Trust the Killer

Chapter Twenty Three

I had lost count of how many long trips over the states I'd ridden in this van, the hours seemed to mash together over time and I found it frustrating Wyck had a habit of telling me we'd talk on the ride but then sit silently while staring out the window instead each time.
     I had so many questions but none lined up in my head, I believe I'm just flat out confused. I thought I'd start with a risky one as I looked over to the tall boy dressed in black beside me. His hand was still resting on my leg.
        "So, will I be staying with you two nights in New Orleans or just one now that we'll be there on time?" I asked the question that set him off before.
     His head turned to me.
     "I just want to know." I tried to soften the blow.
     His blue eyes searched my face, I looked at the clear pale skin around them and to the small ink tattoo under his translucent skin. He was a very beautiful person. I shook off that thought and tried to return to the conversation.
       "One night. Your flight was are meant to land at 6 P.M. so I'll be dropping you off at the airport tomorrow where your parents will pick you up and you can tell them about your long flight back." Wyck smirked to himself.
     An airport. I could go to the police at the airport. But did I want to? Should I? "Okay, what about all my stuff... should I tell them they lost it on the flight?" I was disappointed to not have any of my belongings I packed to Seattle.
     "No I thought it's be weird if I told your school you went home early but left all your stuff there so I called the hotel and had them ship it back to your house." He looked forward. "It got there today, so I told your mom you changed hotels suddenly in Seattle and forgot your stuff so the hotel shipped it home without asking you." He smirked again, "I don't know how she believed that it was a messy lie."
     I stared at the side of his face. "You... know my address?" I was taken aback.
     Wyck looked at me again, his hand slid up my thigh a few inches and I felt his grip tighten. "You won't be able to keep many things from me, Ava." His deep voice was almost a threat.
     I swallowed, feeling anxious in my chest. There seemed to be a double meaning in there somewhere.
     "Okay." I looked to my feet as I whispered back to him.
     "I noticed you trying to keep Oliver from me." My head snapped up as he mentioned my ginger crush from college. That thought seemed so distant now even though it was on my mind last night.
     "He texted you, it seemed to be an apology. For trying to kiss you?" Wycks tone was stern, as if he was asking a child if it had disobeyed the rules.
     I wasn't sure what to say.
      "I got the text while in the van yesterday." He paused for a moment. "I looked through your messages between each other." Wyck reached back to pull my phone out of his pocket, it made my stomach hurt that he seemed to always have it in arms reach. My anxiety crawled as he mentioned the messages between Oliver and I as I knew they would likely upset Wyck.
     I watched my phone screen as he quickly sifted  through the messages. "Is he your boyfriend?" His voice was rough.
     "No." I quickly muttered.
     Then Wyck clicked into the info of Oliver's contact and pulled up the photo Oliver and I had taken together that he had sent me outside the restaurant. The memory felt like it never happened.
     "There's another photo in your gallery of you two." The way the tall boy spoke was as if he had caught me cheating on him, which was confusing because as far as I knew neither Wyck or Oliver were my boyfriend.
     "We-"
     "Who is he to you?" He cut me off harshly.
     I swallowed, "He's just my friend."
     Wyck laughed and squinted at me, "Friend?" He locked my phone and jammed it back into his pocket. "From those texts and the way he touched you in the photos seemed a lot more than friends to me... and what was the apology for? He tried to kiss you?" He was beginning to sound angry and I wondered how long he had been waiting to bring this up.
     "I don't know I haven't read the apology..."
     "Have you kissed him before?" Wyck asked in an accusatory tone.
      "No I haven't, he tried to kiss me and I ran away, that's probably why he was saying sorry." I tried my best to explain without having to give any extra details.
      "He said in the text that you seemed like you wanted to kiss him and he was confused that you didn't. He's been asking where you are, he seems a lot more concerned than just a friend would be." Wyck was bitter, his annoyance grew at my silence, "Do you want him? Did you want him to kiss you?"
      "No- I... I guess but I got overwhelmed... I-" I stuttered as I tried to be honest.
      "So you were more than friends with him? Did he ever touch you?" The tattooed boy was almost fuming with his words, I was completely thrown off by the way he was acting.
     "No, we were always kinda friends and I... had a crush on him in school and on the Seattle trip he started flirting with me and I-I don't know. It was only one day." I rambled nervously avoiding eye contact with Wyck.
His jaw twitched as his head fell back against the van seat.
I felt guilty for some reason, even though I didn't even know Wyck when I had a crush on Oliver. "He likes a different girl, and that's why I was out at a jiffy store that night." I referred to Reilly, hoping to put a wedge between Oliver and I in Wycks mind.
It didn't seem to help though. "But you still want him?" His eyebrow twitched up.
"No, he was a dick."
Wyck smiled at that, his head tilted to look at me playfully, "I'm worse than that."
A short breathy laugh left my lips at his words. He gave me whiplash with his changing emotions.
He was serious now, "You're not going to talk to him again." His words were a command.
"Okay." I shifted uncomfortably. I'm beginning to see how my life is going to be in Louisiana. "So, where are you gonna live in New Orleans?" I asked hoping to get a better glimpse at what's coming for me.
"I have no idea, I've barely figured anything out. That's not like me, typically I'm more organized but you have me a mess." He rubbed the side of his face as he leaned tired against his seat. "Likely in a hotel but eventually I'll have to get an apartment or somewhere to live."
Apartment. That sounds permanent. My stomach ached.
"Are you gonna get a job?" I asked.
Wyck shook his head. "Mm. I have money, I'll have to figure out what I want to do."
      It made me nervous, I wondered what he would consider as a job. I started to feel a bit shaken with the panic I was repeatedly enduring over the last hour in the van.
      Wyck noticed this, he moved his hand from my leg to hold my hand. It was oddly comforting.
      "Sorry." He muttered. "If I could change the circumstances of how we met I would."
      I looked down to my feet and took his response as genuine, it sounded that way. I wondered what it would have been like to meet Wyck in a more... regular way. What would I think of him then? I do know that he would hide who who truly was from me, that whatever relationship I had with him under those circumstances would be built on lies. I mean who would meet someone and lead with, "Hello. I murderer for financial reasons, what's your name?"
      "Do you have another question?" Wycks familiar voice pulled my attention.
      I thought for a moment, I was still completely unsure of how to talk about this subject. "You said... I would belong to you?" I hesitated.
     Wycks lips parted, he seemed to look awkward. "Yeah... I guess that's an odd way to put it." He cracked a smile. "Think of it as a trade off."
       I looked up at him with a furrowed brow, "A trade off?"
      "Right." His voice changed as he looked me directly in the eyes, his expression was more intense and cold than before. "Remember, Ava. I don't have to let you go. If I chose to- I could keep you as a prisoner. But I have decided, because I care for you, that it's better to let you go home to your life from before me. In return for that, because I'm being extremely generous, I expect a few things in return."
     I flinched away from his gaze, his words left me unnerved. I prefer his sugar coated sweetness over his aggressive possessiveness. "What do you get in return?" I asked with hidden resentment. I didn't feel like it's fair I owned him anything.
      He inhaled and leaned into his chair to exhale slowly. "I guess a lot of that we have to figure out over time, but I have a few ground rules to start."
     I watched the side of his face and waited for him to continue.
     "So, I know this is a bit much so I'm sorry in advance... you can consider it temporary until I can really trust you but just to be sure I put a tap on your phone. I'm gonna give it back to you once we're in New Orleans but I have to monitor and make sure you don't tell anyone anything..."
      My eyes widened as he avoided looking me in the face now.
     "That's the first rule, I do not exist as far as anyone knows, for now. You've had a great trip in Seattle, Oliver is a dick and you're happy to be home safe. Nothing about me or anything to do with me." Wyck finally glanced over, I nodded.
Any bubbling plan of my escape seemed to crash down once I realized he would have full access to my phone. But I could still tell someone in person I'm in trouble. Did I want that? Did I want Wyck gone?
"I'd rather not explain what would happen if you did tell anyone." Wyck stared me dead in the eye again, my thoughts drained from my skull. "Any questions?"
I shook my head.
"Alright. No dudes, obviously. I need to know where you're going before you go and you need to think of a good excuse for your parents when you stay with me. Like your staying with a friend or something."
"I don't have many friends." I was partly honest. I did have a couple, I could easily tell my parents I was staying with my friend Marie. But I hoped to create some distance between Wyck and I.
"Good, so you won't be out at parties if you don't have friends." He seemed to console himself.
I frowned, I wasn't the party type but suddenly I wanted to be. I had never been one to be defiant but the suffocating way Wyck spoke squeezed it out of me. "What if I do want to go to a party?" I spoke annoyed. "There's a ton of college party's over the spring, it'd be weird if I didn't make an appearance."
Wyck gave me a frustrated look. "Well, I'd go with you."
"But nobodies supposed to know you exist." I tried to contradict him.
Wyck smirked at me, "I have to slip into your public life at some point, maybe that's a discreet way... Regardless, I don't feel good about you being places when I'm not around."
I scoffed reaching a boiling point of annoyance, "Am I a child?"
He laughed, "No but apparently your luck is so bad you got kidnapped twice in the same night, so I should probably keep a close eye on you."
My eyes rolled so hard I gave myself a headache, like it's my fault I was stolen.
I had enough of this talk, it gave me a sort of stress I had never dealt with and Wyck felt it coming from me. He stopped talking too but kept an irritating smile on his face, as if he was enjoying explain to me just how much control he would have over my life. I sunk into my seat and folded my arms, it was definitely going to be the longest and most anticipating drive of my life.