Cinq

Leah Monroe

A flash of white headlights jolted my eyes open. Shit! I squinted just enough to see my father hopping out of the car with Xander holding the door for him. I slid down onto my seat, making sure they didn't see that I was in my car. 

As soon as I made contact with the ground, a pain shot through my lower back. Maybe all of that waiting got my body tight. I glanced at my phone, it was almost eleven, so Xander must be heading out. He climbed back into the car. I expected him to park somewhere on the compound but he didn't, instead, he headed toward the exit. 

I thought drivers took their own car home in the evenings. I can't believe how careless dad was, throwing around an Audi like that like it was nothing. For all I know, Xander could be waiting for the right moment to pawn it off or scrap it down. 

I wasn't one to judge people but he definitely didn't deserve my benefit of the doubt. I waited before he got a safe distance before I started my car and drove after him. He was far ahead, but I left my lights off just in case. I knew this road inside out so it wasn't a big deal.

I felt like one of those creepy stalker guys in the movies. But I had a good reason to be. What if Xander actually was hiding something dangerous? I'm doing this to protect my vineyard right? 

I hated how I'm trying to convince myself right now that was the only reason. A part of me wanted to know, not for the vineyard but to satisfy a notion in my head. Was I attracted to a creeper?

All sorts of scenarios ran through my head, the one more prominent was that Xander was some sort of drug dealer. Nothing else could be in a box so small. Would it be in a box?

I pushed all those thoughts aside and focus on the road ahead. We were going downhill, further away from the vineyard, out of the flurry of trees in the countryside.

In the next ten minutes, Xander was at the foot of the hill. He was at least doing 130, I could barely keep up with him. Where could he possibly be rushing to at this hour? He slowed down at a junction and turned onto another road. I switched my lights on to see, it was darker, and now I had no idea where I was. 

Bile raised in my throat, where the hell was he going? Did he know I was following him and was leading me away? The car disappeared under the shadows of a tunnel in the ink-black road. I sucked in some air before I started panicking. I can no longer see ahead of me and I didn't even know where I'm going, I was praying my car wouldn't end up stuck somewhere.

My confusion was at its peak now. This man was in some weird shit maybe I was way in over my head. I contemplated turning back but before I knew it I was within the gates of a very standoffish building. One with a blinking sign at the top and the men, equally blinking around me. I mean, they had on shimmering jackets, faces full of studs. To go with that extravagant exterior, a long line of motorcycles spanned the front of the building. 

What the hell? I didn't know that this kind of place existed, let alone so close to home. As my car slowed to a stop, a group of men zeroed in on me. A second ticked past and I clasped my steering tighter.

It wasn't the first time I slowed a crowd but this was a crowd I didn't want to take notice of me. I swallowed hard. My imagination was all over the place again. Mom always said that my curiosity would take me into trouble one day. Maybe this was it. So much for getting answers.

My blood chilled as one of them stepped closer to the car, and without a word, the others followed. My hand found my phone and keys as a dizzying sense of terror overwhelmed me. It was dark, and these men looked like they were fresh out of prison. And Xander was nowhere to be seen.

The man rapped on my window, up close I noticed he had a long beard and nose piercing. I rolled it down to half. "It's been a long time since we had a Mercedes here. What did you come for, business or pleasure?"

Before I could answer, someone from the group asked, "Doesn't she look familiar?" 

I shrink back, hoping that they didn't recognize me. It was less of a chance of them holding me for ransom.

"Yeah. What are you doing around these parts princess?" Another asked.

I sucked in a breath and turned to them. "I took a wrong turn, sorry."

Mr. Beard- a nickname I formulated in my head for the obvious leader- scoffed. "You think someone as rich as you would be smarter? You don't belong here." 

My stomach squeezed shut. "No problem. I'm going." I didn't hesitate to put my car in reverse but before I could ease out the gate, a car blocked me in. What the hell?

I don't know what it was, if it was a fight or flight moment, but I was outside my car, face to face with . It seems my brain didn't cherish the term self-preservation. "Move that damn car!"

I was only met with snickers. 

"If you people actually knew who I was, you'd move that car right now." I shouted, pointing to the Camri blocking me in.

The group erupted in laughter. "Or what princess?" Another asked, it was too many of them to keep up.

"Or…." The words died in my throat as Mr. Beard stepped closer to me, inhaling my hair, I balled my fists at my side. 

"You even smell rich," His hot breath touched my face, it reeked of smoke and something else that I couldn't pinpoint. "Where did you come from?" 

He lifted his hands, bringing it down to my face.

"Please don't touch me." I swatted his hand away fiercely.

His face darkened to a shade of red when I did and suddenly, I was starting to regret my stupidity. He grabbed my arm and a ounce of pain shot through it. "You're in no place to be making demands. You're on our turf, alone."

"She's not alone, she's with me." I turn to see Xander standing behind me. I didn't want him to see me here but at that moment, I was glad he did.

"Xander. Is this your bitch?" His eyes never left my face as he spoke.

"That's not your concern." Xander pushed past them and I half expected the man to not release me but he did. Xander stretched his hand out to me and I hastily took it. 

Xander didn't say anything else but turned his back and walked towards wherever he was coming from. I don't know what happened back there but that scared the hell out of me. Was that how they were to every stranger. 

Also, it was giving me a mafia vibe. Who was Xander to these people? And where the hell were we? When we were alone, he released my hand and spun to face me, he searched my face. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, thankfully, I actually was. "That's quite the company you keep." I chuckled out, trying to put a candle to the situation. 

"It's good that you still have a mouth on you. Now what are you doing here?" His tone was flat, gaze cold, I dug my fingers into the palm of my hands. Right. How do I tell him that I was stalking him?

"I was heading into the city and got lost. I'm not used to traveling by myself."

Lies.

I took the time to get nerves together and to look around where we were. We were in some kind of alley, a small red door was behind us, and the vineyard's black Audi parked to the side. 

"You took the bus by yourself and it didn't sound like a first. So you could get to town just fine but what would your father say about you leaving the compound this late?

"Alright, fine. I followed you here because I thought that you were hiding something and I wanted to know if you did drugs. Sue me."

For a moment he didn't say anything then he broke out in a laugh. And I felt my dignity bleeding out of me. "You are one strange little girl, Leah Monroe."

"You're the one hiding things." I muttered.

"So you followed me out to the middle of nowhere?"

Embarrassment burned my cheeks. "I was curious."

"No, you are crazy. Go home."

"I will not until you tell me what you're hiding." I folded my arms impatiently.

"This behavior is unbecoming for someone of your status. Ever since you came back you've been on my ass, now you're accusing me of what exactly?"

"Whatever it is you're guilty of." I pointed out. 

He pushed off his heels towards me, sending me against the wall in short steps. Both of his palms pressed on either side of my head, locking me to him. The proximity sent my pulse to dangerous heights. I tried to get out of the invisible hold he had on me but my feet wouldn't let me. My body kept soaking in the heat and intensity that came with him. I swallowed hard as a familiar sensation hit me.

Xander looked too irritated to even notice. "Leah, now is not the time to throw a tantrum. I'm off your fathers clock so I do with my time as I please. As for whatever you think it is you want to find out about me, stay in line like everyone else at Lavigne."

I raised an eyebrow. "So you are hiding something."

He rolled his eyes in annoyance, pulling away from me. "Jesus fucking Christ, go home Leah. Your face might be all over the tabloids by tomorrow."

"Oh please, you've never seen a rich girl in a club before."

He smirked as if he knew something I didn't. "Just. Leave."

He darted behind a door but I didn't follow him. He was right, I was being a little crazy, for all I know he's just going to get a drink with his friends.

What was I doing?I made a fool of myself to him for a third time in a span of two days. Shit.

I turned back towards the entrance, hopefully since Xander showed himself, I'll be left alone. What greeted me first was the empty spot that my car was in. It's either I was seeing things or this wasn't where I was. I highly doubt I was that messed up to not remember.

I clicked the button on my keys but I didn't hear it. The men that were there didn't say anything and I wasn't about to go ask them if they saw where my car went.

The sudden flash of lightning coupled with a class of thunder was a prelude to the downpour. And I wasn't just talking about the rain, that was my mom's car and someone stole it.