regrets ⇝ hs

iii. drugs and motel rooms

BROOKLYN'S POV

I stiffened, my eyes going wide as I gulped hard. The owner of the voice's grip on my shoulder tightened, making me wince in pain.

"I said now," the voice demanded in a gruff whisper. I couldn't seem to wrap my head around the fact, however, that no one was seeing what was going on, until I finally realized. Everyone was fascinated with the lights slowly being lit up on the Eiffel Tower as nightfall began, and I really couldn't blame them because it was a beautiful sight.

I hastily got to my feet and chewed on my lower lip harshly as the man grabbed my wrist tightly and started dragging me away. His fingers were digging into my flesh, sure to leave small bruises in their place the following day.

My first day in Paris and it was already becoming a nightmare for me. First, I had lost all of my belongings with the exception of what my carry on bag contained. Now, I was being taken away by a hooded stranger with dark glasses and black clothing on.

Once the two were out of the public eye, I was roughly slammed back against the side wall of a long, dark alley. I let out a soft whimper, only to be silenced by the stranger. "What do you want from me?" I squeaked out. "If it's money, I don't have any. I swear."

The man cackled evilly and tucked my hair behind my ear, making my heart pound hard against my chest. I could hear the loud thumping of it in my ears, the man's touch lingering on my cheek and making me shiver.

"Oh, darling," the stranger whispered in a sultry voice, "this isn't about giving us anything but your time and your loyalty."

"U-us?" I muttered and looked around cautiously. "What d-do you mean 'us'?"

The man slowly pulled his glasses off and revealed his dark eyes that had previously been hidden behind them. He then reached back and tugged the hood of his sweater off of his head, his black hair almost a perfect match to his eyes.

"My name is Kayden," he introduced in a deep voice that perfectly fit his personality and looks. "Kayden Moore. And I have a preposition for you."

"A preposition?" I asked, my voice obviously laced with fear.

"A business preposition," Kayden went on, moving one hand to my hip. This made me squirm, resulting in Kayden laughing at my naive self. "I couldn't help but notice you were a bit short on money, hm?"

My body tensed again. My paranoia from earlier had been correct. Someone had been watching me.

"A-A bit," I stuttered nervously.

"Yeah. A bit," Kayden spat mockingly with a snicker. "I also couldn't help but notice that you're an extremely gorgeous young girl."

My cheeks turned a deep red, my eyes diverting to the rocky pavement beneath them. "Th-thank you?" I mumbled and bit my lower lip so hard that the metallic taste of my blood was filling my mouth.

Kayden smirked and licked his lips, his eyes raking up and down my body slowly, making me writhe a bit in discomfort.

"I think you would be exactly what my company needs." He said as he pulled out a small package of an unmistakable white powder. My breath hitched and my eyes widened.

"Y-you want me to sell drugs?" I asked and swallowed hard as Kayden's fingers dug into my hip through my jeans, just as his fingers had abused my wrist earlier.

Kayden laughed, his hot breath fanning over my face. "Oh, baby. Don't make it sound so bad," he whispered and smiled wickedly. "You'll make all the money you need."