Well lookie here, an early chapter! I had two days off in a row and I wanted to write this little bridge chapter to get to the next big part of the story, getting Harley back! It may not be a one chapter happening but when it does, it shall be interesting I hope! :p
I'd also like to thank theoriginalsrizzlesouat1D, vintagemind, Kas221, B, Hal, PancakesAreFoever, PrettyRecklessLaura, lyndeli, NinjaNerd119, HalleyQuinn, AmyMayxx, ThePhantomismylove, and Guests for all of their reviews, and continuous reviews from some thus far! I want to engage a little more with my readers so from now on I'll be answering any reviews. :)
Also, I want to thank all of the people who have recently fav/followed as well. I'm so grateful! Without further delay, here is the newest chapter and as always, please don't hesitate to review/fav/follow! Thank you!
"I drive fast, wind in my hair, I push you to the limits 'cause I just don't care
I've got a burning desire for you, baby
I've got a burning desire"
- Lana Del Rey, "Burning Desire"
I waited the next twenty minutes sitting in that same spot
on the floor. I had my left leg slightly propped to where I could rest an elbow on it to support my chin. Alejandro had his big gun tucked against his chest and I couldn't be sure if he was watching behind his shades but whenever I shifted his face slightly moved. As if at any moment, I'd sprint off.
Ha! Not in these heels…
My eyes gazed at the tile on the floor. Each square was littered with tiny, black specks which didn't hide the dirt from shoe bottoms and spilled dishes that smudged over them. I made a stink face. If I didn't have to worry about being gunned down for a single movement I would have stood up by now. Some how, it just seemed safer on the ground.
I had to remind myself later to immerse in a bubble bath.
My head jerked up as I heard J's throaty laugh echo from the room over. It had been surprisingly quiet the whole time he and Frost retreated back there. Besides the repetitive sound of someone chopping something up on a block. Which didn't worry me because if it was Griggs, it would have been much more evident by now.
A few more minutes went by lolling about before J's rushed foot steps came my way. He had a mean look stuck on his mug as he ripped me up off the floor by my arm, pulling my stumbling form along. Frost trailed close behind as we pushed through crowds.
I wanted to know what happened but knew better than to ask. Judging by his aggressive nature the meeting must have taken a turn for the worst. What was he expecting though, really? This Waller woman wasn't going to just hand Quinn over.
When we got outside he continued to tug me toward the car. Not once did he peer back to acknowledge me. I may or may not have started feeling a little regret for what I pulled earlier. If he was already this heated, I couldn't imagine what punishments he'd cook up. And my affliction gave him a wide spectrum of choices.
He swung the back door with force and shoved me inside. Then, surprisingly, he slammed it shut and glowered at the driver. "Take her back to the hotel. Keep a heavy watch. Lock her in there if you have to."
He side-eyed me furiously before storming off. I was going to protest but the way things had unfolded left me in partial shock. My jaw hung open as I saw him and Frost climb into another vehicle of the same make, taking off seconds later.
I leaned into the seat. So I see, I make one bold move that actually helped his cause and I'm sent to my room like a little child. I felt a familiar heat rising inside my body. I'm not Harley.
The whole ride back, which was short, I brewed silently within my thoughts. When we drove up to the hotel where I guess Joker rented a room and forgot the mention it, a couple of men in suits were in waiting. I braced myself as one of them opened the car door to drag me out. I was getting real tired of this man handling.
In all this time I had spent with J, this was the first where I felt like a hostage rather than a guest. I tried to shake their multiple hands from me. "Get off me, you brutes!"
They didn't make a sound as a they glided me through the hotel entrance. I brought my heel down onto one of the men's brown, leather shoes inciting a squeal of pain mixed with a growl. "Don't get cute, lady."
"Don't get rough with me!" I let my fist strike down on the other guy this time, landing a punch into his groin. He immediately released his hold, stumbling backwards.
I swiveled my body to face the first goon. "I'm only going to say it one more time. Get. Your. Grubby. Paws. Off. You think the Joker would keep my around if I couldn't take care of my own?" I boasted. The man seemed unfazed. I lowered my glare. "I'll go willing if you stop handling me like boxed goods."
I felt the henchman's grip loosening and I took the opportunity to jerk my arm free. I snorted hot air in their direction before turning on my heel, cursing under my breath.
"Idiots."
One of them pressed a palm to my back, pushing me forward. "Shadda up."
They directed me into the elevator and hit the button for level seven. I made sure to annoy them with constant huffing the whole ride up. Where was Tommy when you needed him? He might have been an oaf but at least he was nice.
When the elevator came to a stop the men parted to stare at me expectantly. I inhaled deeply, keeping my head straight, then exhaled a harsh sigh as I bumped past them. I could hear one of the henchmen scoff behind me.
As we continued down the long hallway they directed me with a simple "left" or "right". The room that we came upon was marked 202 in thick gold. I paused promptly, letting one of them bump into me.
"Watch it!" I was still fuming.
He said a few choice words under his breath and side stepped me to jingle a set of keys into the lock. As soon as the door clicked the goons thrusted me unceremoniously into it's carpet. Their victorious chortling reverberated on the other side of the quickly closed door.
I jumped up and rushed to it, hearing the lock turn. "Hey! Hey you blockheads! J said to lock it if you had to." I pounded my fists against the wooden surface. "I went fair and square! You're gonna be in so much trouble!"
I screamed, slamming my palms. Truth was, they probably weren't going to be reprimanded in any way. The hints of their amused laughter reassured me of that. I slowly pivoted to take in my new surroundings. Defeated.
The room was plush with white walls and white furniture. It reminded me vaguely of Lady Eliza's abode. Only this place was sleek with velvet black curtains and hints of black in the decor. Like the furry pillows that sat on an arm chair. Or the grandeur clock on the bedside table.
I kicked off my heels to investigate the luxury suite further. The first thing I noticed was the small bar located directly to the right of me. It had two wooden chairs with a cabinet stocked just beyond the bar's counter. I played with the thought of pouring myself another drink as I approached it but something else caught my attention.
I wandered over to the massive bathroom framed in gold. It had a large jacuzzi like tub with a single shower built off to the counters of the his and hers sinks matched the tiles in beige granite. Which gave it a very cozy, clean feel.
I rested the side of my temple against the door frame. This place was awfully big for just one person. I stretched my neck to view the king sized bed behind me. That was pretty big too.
I walked over to it and jumped into it's soft confines, belly first. Crawling up to the pillows I hugged one beneath my cranium. I let out a long, drawn out sigh as I curled into fetal position. This was almost as heavenly as my bed at Mister J's house. Getting too comfortable, I unintentionally passed right out.
And what would have been actual sleep turned into a nap as my eyes blinked open for what felt like minutes later. My greys shifted over to the bedside clock to see two more hours had passed. My brows furrowed at the atmosphere of the suite. Something seemed off.
I tried to get up from the bed only to discover someone was there, watching me. My head jerked in the direction of the presence.
"Boo!"
I rolled off the mattress in fright as wild laughter followed. My heart hammered in my chest. Joker had been bent over my body presumably observing me. For how long, only Gods know.
I did a sort of crab walk backwards into the wall. "M-Mister J?"
He hunched lower, growling as he slinked my way. "Did you think you'd get off that easy?"
I could feel my face burn as I dug my nails into the carpet. "I helped you."
He lunged, grasping my shoulders and picking me up. The clown smashed my back into the same wall. "Why do we consistently do this dance, little bug?"
"Because of you!" I shouted, struggling. I had reached my breaking point. "You can't stand to thank anyone but yourself!"
That earned me a good slap across the face accompanied by a toss into a dresser nearby. I hit it with a loud thud as I tumbled to the carpet once more. My breathing was heavy but I remained resilient.
"I had everything planned out! I didn't need your help! Are you blind?!" His voice was hoarse with rage.
"You could call it that." I whispered, lifting my eyes to meet his. "What do you even want with me? You said I had potential. Potential to be what? Your sex toy?!"
My face met another slap. I cringed for a second before attempting to stand up again. The pain, at this point, only stung for a few seconds then went numb. I could see his tattooed chest heave vehemently as I rose.
"Not this girl, J." I was having trouble holding back sobs. "That's not what I want."
"What you want?" He spat. He drove his fist right into the wall next to my head. "You women are so soft with your ideas," He reached for me again but I blocked him with my forearms. "Your fantasies!" His hands grabbed my blocking arms violently.
"Don't touch me!" I shrilled as I furiously shook his hands about.
This time, he punched me mostly in the nose. I fell back, cupping my face with my left hand. I saw the blood trickle through my fingers and I felt it. The deep chuckle that accumulated in my throat coming out as solid, disturbing laughter.
His jaw rolled and he went in for a few more rounds before I slouched into a corner. However, I kept on laughing. His features were succumbed by pure outrage that I couldn't tell if he was utterly confused or just over the whole ordeal in general. No matter which, I couldn't stop the storm.
My hand remained clasped to my face. I was laughing so hard that tears spilled from my eyes. They swirled with the blood carrying my tempestuous emotions with it to pool at my feet. My body trembled as I spread my fingers to speak.
"So this is it? Your way to get me to co-operate?"
He seethed, peeling off his golden suit jacket. "I'm gonna gut you-"
"I'm not Harley!" I hissed in his face.
That'd done it. He squashed me back into the corner and reached for one of my knives neatly tucked into my thigh garter. Reenacting a familiar scene, J thoughtlessly stabbed me multiple times in the abdomen. Then, for the final blow, he jut me right in the neck. The whole time I could only hear the animalistic noises that escape his gullet.
When he backed off, a river of blood poured over my bottom lip as I slowly sank to the carpet. The shock of being so vigorously attacked trumped over any pain I should have felt. A warm sensation enveloped me and I blinked my eyes a few times.
"Are you satisfied?" I gurgled.
He dropped the knife incredulously and ran a blood stained hand through his green hair. I watched him walk over to the standing mirror only to bring it crashing down to the floor. He then proceeded to kick at the drawers of the nightstand as another guttural growl left him.
Perhaps now was not the time to think how I may have went a little too far.
After his short lived rampage, Mister J disappeared into the bathroom. My breath was ragged as I surveyed the mess that was my own flesh. The sound of running water vibrated heavily within my skull. I willed my fingertips to move despite the fact I couldn't feel them. Everything suddenly felt so surreal.
He returned a moment later to collect me off the floor, bringing me to the bathroom. The bathtub was filling with hot water as he set me on my weak feet. I leaned my weight into his right shoulder when he began to undress me. I probably would have been more embarrassed had it not been for the excruciating pain that started to course through me.
Even though our brawl had turned gruesome, his fingers were gentle on my bruising skin. The exposure of naked flesh to the cool, air conditioned suite made me shiver. I felt feverish since the temperature in my body did not match the higher one outside of it.
J slipped my dress and undergarments away from me. As he did so, my head lolled into the crook of his neck. My vision faltered as I completely lost my sense of balance. His strong arms held me up with ease and his eyes searched mine. I couldn't make out the emotions behind his stone face.
My fingers limply traced his jawline. I thought I uttered the first letter of his name but I was so delirious by this point I wasn't entirely sure. Whatever I said, he paused for a second before lifting me up and dipping me into the hot, welcoming water.
It stung but soothed me at the same time. The water in the bath churned an instant red. I let out a low, raspy chuckle. "Well, at least I get the bath I almost forgot to take." J stood over me, unmoving as I added. "Not quite how I imagine it though."
Through hooded lids I gazed at J while he languidly positioned himself in front of the sink mirrors. He stared for a very long time at his own reflection. Not even a muscle twitched. I had the urge to call out to him, to draw him back to me, but my vocal chords didn't seem to agree.
No matter how hard I tried to force it only small squeaks popped out. I bit my bottom lip as my world closed in around me. The shadows appearing to paint my vision black and white. J's face profiled, almost as if my tiny cries drifted through to his ears. I wanted to call out again but I was thwarted by failing consciousness as a veil of black consumed me.
I startled awake to pitch black. If it wasn't for the lights of the city outside I would have severely been convinced that this time, he had done it. My body curled against itself in relief, entangled in bedsheets. Even though I felt completely fine now a nagging tension made the hairs stand up on my back. I was still naked but I wasn't alone.
Cautiously, I raised my upper body to peer behind me. A hand caught me by the mouth and pushed me lightly into the headboard. J put a finger to his painted lips to shush me. His eyes darted over to the windows.
I noticed he was shirtless now with his suit pants hanging loosely around his narrow hips. My eyes flitted to the pillow next to me to see a small indent. At one point or another he either slept or laid beside me for some unknown amount of time. I was betting on the latter if the deep purple under his blues had anything to say about it.
Plotting. Always plotting.
Like a cat, he slinked off the mattress to assess whatever situation was going on, his tattooed hand leaving me. The clown's footsteps were silent as he edged carefully to the window. When he hit the streaks of illumination from the city it bounced off a steel object in his grip. I recognized it as one of my balisongs.
Feeling brave, I followed him. I held tight to the sheets covering me making sure they didn't drag. With the same grace, I stopped wordlessly beside him and just as he was about to acknowledge me an explosion transpired outside.
I leaped back and he raised the knife but as quickly as we reacted we realized that it wasn't an explosion at all. Some kids on the street were lighting up cheap fireworks. I stifled a giggle with my hand.
J's eyes examined me as another one went up. "Huh…"
I met his gaze, tilting my head. "What?"
"Your hair…" He looked mesmerized.
Another firework burst.
I screwed my eyeballs off to the side to witness what he was seeing. The glow from the sparks revealed that I was no longer a summer blonde. Diluted strands of silver now grew from my scalp and when the light hit it, tinges of purple could be seen.
I'd have freaked out more if I hadn't discovered it in this way. The luminosity of the fireworks made the moment appear more magical. Like I was a Disney princess accepting her heroine sacrifice. Even if my prince happen to be a villain. My journey changed me forever more.
Suddenly, the vibration of a cellphone could be heard. J fished in his pant's pocket to pull out his mobile. The screen was lit up with a text message. As his eyes charily scanned over the message a faint grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
Without looking up, he beckoned to me. "Get dressed, doll face. We're leaving, now."
My features twisted. "Where are we going?"
He bared a metal grin. "Midway City."