Chapter Five: Guarantees
Alec didn't understand why Ella was so upset but he was sure it was something to do with Donavon. After getting Ella home he'd tried to ask her about him but she remained within drawn and adamantly silent.
Eventually Alec gave up and left her alone. More or less. He still followed her runs and kept a close eye on her at all times. Three days after he'd first met Donavon, which was three weeks after Ella had moved in with him, Alec brought the first girl back.
It wasn't unusual, by any stretch of the imagination, for Alec to bring his latest conquest back to his apartment. But since Ella had moved in Alec hadn't really spent much time out of the apartment, in fact that night was the first in three weeks.
Sylvia was blonde and shapely. She moved like an angel on the dance floor and Alec had the feelings her agility didn't finish there. Fifteen minutes after they'd, basically fallen, into the apartment the couple were rudely interrupted. By Ella screaming.
Alec was out of the bed and at her side in a second. Still screaming Ella clutched at the back of her neck. Alec tried to prise her hands away but was once again reminded of Ella's X8 strength.
'What's wrong?' He asked his voice urgent and full of concern.
'Donavon, he's.' Ella paused, she was having difficulty breathing, and the pain was intense and constant. 'Using.' she broke off to scream again. Then she stopped, just as suddenly as she started. Gasping for breath but otherwise fine, Ella met Alec's gaze.
'Go and see to your. guest.' She said in a tiny voice. Sylvia was stood wrapped in a sheet at the door to Ella's room.
'Ella.' But Alec knew she was embarrassed and left the room to see Sylvia. She was shocked to find another women sharing an apartment with Alec but took his explanation in her stride (Ella was his younger sister. Had nightmares.) She scrawled a note holding her phone number and put it on the kitchen counter. Alec grinned and pocketed the number. Hastily returning to Ella.
'I'm ok.' She said as he entered the room. He raised his eyebrows in a mocking gesture. 'Honestly.'
'I believe you. But I also believe you pulled me away from a very flexible young lady, screaming in pain.' Ella's eyes hardened at what Alec had meant to be a joke.
'Sorry to have disturbed you.' She snapped. And turned her back to him by twisting to see the back of her neck in the mirror.
'That was a joke.'
'Uhuh.'
'What was Donavon using?' Alec asked her. Attempting to clear the air.
'Manticore control chip.'
'Oh.' Control chips were implanted in the back of misbehaving soldier's necks; to keep them in check. They picked up radio signals from specially designed machines. If they received the signal that the soldier carrying them was not following orders, the chip sent electronic signals down the perpetrators spine. Causing extreme pain.
Alec watched Ella brush her auburn hair out of face, wondering how anyone so innocent could have merited the control chip. As Ella turned Alec saw just how beautiful Ella was. He shook himself and the thought was pushed to the back of his mind. This was a girl he'd just claimed as his sister!
'Donavon has my signal. He's used it before. It means the cure is ready.' Alec nodded.
'When did he use it before?'
'Does it matter?' The harshness of her voice reappeared and Alec backed off.
The next day she and Alec went to see Donavon. He grinned nastily at her chest as she entered the room. ~Pig~ she thought for the millionth time.
'Glad to see my guarantee still works.'
'You're a bastard.' Was her only answer. Alec remained strangely quiet at Ella's side.
'Why thank you. Your cure's here.' He handed her a vial and a sheet of instructions. 'I want my whole £25,000.'
'You'll get it. You know you will.'
'I could always have my payment a different way.' Donavon let the sentence hang and Alec stiffened.
'I'd rather die.' Ella said stiffly. Alec saw memories stir in her eyes. He glanced between the warring X-series, there was past there. A dark one.
'Too bad.' Ella walked away. Alec didn't follow.
'You go ahead. This is your party after all.' Ella nodded and left quickly.
'She's good isn't she?' Donavon asked nastily.
'Fuck off.' Alec snapped.
'Don't know? Ahhh.'
'I find it hard to believe you do.'
'I can guarantee you I do.' It clicked. Alec understood just what Donavon had used the chip to get from Ella. Sex.
Alec didn't hesitate, one hand against Donavon's throat; pinning him against the lab wall. Chocking him.
'You are a bastard.' Alec said quietly.
'Kill me and I swear someone will kill her.' Donavon's words were muffled but Alec caught every single one. He let Donavon drop to the floor, the threat obviously having the desired affect.
'Hurt her again and I swear I WILL kill you. I'll trash this lab as well. That will stop anything happening again won't it.' Alec's voice was soft and dangerous. It became blinding obvious to Donavon that Alec didn't make idle threats.
Turning and leaving Alec heard Donavon's whisper of;
'Jealous.'
'Of what?'
'That's I've been where you haven't.' Alec turned and left, not trusting himself.
Outside the lab Alec leaned against the cold wall. A thousand things were running through his head. Why had he reacted like that? Why had Ella let Donavon. She'd said herself she'd rather die. Why did she have a control chip? Would Donavon listen to him? Why had Ella been so angry about Sylvia? Why had he felt ashamed? Why. Alec shook this last question away, but it kept coming back to him.
Why did he think Donavon might be right?
Alec didn't understand why Ella was so upset but he was sure it was something to do with Donavon. After getting Ella home he'd tried to ask her about him but she remained within drawn and adamantly silent.
Eventually Alec gave up and left her alone. More or less. He still followed her runs and kept a close eye on her at all times. Three days after he'd first met Donavon, which was three weeks after Ella had moved in with him, Alec brought the first girl back.
It wasn't unusual, by any stretch of the imagination, for Alec to bring his latest conquest back to his apartment. But since Ella had moved in Alec hadn't really spent much time out of the apartment, in fact that night was the first in three weeks.
Sylvia was blonde and shapely. She moved like an angel on the dance floor and Alec had the feelings her agility didn't finish there. Fifteen minutes after they'd, basically fallen, into the apartment the couple were rudely interrupted. By Ella screaming.
Alec was out of the bed and at her side in a second. Still screaming Ella clutched at the back of her neck. Alec tried to prise her hands away but was once again reminded of Ella's X8 strength.
'What's wrong?' He asked his voice urgent and full of concern.
'Donavon, he's.' Ella paused, she was having difficulty breathing, and the pain was intense and constant. 'Using.' she broke off to scream again. Then she stopped, just as suddenly as she started. Gasping for breath but otherwise fine, Ella met Alec's gaze.
'Go and see to your. guest.' She said in a tiny voice. Sylvia was stood wrapped in a sheet at the door to Ella's room.
'Ella.' But Alec knew she was embarrassed and left the room to see Sylvia. She was shocked to find another women sharing an apartment with Alec but took his explanation in her stride (Ella was his younger sister. Had nightmares.) She scrawled a note holding her phone number and put it on the kitchen counter. Alec grinned and pocketed the number. Hastily returning to Ella.
'I'm ok.' She said as he entered the room. He raised his eyebrows in a mocking gesture. 'Honestly.'
'I believe you. But I also believe you pulled me away from a very flexible young lady, screaming in pain.' Ella's eyes hardened at what Alec had meant to be a joke.
'Sorry to have disturbed you.' She snapped. And turned her back to him by twisting to see the back of her neck in the mirror.
'That was a joke.'
'Uhuh.'
'What was Donavon using?' Alec asked her. Attempting to clear the air.
'Manticore control chip.'
'Oh.' Control chips were implanted in the back of misbehaving soldier's necks; to keep them in check. They picked up radio signals from specially designed machines. If they received the signal that the soldier carrying them was not following orders, the chip sent electronic signals down the perpetrators spine. Causing extreme pain.
Alec watched Ella brush her auburn hair out of face, wondering how anyone so innocent could have merited the control chip. As Ella turned Alec saw just how beautiful Ella was. He shook himself and the thought was pushed to the back of his mind. This was a girl he'd just claimed as his sister!
'Donavon has my signal. He's used it before. It means the cure is ready.' Alec nodded.
'When did he use it before?'
'Does it matter?' The harshness of her voice reappeared and Alec backed off.
The next day she and Alec went to see Donavon. He grinned nastily at her chest as she entered the room. ~Pig~ she thought for the millionth time.
'Glad to see my guarantee still works.'
'You're a bastard.' Was her only answer. Alec remained strangely quiet at Ella's side.
'Why thank you. Your cure's here.' He handed her a vial and a sheet of instructions. 'I want my whole £25,000.'
'You'll get it. You know you will.'
'I could always have my payment a different way.' Donavon let the sentence hang and Alec stiffened.
'I'd rather die.' Ella said stiffly. Alec saw memories stir in her eyes. He glanced between the warring X-series, there was past there. A dark one.
'Too bad.' Ella walked away. Alec didn't follow.
'You go ahead. This is your party after all.' Ella nodded and left quickly.
'She's good isn't she?' Donavon asked nastily.
'Fuck off.' Alec snapped.
'Don't know? Ahhh.'
'I find it hard to believe you do.'
'I can guarantee you I do.' It clicked. Alec understood just what Donavon had used the chip to get from Ella. Sex.
Alec didn't hesitate, one hand against Donavon's throat; pinning him against the lab wall. Chocking him.
'You are a bastard.' Alec said quietly.
'Kill me and I swear someone will kill her.' Donavon's words were muffled but Alec caught every single one. He let Donavon drop to the floor, the threat obviously having the desired affect.
'Hurt her again and I swear I WILL kill you. I'll trash this lab as well. That will stop anything happening again won't it.' Alec's voice was soft and dangerous. It became blinding obvious to Donavon that Alec didn't make idle threats.
Turning and leaving Alec heard Donavon's whisper of;
'Jealous.'
'Of what?'
'That's I've been where you haven't.' Alec turned and left, not trusting himself.
Outside the lab Alec leaned against the cold wall. A thousand things were running through his head. Why had he reacted like that? Why had Ella let Donavon. She'd said herself she'd rather die. Why did she have a control chip? Would Donavon listen to him? Why had Ella been so angry about Sylvia? Why had he felt ashamed? Why. Alec shook this last question away, but it kept coming back to him.
Why did he think Donavon might be right?