Nicotine | Ashton Irwin ✔

4.5

Clary sat in an old wooden chair in the corner of the room, watching Ara quietly, as the girl laid passed out on the floor. Blood trickled slowly out of the wound on the back of her head, her chest rising and falling softly.

The basement door opened, making Clary stand up quickly. Chuck came bounding down the stairs, a small handgun gripped tightly in his fingers. He glanced at Clary. "Is she asked?" He asked.

"N-No, she's still out cold." She told him, timidly.

"Is she still alive?"

"Yes."

"Good. Wake her up." He commanded. Clary moved across the room numbly and grabbed Ara's upper arm, sitting the unconscious girl up. She grabbed the bucket of ice water that rested by her feet and splashed it on her. Ara woke with a start, gasping for breath. Clary stepped away from her, going to stand by a wooden beam, hiding partially behind it. Ara shivered, and Chuck laughed.

"Morning sleeping beauty." He grinned. Ara's eyes narrowed at him, she shivered even more.

"Fuck you." She growled.

"Tsk Tsk." Chuck said, playfully frowning. "You still have a mouth on you after all these years."

"Leave me alone!" She screamed.

"Chuck! Shut her up!" A voice shouted. Chuck smirked.

"With pleasure." He punched Ara in the face, knocking her back a bit. The basement door opened again, and another man came down the stairs. He was tall, well built like Chuck, and was clean shaven. He scowled at the teenage girl that lay crumpled on the ground.

"Pathetic." He mumbled. He grabbed Ara by her hair and pulled her up. She let out a cry of pain. Behind the beam, Clary flinched. "Hello Darling, did you miss me?" He let go of her hair, letting her drop back to the ground. Ara glared at him.

"Not a bit." She spat. Ara slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. She was soaked, tired and cold, but she wasn't about to show any signs of weakness.

"Well I missed you." He said, crouching down to her height. He grabbed her chin pulling her close. "How's my son?"

"He's not your son." She snapped. Chuck shoved her back, causing her head to crack against the wall. Ara gasped in pain.

"Yes he is. Now, I asked you a question. How's my son?"

"Better now that you're not in our lives." She growled. "He hates your guts after what you did to him. No kid wants to see their father shoot their mother. Then again, you were never Daddy material were you?" Ara received a punch to the stomach for that one. She doubled over in pain.

"Still feisty after a these years, Arabella."

"It's not like you changed either, Craig." She replied.

"I like to think I've changed. I'm a lot more caring."

"You? Caring? I must be dead."

"Not even close." He grinned. "But you're going to wish for death everyday that you're here, because you ain't ever going home Ara."

"He'll find me." She said, just as Craig was turning around.

"Who will? Your boy toy?"

"My father." She said, through gritted teeth. "And when he does, I hope to god he kills you." Craig marched over to her and stared her dead in the eye.

"I'm looking forward to meeting him." He whispered. He turned around and stared at Chuck. "Find Teddy. She what he's up to."

"YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Ara screamed, standing to her feet. Chuck raised his gun and shot her in the leg. Ara screamed and fell to her knees.

"I'll see in a bit darling." Craig said. Him and Chuck headed for the stairs.

"C-Craig?" Clary called, stepping out of of the shadows. He whipped around.

"What?" He said, harshly.

"You . . . you promised that I could see him." She said softly.

Craig was silent. "You have ten minutes. She's upstairs. But then you come back down here and don't you dare think about leaving this house, otherwise you'll end up with a bullet in you too. Got it?" Clary nodded. "Go on then." Clary ran up the stairs.

"Who's your pet?" Ara asked from her spot on the ground. She refused to look up at him, and kept her head down.

"None of your damned business." He snapped. "Chain her." He muttered quietly to Chuck. He nodded. He grabbed Ara by the arm and flung her back. He grabbed the chain and clasped the cuff part around her bad leg.

"See ya love." He grinned. Ara scratched at his face. "You'll pay for that." Ara motioned for Chuck to come closer.

"If you so much as lay one hand on my brother . . . and I find out . . . ain't no heaven on earth that can save you." She whispered. "I'll make sure of that."

"Times up." Craig called from the doorway. Clary glanced up from the three year old that she held in her arms. He stared at her with big brown eyes.

"Okay." She said.

"But Momma." The little boy clutched at her shirt. He pouted, threatening years.

"Shh, its okay baby. Mommy's coming back. Don't you worry." She set him down on the bed. "You stay in this room, and don't leave." He nodded. "Good boy." She kissed his forehead.

"I love you Momma."

"I love you too baby. Do me a favour and colour me a picture. And I'll put it up when we get home." He nodded again.

"Bye Momma."

"Bye baby." Clary moved past Craig and closed the door behind her. "Can I see him tomorrow?" She asked.

"If you do what you're told." Craig said, firmly. Clary nodded. "Now get back downstairs."

Ara was half asleep when she heard someone come back down the stairs. She fought to keep her eyes open. She watched as Clary came bounding back down the stairs. Ara gritted her teeth together.

Clary glanced over at Ara who was slumped against the wall, bleeding from her leg. She grabbed a cloth, and approached her. She grabbed her leg. Ara winced. "Quiet." She hissed at Ara. She tired the cloth tightly around her leg to stop the bleeding. "You're no good to him dead."