| Chapter 32 "Nick, get up," Serenity said, shaking him. Nick moaned and looked up at her. Didn't he just get to sleep? "Stand up," she said. Nick slowly sat up, looking around the room. Jered and Ephah were nowhere to be seen, and Evi was standing in the bathroom door. "Where are...?" Nick started. "Doesn't matter. I said stand up," Serenity instructed. Nick slid down to the end of the bed and stood up. He waited while she unlocked him, wondering what was going on. Nick looked out the window, the sun was just rising over the horizon. His mind drifted to Lyn and the rest of the guys. He knew they would all be worried, and upset. He sighed, praying that somehow he would find a way out of this, and get back to them. Serenity pushed him toward the bathroom, "Go." Nick baby stepped over to the door, Evi moving and letting him in. He noticed the tub was filled, and looked back at the two girls. "Strip and get in," Evi said, smiling at him. Nick stared at them, "Not with you here." Serenity put her hand on her hip, "It's this or nothing. Take your pick." Nick sighed and looked down at his hands and feet. "I can't until you take these off," he said. Serenity tossed Evi the keys, and she walked over, unlocking his feet first, then his hands. "If you try anything, your friends will pay," she reminded him. Nick nodded his head, and turned to face the tub. He still only had on the sweat pants, and it didn't take him long to remove them, and slip into the tub. He groaned as the water hit the whelps on his back. Evi came over and sat on the edge of the tub, "You still have some sand on your back. Let me help." Nick looked up at her, "I'd rather not." She smiled, "You don't have much of a choice." "Then why'd you ask me?" Nick asked. She laughed, "I dunno, thought I'd be nice. Now lean over a little." Nick did as he was told, leaning forward and letting her gently wash his back. Evi looked back at Serenity and nodded. Serenity picked up Nick's clothes and left the room, shutting the door behind her. "Wait! Don't take those!" Nick called after her. Evi laughed again, "What's wrong Nicky, you all the sudden shy or something?" Nick sighed, "Something like that." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Serenity walked down the hall and into the kitchen. "So, how is he this morning?" Jered asked. "Wondering where you are," she said smiling. Jered laughed. "So you know what you have to do, right?" Ephah asked. "Yes, we do," she said. "Good, the sooner he turns, the sooner you get what you want," Jered reminded her. "What's he doing now?" Ephah asked. Serenity smiled, "Evi has him in the tub." Both men lifted their eyebrows at her. "Really? She knows she can't do anything until later right?" Jered asked. "Yes she knows. I just don't get why I have to be the bad one," she said. "Well someone has to, and since you so enjoyed yesterday, we thought we'd let you have the honors today," Ephah said. Serenity laughed, "Yeah, until Evi's betrayal, then she'll be the bad one." "That's the plan," Jered smirked. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nick sat in the tub, trying to relax as much as possible. Evi continued to wash his back, being ever so gentle with him. "Evi?" Nick said. "Yes?" she answered. "Why did you become what you are?" Nick asked. She stopped for a second, and leaned over looking at him, "Why do you want to know?" He shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno. It's just that you seem so nice sometimes. I just wonder how you got to be what you are." She resumed her work on his back, "Well, I got tired of the way my life was going. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, I guess." Nick turned and looked up at her, "You like what you are?" "Yes I do. What's not to like? I can have anyone I want, get anything I want, and basically do anything I want. Who wouldn't like that?" she said. "Leisha didn't," he mumbled. "Aleisha was weak. She let her personal feelings for you get in the way. She made a huge mistake, and paid for it," Evi said. Nick shook his head, "No she didn't. She found peace in the end, she's happy where she is now." Evi moved around to face him, "Nick, don't." "Don't what?" he asked. "Don't try to be my savior. I don't want or need one," she said. "I'm no ones savior," Nick insisted, "But God does love you." Evi sighed, leaning down and beginning to wash Nick's shoulders and down his arms. Nick reached up and took the clothe from her, "I can do it." She smiled, "I know you can, but I want to." Nick shook his head, "No, that's OK. I'll get it." She shrugged her shoulders, "Suit yourself." Nick finished washing and looked up. Evi hadn't moved from her spot. "What about your hair? Don't you wanna wash it?" she asked. He shook his head, "No, I can't lean back to do it, and the shower would hurt like hell right now." She laughed, "And just what do you think I'm here for?" Nick watched as she pulled a pitcher from the cabinet and filled it. "Now, lean forward a little," she said. Nick did, and she poured the water over his head. Then she took the shampoo and lathered his hair, taking her time, and gently massaging his head. Nick closed his eyes, fighting against the feelings that were flowing through him. He kept telling himself that she was making him feel that way, with every touch, intensifying the emotions. Nick was about to tell her to stop, when she did, and grabbed the pitcher to rinse the soap out. When she finished, she grabbed a towel and handed it to Nick, as she reached down and let the water drain from the tub. Nick dried his hair, then with her help, stood up and wrapped the towel around himself. "Don't move, I'll be right back," she said, turning and leaving the room. Nick grabbed another towel, and started drying his legs, arms, and chest. Evi returned with a fresh pair of boxers and a pair of sweats. "No shirt?" Nick asked. She smiled, "I don't think you're gonna need one." Nick swallowed hard, wondering exactly why he wasn't going to need one. Evi took the towel from his hand and gently dried his back for him. "Thanks," Nick said. She headed for the door, "Don't be long," she said, turning and leaving the room. As soon as the door shut, Nick got dressed and walked over to the mirror. "Damn," he said, seeing his reflection for the first time that morning. His face was unrecognizable to him. Both cheeks were badly bruised, his lip was swollen, and his left eye was black and blue. He tried to heal as much as he could, but he was still having trouble focusing. He wondered why, not remembering them giving him the drug since early the day before. He looked at his arms, seeing the bruise left by the needle. Then he saw a fresh one. Must have drugged me after I fell asleep, he thought. "Well this is just gonna have to do," he said to himself. The bruises weren't quite as bad, but were still visible, and still hurt. He ran his hand through his hair, and opened the door, walking out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tara stood in the living area of their hotel suite looking out the window. The sun had just risen, spreading orange and gold over the sky. She smiled at the sight. "Please God, help him hold on until we can get to him," she whispered. She hadn't slept much the night before. Neither had any of the rest of them. Lyn had cried herself to sleep in Kevin's arms. Tara felt for her, knowing how hard this was on her. The guys had somehow managed to talk Kristin, Sarah, and Kira into going home and waiting for them to call. Tara still wasn't sure how they had done that. All three were so worried and concerned. Angel refused to go with Kristin, telling Tara that she wanted to stay and help. In the end, Tara let her. As annoying as the wolf could be sometimes, she was also a great help comforting the others. She had lured them all into playing with her, helping to lighten the mood somewhat. Tara turned and looked around the room. All the guys had stayed there, all asleep in various places. Lyn was in her and Nick's bedroom, still asleep, and Brian was in their room with Angel, both asleep. Tara stood there, thinking about what Nick had said in the tape about being in his dream. She thought back to the time she and the others had entered his dream to help him. "Nick, what are you trying to tell me?" she said out loud. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nick stopped in the doorway, seeing all four in the room. "Morning Nick," Jered said, smiling. Nick glared at him. Serenity walked over, replacing the shackles around his feet. "Come, have a seat," Ephah said, patting the bed. Nick slowly walked over and sat down, looking from one to the other, "What's going on?" Jered smiled, "We're gonna play a little game today." Nicks heart leapt into this throat, he didn't like the sound of that. "Well, don't you wanna know what we're playing?" Ephah asked. "Not really," Nick said. They all laughed. "It's called Siren Says," Serenity said. Nick looked at her, "Siren Say's?" "Yeah, it's like Simon Says, only it's us," she told him. "Oh," Nick said, looking at the floor. "So this is how it goes. We tell you to do certain things, if you do them, you get rewarded. If you don't we get to have some fun," Serenity went on. Nick shuddered, he didn't want to know what fun meant. "So you ready?" Jered asked. Nick looked at him, "Like I have a choice?" "True," Jered said, looking over at Serenity and smiling. "OK Nick, Siren says, stand up," Serenity said. Nick just sat there, looking at his feet. "Nick, just play, you might like it," Evi said. He sighed, and stood up, still not looking at anyone. "Walk forward," Serenity said. Nick started to move forward, when Ephah jerked him back, punching him in the stomach. "She didn't say Siren says," he teased. Nick glared at him, realizing what the game was going to be like from now on. "Siren says go stand in front of Evi," Serenity said. Nick walked over and stood in front of her. Evi smiled at him. "Siren says, kiss Evi," Serenity said with a laugh. Nick looked up at Serenity, his eyes wide, "No." Evi put her hand on his arm, "I'm not that bad, come on." Nick shook his head, knowing that if he did, he wouldn't be able to stop. "No, I won't do it," he said. Jered walked over and looked at Nick, "You do understand that if you refuse, we give you to them to do whatever they want with you." "I would go through a thousand tortures before I do this," Nick stated. Serenity laughed, "You just might. Bring him." Jered and Ephah grabbed Nick by the arms and drug him out of the room, Evi following behind them. Chapter 33 |