Redeeming Logan

Chapter Four

Taliah

W e’ve been driving through the wooded countryside for hours. When we left my house, it was pitch black outside, and now the sun is peeking up over the horizon. My stomach growls in the quiet space of the SUV, and I let out a low groan of embarrassment.

“You hungry kid?” Mr. Adams grunts from the driver's seat. My cheeks turn red, and I’m thankful that it’s too dark in here for them to see. I mutter a soft yes, hoping he can hear me.

I look out the window, watching the trees fly by us in a blur. Mr. Adam’s makes a sharp right turn, which makes me slide across the leather back seat. My stomach churns with hunger and anxiousness as we continue to plummet down the road. He zooms through the quiet roads until we end up in a small town. I spy the familiar golden arches up ahead, and he swerves into the parking lot and finds a spot up front.

“I’m sure that you know what can happen if you do something stupid while we’re here, right?” Mr. Adams turns around and looks me in the eye making sure I know that he can blow my brains out if I even look at someone wrong. I swallow and nod my head at him. “Good girl. You’re far too pretty for me to ruin, but not for him,” He mutters as he ambles out of the car.

Who’s him? I think to myself as one of the goons opens my door for me to get out. I follow after Mr. Adams as he leads us into the fast food joint with his guys flanking us.

“What do you want? I’m sure you have to pee too, so I’ll order, and one of them will take you to the bathroom. Don’t give me that fucking look; roll your eyes again, and I’ll have them removed. They’ll just wait outside for you.” He rolls his eyes, sensing my dreadful thoughts of having a bodyguard while I'm trying to pee.

I rattle off my usual order of chicken nuggets and fries, making sure he doesn’t forget the BBQ sauce and sweet tea. After he takes my order, he motions towards the bathroom, where my escort is now making his way towards. I hurry after him, not realizing until now how badly I need to pee. I have no idea how long I’ve been holding it, but it had to be before I even left for the party.

Pushing my way through the bathroom door, I quickly find a stall, pulling my pants down, and throwing myself down on the grimy seat. I should really squat, but the endless stream of piss entering the toilet right now happened too fast for me to even think about that. I sigh in relief as my bladder empties. Finishing up in the toilet, I flush and head to the sink.

As I’m washing my hands with the cheap soap that always dries out your skin, I look up into my tired eyes. The dark purplish blue circles under my eyes are highlighting the few blue flecks in my green eyes. My cheekbones look sharper than I remember them being. Why is bathroom lighting so damn harsh? I dry my hands with the scratchy paper towel provided and head out the bathroom door.

My personal bodyguard ambles behind me as I make my way to the front of the restaurant. I spy Mr. Adams seated at a table in the back corner, and I walk to him slowly and take a seat across from him. He slides my nuggets over to me, and I tear into them like a starving animal. Honestly, I kind of am. My parents never fed me much. My only friend taking the time to feed me is the single reason I’m not entirely skin and bones.

We eat in silence; the only sounds surrounding us are the other patrons in the restaurant. I wonder if they can tell that they’ve stolen me away? Can they hear me pleading inside my head for them to look my way? No, of course not. They’re oblivious just as I would be if I were them. Not wanting to ruffle any unnecessary feathers in fear that they too would end up like me.

I finish up my food and sit back and stare at Mr. Adams. He’s typing away on his phone in his own little world. His thumbs fly over the keyboard, and I wonder how many times he messes up with how big his thumbs are compared to the keys of the keyboard.

“Who’s him?” I ask him. He slowly sets his phone down on the tabletop and looks up at me with questions in his eyes. “You said that you wouldn’t hurt me, but he would. Who is he? ” He stares at me for a moment before he opens his mouth to speak.

“Taliah, you’re a good girl who grew up in a shitty situation. You didn’t deserve any of that, and you don’t deserve any of this. I’m sorry for my part in all of this. You’ll meet him soon. You won’t forgive me, and I’m okay with that.” He states ominously before he pushes his chair back, standing and stretching. He ushers for me to get up and follow him out of the restaurant, but I notice he’s left all of our trash on the table. I sprint back, gather it all in my arms, and toss it in the trash before making my way to his black SUV. No one likes a litterbug, no matter how big and bad they look.

I don’t even wait for one of them to open my door. I tug it open and slam it behind me, rattling the truck. So many questions are flying through my head. Why is he sorry? Yeah, he stole me away, but he honestly hasn’t done much to me beside that. He said I’d never forgive him, which makes a chill run down my spine.

Mr. Adams pulls out of the parking lot and drives back the way we came. Weaving through the winding deserted roads of the countryside. As the sun makes its way higher into the sky, we’ve ended up in the middle of nowhere. The only thing out here are wooded areas. We pull off of the paved road and onto a gravel road.

It winds through the dense trees, and I’m almost sure we’re lost at this point, but he keeps driving us into the unknown. We make it out into a clearing, and I look out the window across the grassy field all around us.

Leaning over into the center of the backseat, I peek out the front windshield as we drive under a sign that says Harmony Heights. Beyond the sign, I see a tall and sinister building. Vines wind around it like they’re trying to drag it down into the earth. Gargoyle's perch on the roof as if they’re trying to keep people out. Shutters are falling off some of the windows, and bricks are missing. I almost think it’s abandoned until I spy a man in a suit standing out front on the cracked concrete steps.

Mr. Adams pulls the car up next to the steps, and the man walks over to open my door. It swings open quietly, and the stranger plasters a smile on his face as he waves his arm towards the front door while saying, “Welcome to Harmony Heights, Miss Barlow. It’s a pleasure having you here with us.”