"Too many runaways, don't you remember we built this?"
We Built This City by Starship
IT WASN'T OFTEN she got caught red-handed - never, actually - but tonight wasn't her lucky night apparently.
Sevyn had been on a roll that night. At this point, she still had no idea what she was doing beyond securing enough cash for a decent rental. This motel life was getting old.
No run-ins with the boys yet, so she used the opportunity to add to her funds. She'd snagged a couple of rings and a few wallets before getting busted.
It happened after she slipped her fingers into a surf nazi's pocket, all smiles and apologies. As she tried to make a break for it, a hand clamped down on her shoulder, twisting her around. She yelped, eyes widening in alarm. Sevyn remained frozen for a few moments, completely shocked from being grabbed so suddenly.
"Hey! What the hell? Did you just steal my money?!" The man leaned in close, his breath reeking of stale cigarettes and beer. After a moment, she came back to herself, and she scrunched her nose in disgust.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sevyn lied, forcing a scornful glare. "I just bumped into you. Let me go." Inside, she fought to stay calm. She wasn't going to show this asshole she was afraid – she's dealt with worse than him.
"I saw you! You put something in your bag and now my money's gone! Explain that!" Spittle flew from his mouth, landing on her glasses. The urge to escape intensified.
"Look, dude, I didn't take your money. I have no idea what you're on about. Maybe you dropped it somewhere. Not my problem. Now, let go," she growled, anger rising. She ripped her arm from his grip.
"Yeah? Well, let's have a look in your bag and see," he snarled.
The man lunged to grab it, but a gloved hand wrapped around his wrist in a vice grip. Sevyn blinked, following the arm up to see David glaring daggers at the man.
Maybe she wasn't so unlucky after all.
"She said she didn't take your money. Take a walk," David warned in his icy tone. He challenged the surf nazi with a hard stare, practically daring him to make a move. David craved a fight, any fight, and this was a perfect excuse.
The idiot took the bait.
"That bitch stole my cash! Get your damn hand off me!" he yelled, his other hand forming a fist ready to swing.
Suddenly, an arm draped over Sevyn's shoulder. It belonged to Paul, who winked playfully. "Hey there, troublemaker," he cooed, squeezing her.
Sevyn ignored him, focusing on the scene unfolding before her. By the time she looked back, Dwayne had positioned himself behind her mark, while Marko flanked the man's other side.
The looks on their faces promised violence. Sevyn wasn't naive. She knew they didn't care about her well-being. This was a fight for dominance, a way to claim her as theirs and keep others away.
Realizing he was outnumbered and outmatched, the man quickly backpedaled. "Fine, my bad," he spat, glaring at Sevyn before turning to leave.
Before he could escape, Dwayne grabbed him and spun him around. "Not so fast. Apologize to our friend." Dwayne wasn't sure if any of them considered her a friend, but they were definitely possessive of the new girl. She was theirs. For now.
"Alright, alright! Sorry, jeez." The man held his hands up in surrender.
Without a word, Dwayne shoved him back into the crowd, not caring where he landed. He'd likely become a late-night snack later.
Okay, that was a bit excessive. Maybe they were just bored. Whatever their reason, Sevyn couldn't deny she was grateful for their intervention. She wasn't sure how she would've gotten out of that situation.
"Uh, thanks, I guess. I owe you guys one," she said, grudgingly at best. She hated owing people. It made her uncomfortable.
The smirk that played on David's lips validated that feeling. "Oh, I know you do, kitten," he replied. The endearment sounded harmless coming from anyone else, but from him, it was loaded with something sinister.
She wanted to snap back about the pet name. It made her uncomfortable in a different way – ways she didn't want to admit. But she knew better than to draw attention to it. It would only fuel him.
What she didn't know was that whenever David or one of the boys addressed her with a term of endearment, she'd blush a becoming pink and her heart rate would quicken slightly. This rush of blood was intoxicating to them, a primal urge they wanted to satisfy.
Marko, especially, craved a taste. He'd sometimes watch her pulse flutter in her throat, his grin widening with wicked amusement whenever it picked up under his gaze. She blushed prettily and looked so scared and unsure.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Sevyn asked the group, genuinely curious about their motives.
"Aw, come on, do we need a reason? We just want to hang out with our favorite klepto," Paul declared a little too loudly for Sevyn's comfort.
She shot him a withering look, which only widened the blonde's grin. She really was cute. Marko had a point when he called her a pixie. Paul itched to pick her up and throw her around. Maybe she'd even enjoy it. She seemed like the adventurous type.
Lost in his predatory thoughts, Paul didn't notice Sevyn smack his arm until she spoke. "Could you be any less subtle? And for the record," she said. "I know you wouldn't just want to hang out for no reason. So what gives?" She didn't really have friends before coming here, usually the people she talked to wanted something from her. She didn't realize that bothered her until now.
"Is it strange we'd want to get to know you better?" Dwayne offered. Sevyn suspected it was another fact-finding mission or a ploy to lure her in, but for what purpose, she couldn't guess.
Hopefully not to eat her.
"Come hang out with us, pixie girl, I promise we don't bite," Marko crooned mockingly, earning a cackle from Paul.
"Well, that's no fun," Sevyn blurted out before quickly clamping a hand over her mouth.
Perhaps antagonizing them wasn't the wisest move.
"Oo! I like her already. Can we keep her, David?" Paul pleaded loudly, wrapping his arms around Sevyn in a suffocating hug.
"We'll see," David replied simply. The answer, though ominous, sparked a flicker of hope in Sevyn. Maybe it was a sign of weak self-preservation, but the idea of being part of the Lost Boys held a certain allure.
Finally breaking free of Paul's grasp, Sevyn found herself snatched at the waist by Marko. Paul pouted but Marko just offered his usual Cheshire grin before leading the way, their destination undecided.
These boys were certainly touchy-feely. It wasn't something she was accustomed to, and she normally wouldn't have tolerated it. Yet, after a while, she found herself begrudgingly accepting their casual touches.
"I haven't been on a single ride yet, and I've been here a week," Sevyn complained after giving up on resisting Marko's hold.
"You heard the lady, boys. Rides it is," David commanded.
Paul let out a whoop of excitement and charged through the crowd that parted for him, towards the nearest ride. "Hope you're not afraid of heights, babe!"
"Not a chance! Bring it on," Sevyn said confidently, lighting up a pilfered joint she'd snagged from Paul. He squawked indignantly, snatching it back after a single puff.
"Hey! Stop stealing my shit!"