Chapter Fifthteen

The next morning when Ebony woke up she found herself snuggled into Lex's embrace and without even opening her eyes she knew that he was watching her, she could sense it and upon realising that he must have snuck back into bed once she had gone to bed decided to play around with him.

Trying hard to keep the evil smirk from gracing her lips Ebony murmured, "Oh … Bray … stop it".

She wanted to look up and see what Lex's expression was yet restrained herself to keeping her eyes closed and trying to appear contrite.

"Oh come on Ebony, we both know that you only look that sweet and innocent when you are being bad", Lex chuckled slightly loving the way that she seemed to have no problems with playing about with him.

He ran his hand down her back in a comforting gesture, "You can wake up now, I promise that I won't ravish you", he said as if it was a hard thing not to do.

"What a disappointment", Ebony huffed opening her eyes now, "it really is a sad thing when a girl can't even get a good ravishing in the morning".

"If that is the way that things are then I think that I will just get up", she announced moving to the bed of the bed slowly and allowing Lex plenty of time to pull her back to him so that she was once more curled up in his arms.

"Come on Ebbie, don't be like that", Lex said with a fake pout as he tickled her tummy slightly in the way that he remembered that she liked.

Never one to disappoint Ebony giggled and wriggled under his attack and soon found herself with tears running down her cheeks from pleasure.

The mood turned sombre as Lex finally stopped and she looked straight at him, "Why did you leave me last night Lex? I wanted you so damn bad".

Although she didn't want to admit it in some ways she had been really hurt by the way that he had just left her and couldn't help but wonder if he still wanted her as much as before.

"I know that you did babe", Lex sighed, "and it's not like I didn't want to but the point is that you only wanted me because you were horney. You would have woken up this morning regretting it and while I wouldn't normally care about it I don't want you just for one night".

"Then how long for?" Ebony breathed her question, almost unable to comprehend what he was saying.

Sensing that this was all getting too much Lex smiled and answered, "Oh at least a week".

Ebony's only response was to smack him with a smile, "So what now?" She wondered.

"Well in case you have forgotten you are still a prisoner so we are going to have to get up and ready, I will bid on you and as everyone with think that we have had sex no one will out bid me, so then you are my slave and we head back to the Mall", Lex explained.

And that was what happened. All too soon for Ebony's tastes she found herself back at the mall smirking to herself as she saw Amber weeping about the loss of her beloved Bray.

"How am I going to live without him Sal?" She asked Salene as Ebony and Lex entered, as Salene looked at them she shook Amber slightly to get her to pay attention, straight away Amber yelled at her, "Bray is gone because of you".

"Oh bloody hell not her again", Ebony thought but decided to go for a different approach this time, "What are you talking about? I banished you and Bray; nothing can hurt him he is outside the city".

"You really believe that?" Amber growled at her, "You think that there is nothing wrong outside the city?"

"Well there wasn't when I was outside it before being kidnapped, no", Ebony replied in a huff, "Don't worry about Bray, he will come back he always does".

"Not this time he was taken by the Technos, me too. But I escaped but he was taken by slave traders … wait you were kidnapped too? By the slave traders too?" Amber asked.

"Yes if you must know by the slave traders", Ebony snapped.

"Well did you see Bray?" Amber asked anxiously.

For a second, Ebony thought about her answer, she could tell her the truth but, no, that would be too kind, coming back to the Mall reminded her of all of the old scores that she had to settle which led to her answering, "No I didn't see him. Anyone who wasn't sold that day was given back to the Technos, apparently. Who are the Technos?" She asked as if she had not been told about them by Bray.

The colour drained out of Amber's face as she heard Ebony's words, but tried to hope for the best, maybe they could still get him back. That was why she explained, "The Technos are a Tribe full of technology, they were headed up by Ram but he was usurped by a girl called Java and Mega, I believe that you know all about them".

"Yeah, I know my sister - unfortunately. I guess that I could go and talk to her and see if she would let Bray go if she has him but I don't know … she doesn't like me very much. I just feel so guilty, I mean if he had just stayed in the country where I sent him then he would have been safe … oh no wait a minute that isn't my fault, that's yours isn't it Amber?" Ebony said cruelly as she strutted off with Lex in tow.

As Ebony and Lex reached the bedroom which they wanted to share she thought back to that morning when she had just been a girl in the arms of the man hat she loved, yet now she realised that she was no longer that girl, she had not been for a long time.

While when they were alone it was easy to pretend that she was in truth she knew that she had changed and the first thing on her mind now was her next plot, Lex and their relationship came in second to that. As she thought about it she realised that Slade had always known that that was how things stood, she just hoped that Lex could accept it too.

As she looked in the mirror she applied some ruby red lips stick, for one year the city had been safe but now Ebony was back and things were about to get interesting.

Yet, before Ebony could finish thinking about what she wanted to do Lex's voice interrupted her, "Did you see him Ebony, I mean you wouldn't not tell us about one of our own tribe members being hurt just to get at Amber would you?" Lex checked. He could tell that Ebony was up to something and he didn't like it. While Ebony seemed to be the same as ever Lex had changed.

When he had got the letter from Ebony the tribe had supported him like he had never imagined they would after all of the things that he had done to them but they were all there for him and as such he had changed, he was still very much the bad boy who was always looking for a bit of extra power but he didn't hurt his own tribe.

Ebony recognised his tone of voice and knew that she would have to play this right, she couldn't admit that she had known where Bray was as Lex would go and tell Amber but on the other hand she had to be careful as Lex wasn't as easily fooled by her as some of the others were.

"Lex", she said, looking away from him with slight upset in her eyes, "believe it or not I loved Bray, he was everything to me until I lost him. Yes, I banished him, I had to, I just couldn't take seeing him with Amber everywhere that I went but you have to believe that I didn't mean him to get hurt", a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I showed you a side of me that I have never let anyone else see this morning; I was jus a girl again so why can't you trust me? I don't want to be evil, I like being the bad girl but not the evil one. I want someone who will hold me and love me not all the time think that I am plotting behind their back. Lex I love you, but the fact is that if you push me away, if you make me have to put up my defences I am going to turn back into the Loco Queen and I don't want that. Please Lex, tell me that you believe me and that you love me", she pleaded.

These words were like music to Lex's ears, he didn't want to doubt her, he couldn't when she was telling him everything that he wanted to hear.

"I do love you Ebony and I believe what you are saying, I'm sorry that I ever doubted you", he said calmly and tried to pull her into a hug but was surprised when Ebony pulled back.

"No", she said almost coldly, "You doubted me Lex, and I'm not sure how to deal with it. You left me and I am still looking for proof that you love me from that let alone this as well. You are going to show me that you love me enough to be loyal to me and no one else".

"Alright", he replied instinctively, "good, just back me up every time I need you to. Goodnight Lex", she said as she turned and left. With her back facing him he couldn't see the evil smirk which graced her lips, oh she was good at this.

Part of what Ebony had said was true, there was a part of her that loved Lex and she wished that she could just give into it but she would not until she knew if he was serious about her and this was the perfect way to find out if he was serious and to get her revenge on Amber.

Things were almost too easy.