”

“Go through it all. I mean, what if I can give more clarity on what you have on them?”

“Doubt it. You were so locked away in your own little bubble in the Donovan household that you didn’t even realize what they were doing.”

I huff out a breath in my annoyance. I know he’s right, but I can’t help but think about what if there’s something that will click into place, a clue, a moment I’ll remember.

If I go through all of this, maybe I could help.

I need to help. I can’t just sit here like I did in Everton. I have to do something.

Or maybe you’re just trying to find a way to curb that guilt you feel about being naive to everything your whole life?

“Look Elliott, I get it. You want to help make it right. You do that by letting me do my job.”

“Your job?”

“Yeah, you let me make a plan, and my men and I go in and take them down.” I stare at him, not impressed, “The smart way.” He adds, like it’ll help his case.

“And what do you plan to do once you get in?” I cross my arms awkwardly with the mug still in my hand.

“I plan to kill the bastards. Every last one of them, each one that allowed this to happen. Every individual that helped the Donovans, and especially your brother.” His eyes flash with a fire in them I’ve never seen before.

“That’s your job?”

“Part of it.” He shrugs.

Garbagè meows and Marcus places her at his feet. I get one last peak at the monitor and a familiar face pops out at me in the collage of pictures on one of the screens.

“That girl.” I point and Marcus looks over. “She–she was brought into Everton just before Kameron showed up.”

“And? ”

“And she was the first in a long time to join the community. The members were so excited. We haven’t had a new member since Mr. Donovan fell ill. There was no one to–”

Realization smacks me in the face.

The cleansing ceremonies.

I’ve been so wrapped up in what happened to me. I mean, I thought about it. I thought about what all the other girls were going through. How they were trapped in Everton like me. But I never let my mind wander to– this.

Fucking shit. The hallway seems to sway, or maybe it's me.

My stomach turns in on itself, making me gag.

“Hey, woah!” Marcus grabs my shoulder, taking the mug from my hand. “What’s going on?”

I hear the faint sound of a meow again and my feet are moving, following where Marcus is pulling me. An oaky scent surrounds me and I am motioned to sit on the bed.

“The cleansing ceremonies. All the girls that join have to go through it.” I try to gulp through my words, bile rising with each memory, the acknowledgement settling in that they had to do the same.

All those women. All those girls.

“That little girl…” I break into a sob, “Lianne!” I drop my face into my hands.

“Elliott, I–”

“No, I’m sorry.” I lift off the bed in a haste, “I–” I stare at the monitor again. “I knew after that night that this is what they had to go through, just like me,” I ball my fists at my sides, “It’s just–seeing her face again made it real in a way. I don’t know how to word it–”

“Elliott, I get it.” He stands, stepping in front of me.

He nudges my chin to look at me but I don’t budge, my eyes transfixed on the members’ faces.

Samuel was the Divine’s Vessel…he took on that role knowing what he would have to do. He watched while Mr. Donovan–

‘I'm going to cleanse you, Eden. From the inside out.’

All my senses seem to light on fire as the ceremony flashes in my head over and over again.

I slam my eyes shut, “Samuel, Mr. Dovovan–They both–they all…”

Marcus yanks my chin to him, “Samuel will pay. They all will.”

I snap my eyes open, “Promise?” My voice is so faint that for a second I don’t know if he heard me.

He scans my expression, as if he’s trying to tell if I truly mean it.

“I mean it, Marcus!” I roar, “They need to suffer, suffer far worse than all of us!” I slam my hands in his chest, shoving him away but he doesn’t even falter. His stance staying in place.

“I can’t live knowing that they get to live their lives as if nothing’s wrong.

As if they didn’t shatter me and break all of the others.

It’s not fair!” I hit his chest again, sobs breaking through me.

Sadness and anger consuming me. “Promise they will, promise me he will?” I repeat myself with more confidence.

He turns to the monitors then back at me.

“Elliott, you’re asking me for something I already plan to do.” He scans my face, “I made it my life's mission to take down people like them. I worked my ass off in school and in life so that I could be here, in this position. To take down the monsters that fed on me like they fed on you.”

My heart aches at his admission, his deep brown eyes piercing into mine.

A tug in my chest emerges, like the pain is drawing me towards him.

He steps into me like he feels the pull as well.

His gaze flickering from my eyes to my mouth and back.

He rushes towards me closing the gap in between us and my breath is taken away as his lips graze mine.

He stops for a moment. I try to tell myself to run away, to turn around and leave but my body is frozen in place.

He takes a deep breath in, “I promise.” He whispers the words against my lips.

“Elliott?” His eyes close for a moment before connecting with mine again, the dark hues turning lighter. My mind is going in a million different directions, but the way he whispers my name calls for me to listen. “Tell me to stop.”

I don’t give him a reply. I don’t even remember how to form the words right now, let alone a correct response. Every inch of my body is begging him to cave in, to touch me.

“Tell me you don’t want me.” He pleads with me. “Tell me–”

“I-I can’t.” I interject through bated breaths.

He gives me one last look, his eyes hooding, “Fuck it.” He growls.

He slams his full lips on mine and my brain fizzes out.

My stomach coils up and my pain latches on to his.

His kiss is all consuming, demolishing any sense I had, I surrender.

I wrap my arms around his neck without a thought.

The vibration of his moan hits my mouth and I deepen the kiss only for him to yank away.

He bolts out of the room, leaving me gasping for air and swaying on my feet.

Garbagè chirps at my feet, “Yeah, tell me about it.” I inhale deeply. Touching my lips, the heat still on them. I stand in Marcus's room still trying to process what just happened.