Corrupted (EXCERPT)

5, IV

It was around noon when Jaelyn and Raven sat in a booth at Mario's Diner.

There was a huge chain of these across the entire nation, though it was odd because some were expensive, gourmet restaurants, whereas others were fast-casual and such...

This was a fast-casual.

"So..." Jaelyn said, breaking the silence, "what's going on in life?"

"You know what's going on, Jae," Raven said.

She threw her hands up. "Excuse me for trying to make conversation."

"Sorry..." Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath, "just on edge...."

"I know, Ray," she responded. "Don't apologize."

"Hello," a male voice said, "may I take your orders, Girls?"

Raven looked up at his familiar voice, seeing Malachi standing above them with a black apron and tussled blonde locks, holding a pad of paper and a pen in his hand.

Her breathing became strained.

"Mal?" Jae said in disbelief. "You work here?"

"I do."

She was silent for a moment, looking to Raven who was staring down at the table, eyes wide while she breathed shallowly.

"Can we get another waiter?" she said then, looking to Malachi who was also staring at Raven with dark eyes.

He gazed back at her. "Nope, you're stuck with me. Now would you like to order?"

"Raven," Jae said, "what do you want?"

"Excuse me," she said suddenly, scooting out of the booth and rushing out of the restaurant.

Malachi looked after her, then back at Jae. "You gonna go get her...? Or...."

"Isn't that your job, stalker boy?"

He rolled his eyes. "Look, I know what you both are thinking."

"Then tell me why you're doing this," she responded. "Because Raven seems genuinely terrified of you and she's never like that with boys. What did you do to her yesterday, Mal? Did you hurt her?"

His eyes widened. "God, no."

Jaelyn narrowed her eyes. "Tell me why I shouldn't slap you right now, Malachi."

"Why would you want to slap me?" he questioned. "What did I do?"

"Kidnapping her is one thing," Jaelyn said. "Another is that you said something to her that terrified her, what did you tell her?"

His eyes darkened. "I wasn't trying to scare her."

"What did you say to her?"

He looked back outside where Raven vanished to. "I'll go look for her."

Jaelyn caught his arm and stood, crossing her arms over her chest. "Malachi, what do you want from Raven?"

"Nothing...." He shook his head.

"That's clearly a lie," she said, "you've been stalking her for almost a year now. When I confronted you a couple months ago, you told me that her parents wanted you to watch over her. I tried to believe you, but I could tell you were lying. And now her parents are currently out of the equation, and you're making pretty sketchy moves. Why are you doing this to her?"

"I didn't hurt her parents, Jaelyn," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"She said she was attacked by a man with blonde hair, and you have blonde hair, Malachi."

"So does ninety percent of the population," he responded.

"You didn't answer my question," Jae said. "Did you or did you not attack my best friend a couple weeks ago?"

"I did not," he answered sharply.

"How are you connected in all this?" she questioned.

He didn't respond.

"And apparently," Jae said, "she coincidently gets attacked quite frequently, and she told me it was muggers."

He almost choked. "She lied, they're very much not muggers."

"Is it you, then?"

"No."

"She said you knew them."

"I did."

She was silent for a moment. "You said that in past tense."

"I killed them," he responded, "which she also failed to mention, hmm?"

Jaelyn narrowed her eyes. "Malachi, what do you want from her?"

He responded then, eyes softening. "I... want to protect her...."

"From who?"

"Those people?" he said. "Who keep on attacking her? They're assassins."

Her eyes widened, blood turning cold. "WHAT?"

"Someone wants her dead... and I'm trying to protect her."

"Who wants her dead, Mal?"

"If I tell you," he said, "you'll be on the black list, too."

She narrowed her eyes. "Malachi," she said, "I feel like you're hiding something from me."

He shook his head. "I'm not."

"You're lying. And I know when I ask you this question again, you're going to lie, as well."

He looked to her with his dark eyes.

"You're battling yourself inside," she said. "I know your conflicted."

"Oh, really?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"So, here comes the question," she said, "how do you fit into this equation?"

He glared. "None of your business."

"It is my business, because I think I know the answer, Mal."

He was silent.

"You're one the the assassins, aren't you?"

He didn't respond, but his eyes grew cold.

"That's what I thought," she said. "You're a really good manipulator, Mal. And I know part of you still wants to kill her, so stay away from her, or I'll have no choice but to call the police."

She walked away then, stepping out of the restaurant.