A/N: Sorry these past few chapters have been so short. The next chapter is where all the real action starts, so it'll be a lot more interesting than these past few have enjoy and feel free to leave your ideas, and thoughts.

Chapter Four – Pity

The ropes around her wrists were tied tightly now, and as Erin screamed angrily there was no way they would budge. She shouted obscenities in the room until she was hoarse, her swears echoing all around her.

Layla had tied her back up with not so much as a word after Erin had used the restroom. As much as Erin pitied Layla, she hated her too. Layla should have been helping her, the two of them coming up with schemes to escape. But, Layla had helped him, helped the blond man who had just slapped her face. And all she got out of it was a 'Good girl, Kiska.'

Kiska. What did that even mean? Erin snorted, it was probably some codeword for whore or bitch. Mello certainly was mean enough to employ such a tactic. But still, Layla's face had practically lit up when he praised her, like she had just been told she was Miss America or something.

"Fuck," she hissed, hanging her head.

Exhaustion overwhelmed her and Erin slumped against her knees, falling into a pitiful sleep.

Snap! Mello stands over her with a smirk on his face, biting into a bar of chocolate, "So do you want to play this game?"

He leans close to her, smirking harshly like a jackal. Erin can smell the chocolate on his breath, a smell as bitter and harsh as Matt's cigarette smoke.

"You want to be my lummik?" he purrs, leaning against her.

Erin struggles against him, but her hands are tied and he's pressing against her. She squirms against him, clawing at his grinning face, at the scar that covers him like a Halloween mask.

And suddenly, Layla is there. She places her hands on Erin's head, forcing her to look at Mello's face. "Don't you want scars like ours?"

And suddenly, she is watching horrified as Mello rakes his nail across Layla's face drawing blood. It pours down her face like a fountain and she looks adoringly at Mello.

"Join us Erin." Mello murmurs, offering her his hand that is covered in Layla's blood.

"Join us...Erin."

"Erin..."

"Erin..."

"Erin, wake up."

She jumped, letting out a small squeak. Matt stood over her, a cigarette perched in his lips as he spoke, "Hey kiddo, sorry to wake you."

Erin shook her head sharply, vividly recalling the dream of Mello reaching his bloody hand out to her. "Its fine," she murmured as Matt began untying the rope around her wrists. "I was having a bad dream."

She could feel Matt's gloved hands stop briefly on her wrists, the smooth leather cool on her skin.

"A nightmare eh?" he said, "About what?"

Erin let out a sigh as the rope gave way and pulled her hands into her lap. She rubbed hastily at the red marks on her wrists, Layla had tied them so tight that she could see the marks from the rope indented on her skin.

"Mello," she said after a moment.

"Eh?" Matt said, inhaling from his cigarette.

"I had a nightmare about Mello, and Layla."

Matt nodded, his eyes looking slightly concerned, even past the orange goggles he always wore. "A nightmare about Mello and Layla huh?"

She nodded, then bit her lip angrily looking away as tears stung her eyes sharply, "I hate him," she said after a moment. "He's a monster."

Matt exhaled smoke through his nose and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. After a moment, he spoke, "Look, Mello isn't that bad. I know it seems that way from your position, but he's not pure evil okay?"

Erin glared at the red haired man, "How can you say that? How can you say he's not evil! Look at what he did to Layla, she's got fucking Stockholm Syndrome. It's so obvious, and it'll end up getting her killed!"

Now however, Matt looked slightly bemused, "Look, don't you worry about Layla. Mello's got her taken care of. You just keep your wits about you."

She let out a heated breath of air and nodded. Layla was already lost to her at the moment, the only way Erin could help anyone was by helping herself first.

"Anyways," Matt said suddenly, crushing his cigarette under his boot. "There's a meeting you need to attend."

He helped her to her feet and led her through the mafia hideout, past the room where she had attempted to run away previously.

Matt led her back past Mello's armchair and into what looked like an office room.

There was a long glass table in the center of the room where Mello sat at the head of the table. Several big, buff men surrounded him and Erin knew it would a stupid idea to try and escape this time. Mello nodded once at Matt and he led her to a chair in the corner of the room.

Matt took his own seat by Mello's left, smiling at her once before turning.

Mello gave him an annoyed look at suddenly raised his hand, waving as if he were some kind of spoiled prince. Wordlessly the buff men surrounding him departed out the door and Erin cringed as they passed her, gazing at her as if she were some kind of food for a hungry animal.

Once they had all filed outside, Mello spoke not really looking at Erin. "We're taking you home tomorrow."

Her heart pounded in her chest and hope glimmered in her eyes, "You're letting me-"

"No." he said sharply, "We're letting you get some of your things."

The hope that was in her eyes faded quickly like a candle that had been snuffed out.

He smirked, then tilted his head to yell behind his shoulder, "Layla! Are you done yet?"

When Erin tilted her head over she saw Layla sketching quickly in a sketchpad, sitting carefully behind Mello's chair.

"Almost," she muttered, "Give me a few more minutes."

"Hurry up." he snapped.

Then, Erin watched slightly fascinated as Mello pulled out a bar of chocolate from his coat pocket. He ripped the foil off with a practiced ease and bit into the chocolate bar, letting a satisfied moan fall from his lips like it was the first food he'd had in weeks.

Jesus dude, she thought. It's just fucking chocolate.

After a moment though, Layla stood behind him then dropped her sketchbook in Mello's lap.

He looked annoyed as he stared at the sketchbook. Then, to Erin's surprise he looked right at her, "You. Come here."

She stood on shaky legs, then went over to Mello's side trying to keep him at a comfortable distance. Which, she found was oddly impossible, the man made every room he was in completely uncomfortable. However with some leaning over his shoulder she found it was a perfect floor plan of her apartment. She even had drawn in the small openings in the wood floor.

Erin looked accusingly at Layla, "How long have you been spying on me?"

Layla shrugged, "After we took you, I looked around for an hour."

Erin stared at the Estonian girl distrustfully, "You drew a perfect floor plan...of my apartment in one hour?"

Mello snorted, "Layla has a photographic memory. She can remember any scenery she sees with almost minute perfection. It makes her a fantastic painter."

Erin stared again at Layla who instead of looking at her, or even at the sketchpad. Instead, she was staring at Mello with a strange look in her eyes.

She reached her hand out and for a strangely off moment Erin thought that Layla was about to touch Mello's face.

But Mello must have sniffed out the sensation in the air because he turned to look at Layla with a harsh coldness in his eyes, "What are you doing?" he snapped, a piece of chocolate dangling in his lips.

Layla turned her head down suddenly, "Nothing. Sorry Mello."

Mello suddenly begin speaking, but Erin wasn't exactly paying attention. Her eyes were instead focused on Layla who reached inside of her tank top and pulled out a red and white crucifix. She squeezed it tightly and shut her eyes, giving out a tiny sigh.

Was she trying to gather her thoughts? Erin wondered, was she trying to hold on to her religion now to keep strong? Again, Erin found herself pitying Layla almost as much as she pitied herself.

She needed time away from Mello, time to realize what had been done to her, and Erin vowed she would try her damnedest to reach through to the girl before she was out of here.