#12 The Triplets of Emerald Forest

Chapter 4 Harlow

I couldn’t have gotten out of that club fast enough. Jim, one of the bouncers on duty, hauled me off the stage and nearly carried me back to the dressing room. I got dressed quickly and then we hurried out the back. Jim told me to get in my car and to not look back, he would handle our manager, Robert and call me later. I wasn’t about to argue.

It was just a little after midnight so I called up Ty, figuring that the house party was still going on.

“Hell yeah we’re still here! Come on over, Harlie!” Ty was clearly drunk.

It was rare for me to get a weekend night to myself and I wasn't about to waste it. The frat house was located in Georgetown, about 7 minutes from the club, even less now since there was little to no traffic. The street known as frat row was crowded with cars, and the front lawn of the house was littered with college students and empty beer cans. I found the closest empty spot I could and made sure to lock my car doors behind me.

I only had the clothes I used to cover up my bikini with at the club so I showed up to the party in a pair of maroon joggers and a black crop top. I was pulling my hair up into a messy bun as I walked up the front sidewalk. Music was blasting from the windows and became even louder when I opened the front door. Inside the house it was wall to wall people who were dancing, drinking, and practically having s*x right there out in the open.

I weaved my way through the crowd and ended up in the kitchen where I knew I could find a drink. I dug through the cooler and pulled out a can of cheap beer, cracking it open and chugging half of it right off the bat. I was trying to burn the memory of tonight from my brain.

“Harlie!” A familiar voice shouted and crashed into me, nearly causing me to spill the rest of my beer.

“Toni.” I laughed, steadying her.

“I’m so glad you could come!” She slurred.

“I had a sudden change of plans.” I said with a lazy shrug.

“Brandon is here.” She leaned in towards me like she was trying to sound seductive, but only succeeded in blowing beer breath right into my face.

“Oh is he?” I laughed.

Brandon was Toni’s current flavor of the month. She loved a good hunt but was easily bored, so as soon as her catch gave it up she was ready to move on to the next victim. As if on cue, Brandon struts into the kitchen with a s**t eating grin on his face and a solo cup in his hand.

“Beer pong in the dining room!” He announced and some of the party goers began to cheer, “Come on, Toni, you’re on my team.” He winked at her. Toni squealed and ran off with him.

“If it isn’t Harlie Quinn.” Liam, one of Ty’s fraternity brothers, stalked towards me. I rolled my eyes at the dumb nickname.

“If it isn’t Liam Hemsworth.” I shot back in a mocking tone. Liam’s eyes pinched together, he was too drunk to get my joke.

“Not used to seeing you at a weekend house party.” He said, draping his arm over my shoulder.

“I’m usually too busy.” I shrugged.

“Awh, too good for us, I see.” He tried to sound cute.

“Nope, just too busy.”

“Are you too busy to play some beer pong with me?” Liam asked, motioning towards the other room.

“It sounds like the game is already under way.” I said as a chorus of cheers and shouting came from the same direction.

“We can watch and take the winners.” Liam suggested.

He wasn’t waiting for an answer as he pulled me towards the dining room. I sighed and went along with it, thinking that at least Toni and Ty would be somewhere nearby. I drug a folding chair from the kitchen and positioned it in view of the beer pong table.

“There she is!” Ty grinned, plopping down next to me on a folding chair of his own.

“Thanks for the invite.” I laughed at his dramatic expression.

“Oh, you have a standing invitation, Harlie Quinn.” He teased and I groaned loudly,

“Not you too. That’s a stupid nickname.”

Ty and Liam both laughed at me. I shoved Ty off his chair and elbowed Liam in the balls since he was still standing up beside me. They both moaned in pain.

“Low blow.” Liam grunted.

“Another drink for Toni!” Someone called out and I looked up in time to see a very sloshed looking Toni chugging beer from a plastic cup.

By the time the game came to an end, Toni was completely wasted and I wasn’t liking the look that Brandon and some of the other frat boys were giving her. I hopped up, shoving Ty and Liam away, and grabbed Toni by the arm.

“I think it’s time we get you home, Toni.” I said, earning a glare from Brandon.

“She doesn’t want to go.” Brandon said, blocking my path.

“Oh, did she tell you that?” I narrowed my eyes on him and gestured my head towards Toni’s nearly unconscious state.

“Let them be, Brandon.” Ty warned, sober enough to keep his brothers in check when it came to Toni and I.

“Whatever. She’s nothing but a tease anyway.” Brandon huffed.

“What did you just say?” I snapped at him, leaning Toni against a wall and squaring off to him.

“Harlie…..” Ty’s voice was warning as Brandon turned back around to look at me.

“You got a problem?” Brandon asked.

He might’ve been a good five inches taller than me but, right now, he was drunk as s**t and that gave me the advantage. I shoved both of my hands into his chest and watched as he stumbled backwards.

“You bitch.” He slurred, staggering back towards me.

Before he could get any closer, I kneed him in the balls and jammed my elbow into his face, probably breaking his nose.

“f**k off, Brandon, and don’t you ever look in Toni’s direction again.” I said, giving him one more push and watching as he crumpled to the ground.

“I told you to back off, Brandon.” Ty was laughing hysterically at his frat brother as was the rest of the house.

I walked back over to Toni and helped her out of the house. I wasn’t sober enough to drive, so we walked the few miles to Toni’s house. She lived in the off campus apartments not too far from frat row. I knew the code to Toni’s garage door and used it to get us inside. She never locked the door that led from the garage to the apartment so I drug her right into the kitchen. Toni and her roommates always left the kitchen lights on since most of them spent their nights out.

I helped Toni up the steps which wasn’t easy considering that she was basically dead weight at this point, and into her bedroom. By the quietness of the rest of the house, I assumed her two roommates were still out. Toni threw up once in the bathroom before stripping off her clothes and crawling into the bed, completely naked.

I grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and some Aspirin from the bathroom, sitting them both on the table beside Toni’s bed, before heading back down stairs. I decided it would be best to crash on her couch since I was still drunk, something I’ve done a million times before.

I woke up a few hours later so I had enough time to make it home before my classes. On Mondays, my first class wasn’t until 10:30 AM and it was one of my lighter days, but I still hated being in any kind of rush. Before leaving, I went to check on Toni. She was still asleep and I noticed that one of her roommates was now home. With that, I felt comfortable enough to leave Toni and make the walk back to my car. The streets were much quieter now and deserted since all of the frat parties had come to an end.

I hopped into my car and drove the 13 minutes to my apartment. I pulled into my usual parking spot and walked up to the front door. Deep inside the pit of my stomach, I had the nagging feeling of being watched. I clutched my keys close to my chest and looked around. A little ways down the sidewalk there was a figure coming towards me.

I had no reason to think I was in any kind of danger, but it was better to be safe than sorry so I quickly unlocked the door and dashed inside. I let out a sigh of relief when I was inside the lobby of the apartment building. It was 5:00 AM and would be another hour before the attendant was on duty, but the sun was starting to rise and I knew some of the other tenants would be moving about soon. I walked towards the door of the stairwell when that nagging feeling returned.

Looking over my shoulder, I noticed that someone had come into the lobby behind me. After a quick glance, I didn’t recognize him, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything; there were sketchy people and guests of tenants coming and going all the time. I decided to mind my own business and continued into the stairwell, practically running up the steps. I burst into the hallway and came face to face with yet another unfamiliar face.

“Oops, sorry.” I mumbled, trying to walk around him. He moved to the side with me, continuing to block my path, “Excuse me.” I said, refusing to look at the man’s face.

“Harlow.” My name left his lips and I immediately began to shake.

I looked up and knew right away that I was in trouble. I had no idea who this man was and, yet, he knew my name. He was huge, I’m talking over six feet tall and easily over 200 pounds of pure muscle. He was wearing a fancy maroon suit jacket and slacks, a white dress shirt, and a dark red tie. He had some scruffy facial hair and, I couldn’t help but notice, a very handsome face.

In an attempt to retreat, I turned around only to find two more identical looking men behind me. Both were dressed the same, only one was wearing navy blue and the other forest green. The man in navy had what looked like a five o’clock shadow while the man in green was clean shaven. I had no idea why I was taking the time to inspect these God-like men or why the feelings of anxiety and fear were also mixed with lust and desire, but I knew that I had to shake myself out of it.

“It’s okay.” The one dressed in navy said, raising his hands like he was trying to appear non-threatening.

“Wh…what are you doing?” I stammered.

“We need you to come with us.” The third man in green said.

“No, no! I don’t know you.” I started to panic, shuffling backwards so I was up against the wall.

“You’re safe with us.” The first man said, moving closer to me.

“Stay away from me!” I screamed, hoping someone would hear me.

Before I could react or call out again, a hand was over my mouth and something sharp pinched my neck. My eyes widened as I stared into the intense green eyes of one of the men. I struggled against the man’s grip, but it was no use, his hold was as strong as iron. The last thing I remember were the tears streaming down my face before I lost consciousness.