Devil On Both Shoulders [Calum Hood]

Chapter 16

I'm the one with Calum?

I wanted to say; 'uh, no, miss, I'm clearly with Ashton' but I knew that wouldn't get me anywhere in my current situation.

"W-what?"

"You are the girl traded herself in for her little sister, am I correct?" She continued, loosely grabbing hold of my hand and examining my fingers. They were remarkably smooth lately, because I hadn't had much of an opportunity to wash my hands. Luke had a strict rule about water and that it was only for showering and drinking.

"Yes," I answered warily.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, meeting my stare.

"Because she's my little sister," I told her without a stammer.

She opened her mouth to fire more questions at me, but I was growing tired of being interviewed.

"What's your name?"

"My name?" She chuckled, "I'm Stella."

I felt the dozens of eyes spark holes around us, as Stella extended her arm. Her ivory skin was caked in tattoos, and her nails were painted black.

"Come, child."

I sent a panicking glance over to my familiar, who stared blankly back at me, I knew it was childish of me to depend on Ashton; I also knew he had no power over this enigmatic woman, but I had to try and do something - anything.

My palms sweated more by the minute, so I hesitated in the act to join our hands, but eventually I could see she was growing impatient, and she no longer found amusement in my shaky breathe and nervous swallowing, so I grabbed her hand.

Stella tugged me into the elevator, and I thought we were going to endure the entire way up in silence, until she spoke.

"I've heard about that situation with the police," She said.

"But that was only an hour ago." I countered, I kept my voice soft. It was half controlled by myself, but the fear I had towards this woman also contributed.

"Word gets around here," Stella explained to me; "I'm always the first to know."

I frowned in contemplation, "Is that why they watch you all the time? Do you run this place?"

"You could say that," Stella began. "But it's not as much as a statement of authority then it is of equality."

"What?"

"Max, do you think a woman can rape a man?" She asked. This was drawing out to be a very long elevator journey. We stood across from eachother, Stella casually slumped against the grey walls and me clinging onto them for protection.

"Yes, I suppose." I answered.

Stella smiled, it was a smug smile but it was the closest thing to compassion I thought I was ever going to get with her. She opened her mouth but she was cut off by the sliding open of the elevator doors.

Of course, I let her go first, because I was terrified. "What floor is this?"

"Oh! I hope you don't mind, dear. But I thought we'd skip right to the top."

I did mind, I minded a lot. The top floor was full with some of the most dangerous people in the whole of England; I wanted nothing to do with them.

Although hesitant, I shuffled out of the elevator.

I was obviously an unfamiliar face, and the creatures of this lair immediately snapped their necks towards me and stared into my eyes with a look of venom.

Some were men, some were women, some were white and some were black and some were asian. But one thing they all had in common was the dangerous aroma lurking around them.

Stella pulled me close to herself, and guided me through this array of criminals. They created a path for her, as if she were Jesus and they were the Red Sea. Stella appeared to tower above all of them, even though some were taller than her.

It was a lot more proffesional up here. I couldn't help but notice the extravagant display of guns and knives hung upon the wall; they must have took a lot of pride in their weapons.

Ajacent to the racks, was a balcony, which didn't appear on any of the other floors I had been on. Stella slowly lead me to the balcony, and soon enough, we stood looking over the city, and it was so high up you probably could've held the stars at night.

"Sit on the balcony, Max. I would like to talk to you." She told me. The part of the balcony of which she wanted me to sit on was very small and very thin, so I wondered if she was serious. "Well - go on." Stella promted.

I did as I was asked and sat on the balcony, helplessly grasping onto the metal beneath me for support. My stomach churned as I felt like I was going to slip off as any moment, and I knew that the sweatier my palms got then my chances of falling would increase; but that made them sweat all the more.

Stella grabbed onto both of my shoulders and sturdied me.

"Now," She said. "Do you think a woman can kill a man?"

"Yes," I answered her for the second time that day.

"It has been proven that male criminals are more common than female criminals. Do you think that that is true?" Stella demanded, still gripping onto my shoulders.

"Well if its been proven-" I began.

"Wrong." She snapped. With her hands supporting my balance, she tipped me back, so my back was almost facing the clouds beneath me.

My breathing became ragged as I yelped for my life, scrabbling onto the metal.

"STELLA!" A terrible voice shouted, a man who's fave was concealed by the shadow of his hoodie striding towards us. "Put her down."

Stella didn't let me down, but she did straighten me upright. "And what power do you have over me?"

"I don't. But if you touch her again, I'll fucking blind you." The figure lifted the hoodie from his head, revealing the one and only.

"Just you try, Calum," Stella scoffed, she had let me go to face her opponent, so I took this as an opportunity to get the off that ledge. "I dare you."

He sighed; "Right, get on with this tour or whatever this is, but as soon as it's over, you get her the hell out of here and you never bring her back here again. Am I clear, Estella?"

'Estella' folded her arms, "I didn't bring her here - she came here with Ashton."

"Sneaky twat," Calum muttered under his breath. "Oh, and don't let her touch anything. I don't need Luke crying to me because she shot him in the leg."

"Got it," Stella huffed, her voice laced with exasperation.

"Good." He walked away, just like that.

I glanced over at Stella, who didn't seem at all phased.

"So," She said. "No weapons."

"Yep," I sighed disappointedly, I did want a gun, but I didn't regret throwing the first one I'd ever held in Calum's face.

"Max?"

I snapped my head up, intrigued by what she was going to say next. I didn't even know I was staring at the floor.

"Yes?"

"Do you want a gun?"