AN: Josette, Julio, Gavin, and other names mentioned are all original characters from an original and unpublished work, posited in an AU "what if" scenario.
She'd gone quietly with him, a paragon of dignified silence. Julio had been impressed; he'd half-expected her to break down and repent to Gavin the error of her ways, beg him to let her stay, make promises of angelic behavior forevermore. But oh the delight he had felt when his expectations were turned upside-down--the sudden and violent swipe of her hands over her tear-streaked face, the stubborn set of her little jaw, and that steely glint of defiance in her eyes. Julio had known what was coming, and Gavin must have had some idea himself; his posture had stiffened perceptibly before she even opened her mouth to deliver that lovely damning reply.
"I won't lie to you. I hate you, and I will never stop trying to escape you." Her voice had been shaking, but the words cut through the space of the infirmary, confident and haughty--or trying to be.
She didn't look so haughty now, Julio reflected, watching her from the corner of his eye as he maneuvered his car through the night. Josie's hands had been cuffed after the seat belt was strapped across her waist, but she had folded them soberly in her lap. Her head reclined at a somewhat awkward angle on the car seat's head-rest, her attention seemingly occupied by the city darkness outside the passenger window. In the swelling flashes of street lights they were passing, he could catch her reflection in the glass. New tears had made their way down to her chin, but she seemed to be dozing.
"Stay awake," he ordered in a tone that brooked no opposition.
Josie started, but felt her eye-lids insisting to fall shut once more. "I'm sorry," she slurred in apology, though it was costing all her effort to make her mouth form the words. "I feel ... strange."
Julio glanced away from the road to eye his charge more closely, and cursed at what he saw. Slow-working, much slower than the others had been anyway, but there was something working there. The girl was struggling to remain conscious, in spite of the strong pull of the drug. The doctor must have slipped her a sedative while he and Gavin were preoccupied.
"Forget it," he said, angry at James for the intervention, and angry at himself for not figuring it out earlier. No wonder there had been so little fuss involved, so little amusement. Oh, well. There was always tomorrow. "You can't fight it, so don't," he cautioned her, noticing that the damned child was still fighting the effects. "Just sleep."
Josie felt like she was emerging from the deep when she regained consciousness. Things seemed warm and safe and good, as though she were wrapped in a pillowy cocoon. Her vision blinked hazily on dove gray bed linens, and she snuggled insistently into the cushions, reluctant to be really awake. She was still incredibly drowsy, and the familiar smell of fabric softener seemed to encourage the lull of her other senses.
But the illusion of comfort could not stave of the warning shock that sounded in her mind. What had happened last night? --Julio. Josie's eyes snapped open as she sat up abruptly in the over-sized bed. But, almost as quickly, arms like bands of steel twisted around her torso and captured her flailing arms in a vice hold. Dragged backwards into a tight-hold, she cried out and bucked against his chest, but the dominating embrace contracted around her; air whooshed out of her lungs painfully, and she was certain the hands gripping her wrists would leave bruises there.
Josie's head swung backward, trying to strike him in the face, force him to drop her. He dodged the blow easily and shook her forcefully. "Stop," he demanded, his tone deadly calm. He could feel her weakening, breath coming short and labored, but the silly girl was still trying him. "If you don't stop, I'll hurt you," he growled at her ear, and, to elaborate the promise of violence, twisted one of her wrists at an agonizing angle.
She whimpered and fell limp against him, legs dangling off the edge of the bed, and trying to focus her mind on merely breathing--which was proving to be a complicated enough task anyway. Not hysterical, Josie thought; and, though not exactly calm either, she began to get her bearings and scope the room for a possible escape route. Dim lamp light coming from behind her created a blue-gray gloom of shadows throughout the space. There were two doors--one was a good distance from the left corner of the foot of the bed, the other was sharing the same wall off to the right. No windows. Spartan furniture. Josie could not say that the cave-like effect was un-befitting what little she knew of Julio's lifestyle.
"If I back off, are you going to stay still?" he asked icily, bringing Josie back to the present. As if she could ignore it. She nodded shakily, and the arms around her slackened only minutely. "Is that a yes?" His tone was clipped and demanding.
Dread and terror had her heart hammering out a rapid staccato that she was sure Julio must feel given their proximity, and Josie thought her tongue seemed too large for her mouth when she tried to speak. "Y-yes," she replied, her voice hardly more than a whisper, then, after a moment's thought added, "sir."
"Sir?" Julio scoffed in her ear. Josie sat completely still, and the mattress shifted under her as the man released her and backed away. There was a greater shift of springs and a shuffle of footsteps on the floor told her that Julio was walking around the room. As he came into her vision, only Josie's eyes followed him until he was standing little more than a foot in front of her. Certain she should avoid looking him directly in the eyes, Josie's line of sight was fixed between his chin and collar-bone. Hadn't she heard that advice before? Never look a killer in the eye? Or was that in reference to animals?
"Considering that you just tried to knock out my eye-teeth with your skull, I think you'll understand why I'm finding the display of respect a little hard to swallow," he remarked casually, crossing his arms over his chest imperiously.
"I'm sorry," she blurted, feeling simultaneously cold and flushed under that unflinching gaze.
"Oh, really?" he prodded stonily, taking a step forward to loom over her in a silent threat.
"I panicked," she explained, desperate and nearly breathless; at that particular moment, it was all she could do to keep from being overcome by that very same emotion and scramble away from him backwards across the bed. In fact, Josie had the feeling it was exactly what he wanted her to do. Don't give him the satisfaction, she thought, resolutely digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands. "I'd forgotten, and I ..." Her words trailed off into silence, and Josie shook her head mutely. "I'm sorry," she murmured, and for a moment her vision seemed to gray at the edges.
Julio had a good eye and noticed the symptoms of faintness. Cupping her chin firmly in one hand, he snapped the fingers of the other in her face repeatedly. "Ah-ah-ah," he chided, allowing Josie to pull away once she was fully cognizant again. "I'm not through speaking with you yet, so try to stay with me for a while longer." Julio gave the room a perfunctory sweep of his eyes before turning them back on the girl before him. "I'm curious," he began ambiguously. "Where, exactly, did you think you would go just then?"
Josie blinked stupidly, not precisely a question she would have expected. "I--" Only one door was visible to her from where she sat, maybe four steps behind Julio to her right. The other, she knew, was behind her and impossibly far off the left; however, she had no intention of turning her back on Julio at the moment.
"Don't puzzle over it," he interjected sharply. "Make a choice. Now. Where?"
"There," Josie decided reluctantly, eyes flickering most indecisively between Julio, the door behind him, and her lap.
Silence stretched out, until Julio cleared his throat impatiently. "Well?" he prompted, but the girl's eyes were confused and frightened; she had no idea what he wanted her to do. "Stand up," he ordered brusquely.