He's My Fallen Angel

Chapter Three

"Celina!"

At my name, my eyes groggily opened and fell right onto Zander who was sitting next to the bed on a wooden chair. I was too drained to speak or move so I merely stared, hoping it wouldn't irk him into inflicting more pain and humiliation on me. I don't know how much more I can take.

"You've been sleeping for two days."

I said nothing, blinking at him, and he held out a glass of water I didn't realize he had. It might've been because I was too exhausted, or it was his stupidly attractive face that distracted me. I hate him with everything in me for what he's done, why does he have to be cute?

He clenched his jaw then set the water on the nightstand, "you need to rehydrate. I've decided from this point forward your freedom will be open to you as long as you stay in line. You'll come to learn things will be easier if you just cooperate with us, this doesn't have to be torture. It's entirely up to you. Either way, you will fall in line sooner or later, Celina. Make it sooner."

He shot me a piercing stare then got up and left the room. I frowned, looking at the water and feeling the cotton in my mouth get worse. It didn't take long for me to cave and grab the glass, drinking the iced liquid and feeling it cleanse my tongue in seconds.

I set the empty glass on the table then turned to my other side, staring at the wall. If I'm going to be stuck here the least I can do is try to please them, my life is bad enough... right? Can I really trust his words? Will things be fine if I obey? What if they go after Emma if I lash out too much? I'd never be able to live with myself if something were to happen to her.

Why should I drain myself fighting the inevitable?

Weakly, I left the room and carefully walked down the hallway in search of the kitchen. I went through the living room and spotted a fridge in the next room over, making my way into that room yet freezing when I saw one of the men sitting on a chair. He must've heard me because he looked up, surprise flashed his features and he practically ran to me. I flinched at his approach, expecting some kind of hostile contact but I got the opposite.

"Did you need help with finding something?" He asked, his previous surprise transferred to me upon hearing his nice tone. He noticed instantly, "I'm Andre," he introduced, misunderstanding the reason for my confusion.

"I don't care who you are," I blurted in defense, trying to walk past but he grabbed me and I flinched again at his hasty advance.

"I heard you that night," he randomly said. I swallowed harshly at the memory of my clothes being torn off me, "your cries were hard to listen to. I wanted to apologize for saying what I did, we all were eager to see a girl after spending four years in a house of men. It's not an excuse and I get that, so I just want you to know I wouldn't lay a hand on you if it came down to it."

"The hell you wouldn't!" I snapped, my voice wasn't able to get too emotional without sounding hoarse. Everything was aching and it was all because of them. I don't deserve this! I'm innocent.

"No, I wouldn't," he stated firmly, "none of us would. We made jokes but we wouldn't touch you unless you were in agreement. Jay is the exception of that, he was wrong and the others agree with me. We may be low but we aren't that low."

"Why are you being nice to me?" I asked. He gave a small smile and caressed the corner of my bruised eye delicately.

"Because you shouldn't have gone through any of that, Zander of all people should know how wrong what he did was. There's something he's not speaking of, not even to us, which is very odd for him. He doesn't take mercy, Celina, he kills first and asks questions later. Letting you live shocked us all."

"This isn't living," I scoffed, shoving him into the fridge just as the devil himself entered the room.

"The hell did I just get done telling you? Keep your hands to yourself," Zander threatened, my hatred for him intensified at the double standards he's allowing. I went to reply but the others walked in soon after, my mouth instantly sealed and I hugged myself, lowering my eyes in submission.

"We're leaving to get back to New York," he added after a moment, my chest grew cold at the thought of leaving behind everything I ever knew. Nobody appeared to care except me.

"I'll be next to you," Jay, the rockstar, smirked, eyeing me up and down then unexpectedly groping my ass in front of everyone. I yelped and went to hit him, stopping before I made that mistake and forcing down my vomit. Everything will be fine if I cooperate...

"No, you won't be. She's riding with me," Zander corrected, a small bit of relief lifted off my chest for some strange reason.

I'd rather sit next to him knowing he won't touch me for the hour it'll take to get there. However, my relief was crushed when Jay pulled me in and forced his lips on mine.

I refused to return the gesture, welcoming shame to build up within me after he leaned back and randomly backhanded me.

"Kiss me right," he glared, my eyes looking behind him to the only man who can stop him and I frowned at his once again blank stare. I placed my arms around Jay's neck and reluctantly went for it, our lips met again and I wanted to throw up. Dave doesn't deserve this...

He backed away and left me feeling horrible, everyone scattered to get ready after watching our scene and I felt like crying again. My issue was that nothing came out, as badly as I felt the need, I was unable to get the tears to form. I had already cried myself dry.

"Let's get to the car," Zander's voice broke my trance and I jolted, not realizing he stayed in the room, "I have my eye on you so don't even think of taking off."

If only he knew I didn't have the energy. It'd be stupid to think I could escape him, his men would be small maybe, but him? Absolutely not.

He roughly pushed me toward the door and I winced from my back pain, his roughness didn't stop the whole way to the cars. He opened the door to the backseat and forced me in, climbing in after me and I stayed as far away from him as physically possible.

I laid on the door on the left side of the car and he sat on the right. We waited for about three minutes before the driver turned back to him and informed us everyone in the other vehicle was ready.

We eventually set onto the road and I frowned as we drove by many familiar houses. My life will never be the same and I think I'm struggling to grasp the reality of that, saying it to myself is one thing... yet actually leaving the very place I've never left once? I'm terrified, confused, and so lost.

My eyes moved to Zander and my frown deepened, his muscles were extremely close to bursting right through the black dress shirt he was wearing and he had a visible bulge in his black dress pants. His hair continued to messily rest on his head which added sexiness to his appearance. His stubble beard was darker, hardly any skin peeked through, and his nose had a small raise on the bridge. I found myself staring. He was clearly occupied doing lord only knows what on his phone and my body mindlessly scooted his direction.

His cold eyes snapped to mine and I halted, looking down in embarrassment with heat warming my cheeks and tingles faintly swarmed my stomach.

"What are you doing?" He asked icily, giving me a once over.

"The middle has more foot room, the driver must be really tall," I replied quietly, unsure of why I moved myself. My body just did it like muscle memory, to be honest the more I thought about it, the more it got to me. I was perfectly fine where I was. It was a thoughtless movement. It must be because I had nowhere else to move and I get antsy when I'm still for too long during my high anxiety moments.

"Okay?" he eyed me again suspiciously, returning his attention to the phone and I awkwardly stared at the road ahead of us. The car was silent and the heat that was blasting through the vents brought on major fatigue.

Regardless of the fact I slept for two days, I laid my head on the headrest and let sleep overtake my body.

Zander's POV

"We will be coming up to a stop here in the next couple miles, is that alright with you, sir?" Ronald asked, continuously glancing in his rearview mirror.

"Is it Max again?" I lifted my gaze away from the phone and scowled. Every time we travel he's always a royal pain in my ass.

"No no, they're all fine. I've been keeping in touch with Tyrese. I'm actually suggesting it because of her," his eyes glanced at Celina through the mirror and I turned to look at her.

She was asleep. Why the hell would she care if we stopped? Although, I do find it quite concerning that she's asleep again.

"No, she can handle an hour car ride," I answered, getting back to my phone in annoyance but feeling his worried glances through the mirror.

"My mistake. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you two together?"

I snapped my gaze to his in the mirror, one look was enough for him to clear his throat awkwardly.

"I apologize for the accusation, it's just that you've never taken in someone and you especially don't let anyone ride with you," he explained. I looked back at her.

Her tangled dark-brown hair was completely out of her face revealing all of her features. She had her head tilted back over the headrest with her neck exposed, her jawline was visible but not too sharp which led me to her smooth lips. Her nose was small and defined with a bloodied scab on it. Her green eyes were covered by her eyelids which extended long, thick lashes. The bruising on her left eye was beginning to turn yellow, but it remained dark. Her medium arched eyebrows were in a neutral position as was the rest of her face. She didn't look pained or afraid, she actually looked relaxed which is a feature I haven't seen on her, and I caught myself staring.

She made a small noise and turned her head, her body began sliding and I shot my arm out to her shoulder to prevent her from hitting her head. I carefully moved her upright then retracted my hand, giving her a final lingering look and returning to my phone.

'May I meet her before we make any transactions? I'm in need of an obedient little puppy... what do you say on Saturday the sixth?’

'This Saturday?'

'Yes, if you're free of course.'

I read his text and clenched my jaw. Why am I feeling guilty about this? She's nothing, a nobody that won't be missed, a pitiful girl with nothing but her body to offer.

So why is it eating at me?

A weight pressed into my side and I whipped my head to the left, tensing when I spotted her sleeping body laying against me.

"My apologies for the rough turn," Ronald stated, looking back at us for a brief moment then relooking to the road. The corners of his lips turned up as he smiled to himself.

I kept my thoughts to myself so I wouldn't wake her and looked down to my phone to answer, seeing her hand twitch through the corner of my eye but something else caught my attention.

I moved her shirt up slightly, my jaw tightened at the several self-harm scars hidden on her inner thigh. They were so deep that even healed they sunk into her skin.

I grazed my fingers over them and she whimpered, her hand grasping onto mine and I swore she woke, yet when I checked her eyes they were still closed. That's when I noticed a wet line running down her cheek.

Taking my hand back from her somehow tight grip, I went back to my phone.

'We will be there Sunday.’