XV

Bella knew why Sin was so captured by Xavier, and knew that she didn't care for the young women that were being trafficked, in fact she loved the idea that he Was as bad enough to do such evil. Therefore, she knew that Sin wouldn't do anything to stop him, especially now that the harm wasn't directed at them, and that gave a painful squeeze to her heart. Not wanting to resist her lest she be blacked out by her other half, and be subjected to darkness

[Darkness you seemed without a problem condemning me to] Sin said in her mind and although Bella felt slightly guilty over it, she felt her actions justified.

[Not gonna happen] Sin said to Bella's thoughts on doing something to help the young women.

`Come on Sin, if you do this, you'll get your fill. It's a good deal. Please.` Bella all but pleaded. She knew her other half well enough to know what to throw onto the table, chuckling, Sin said

[I'll think about it]

Xavier showed up then, although he still had his ray bends, she didn't miss the new bruise that was newly forming around his eye then. Curious she asked

"What happened to you?" when he all but grabbed her wrist and rushed them out of there as if they were being followed.

To make sure of this, she looked behind them as she was being led down the stairs and sure enough, a man stood by the door, his hands in his pocket, a tense stance to his posture, although he was a distance away, she had no doubt that he was seething where he stood, if his body language was anything to go by.

Being that he was but a shadow beyond a doorframe, she missed the resemblance between the man and the young man that gripped her wrist. When they arrived outside, two of his friends stood by the car and they glanced their way minute they walked through the iron door.

"Man, I for sure thought you'd be in worse shape" breathed out one friend with an airy chuckle. Xavier said nothing as he opened the passenger door for her and gave his friend a look they seemed to understand before they stood away from the car.

"You'll be okay, right man?" she heard one question outside the car, and he muttered out a curt

"Yeah" before he got into the driver's seat and they pulled out.

"Xavier?" Bella questioned then and attentively so, expecting the young man to blow up any second. Now in control since the night took a turn

"Don't worry about it Delilah" he spat as they drove down the endless asphalt, away from the quiet area and into the booming busy and lit city.

Although she could have simply let him know that they had just gone passed her apartment, she kept quite as he drove, clutching the wheel to the point his hands were turning pale.

[Don't go feeling sorry for him now Bella] Sin warned in mind and Bella spat out.

`I'm not, it's just...he seems like a helpless kitten, that's all.` And Sin laughed then, she scoffed out

[Kitten. Ha! it's a wonder you survived without me] she said, half amused and half annoyed

[You know what?] she added, her question rhetorical as she continued, [I think I'll take you up on that offer, on one condition,] this had Bella feeling suspicious and she asked

`What?` and she knew minute her question was voiced out and she felt her mischief through her veins and her breath hitched. Sin laughed then

[Yup, you're right, that he's part of the bunch.] Steeling her mind in that moment, Bella tried despite the many failed attempts before, to deceive her other half and she said 

`Whatever,` trying to sound nonchalant about it before she looked out at the nightly yellow city lights and pretty pine trees. She loved pine trees.

Xavier finally pulled up before a beach house, the second she'd be within in one night, and she couldn't help but admire it as well. It was a quaint bricked mansion that had both bricks and glass for walls, and the interior was as expensive as she expected it to be.

"Cool house" she complimented and Xavier simply shot her a look before he left her in the foyer that opened up to both kitchen and lounge, and he walked toward a set of stairs that spiralled to the second floor.

Taking off her sneakers by the door, she welcomed the cold from the tiled floors and she walked toward the kitchen only to open up the cupboards as if she had been there a thousand times before. When she finally found a glass, she opened his fridge and took an orange juice carton, which she was half surprised to find actually existed within his refrigerator, because Xavier had struck her as more a beer kind of person.

The young man in question walked back down, barefooted himself, in a changed outfit. Gone were the jeans and white V-neck T-shirt, and in their place were grey sweatpants and a black plain V-neck. His eyes most capturing of all now that he had discarded his glasses, they were an electric blue so intense when they clashed with her inky black pools, that she shivered.

Her eyes noticed the black eye then and she said with a playful smirk, in attempt to rid off the tension suffocating his being

"Cool eyepatch dude, know where I can get one" he chuckled then, for he found her words stupid, because why the hack would she want a black eye.

"Trust me, it wouldn't fit you" he said with a teasing smirk" and she simply pouted and said with a shrug

"Well, you're the expert" taking a sip of the sour citrus, her taste buds just about danced in glee.

"You seem to have made yourself at home" he motioned for the glass in her hand as he opened the fridge only to take a bottle of water out.

"It was only fair while I waited for you to show me the view, it's the only reason I'm here you know" she informed watching his Adam's apple bob with every gulp.

"Come on then" he said, heading for the stairs and she followed and vowed that should it be nothing significant, she would dock him where it hurts the most.

They entered his room and she was sceptical for but a minute until she stood next to him on his balcony and she looked out. She couldn't help but gasp then, for her view was beautiful yes, but his was most magnificent. Even though it was night, the navy waters gleamed beneath the moon light and in the distance she could see mountains perched in the middle of the ocean, with the stars clearest in the sky, she found the image before her enchanting and she thought in that moment, that the heavens were truly artistic.

"I take that I delivered then" Xavier's words brought her from her mind and she smiled his way and genuinely so

"Yea, lucky for you, you did" she informed, to which the young man's eyebrow cocked in question

"Oh yeah? and what would you have done if I hadn't?" he questioned, curious about what her response would be

"Well, I would have thrown you off this balcony" she said

"Oh really now, because I don't think you have the man power" he started as he leaned his face down closer to hers, and she made no move to shift back, he continued

"You see, I weigh twice what you do, so I'm quite heavy"

[Psht please] Sin scoffed but did nothing as Bella said

"Mhm, if you say so" she said in an almost sing song tone before turning to look back at the view. Chuckling he turned as well

"You don't sound convinced" he said and she gave him a fleeting glance and said with a shrug

"That's because I'm not" she yawned then and exhaustion seemed to blanket her in that moment.

"You can crash in the guest room if you want" he offered and she was quick to shake her head

"Can you drive me back to Alaric's" she said, only to see his jaw tick and she sighed with a shake of her head

"To fetch Cassidy" she explained, to which he blinked and cleared his throat seeming more willing then.

"Yeah sure."

Bella was glad to find Cassidy right where she had left her, along with fewer cars in the parking lot. Taking out another pair of car keys from in between her boobs, she faced Xavier and said

"Thanks for the adventure" and she got into the driver's seat and before she could close the door, Xavier held it open and peeked through. He was silent for a moment before he found his voice and said

"Let do this against sometime" he suggested, seeing the hesitancy on her face although she already knew she would agree, he added

"Without the drama next time"

"No clubs, no alcohol and no friends and black eyes?" she questioned, an innocent look on her face that did him in.

"None" he reassured with a smile and he felt his heart flutter when she nodded.

"Okay" she said, waiting for him to walk off except he didn't and she looked at him in question and he chuckled

"Your phone" he said "Unless you somehow already have my number" he added and her lips opened in a silent 'oh', before she opened the glove compartment of the car and retrieved her phone. Handing it to him he looked at her amused again

"No passcode?' and she shrugged then and responded

"No need for one" he typed in his phone number only to give it a call so he would have hers. She took it from his outstretched hand without even looking at what he saved it as, and he simply smiled to himself when he walked away, at the image of how she would react once she sees it when he would call the next day.

He wondered then how she would manage to get the passed out young woman into their apartment, only to shake his head, he thought her apparently capable and he let it go rather than tail her, should she come to need assistance, or to simply make sure none of his father's men would go after her just to spite him. It was that very thought that made him change his route and he followed behind the red Mercedes.

He noticed that both girls must be more than well off judging by both the car they drove and now the apartment they apparently lived in as she drove and parked into the curb. He watched from his car as Bella got out of their car only to open the passenger side, and it seemed the girl she tried to wake up wouldn't budge, which caused her to try and manoeuvre in a way she could carry the passed out young woman out, only to chuckle when she stood back up straight, hands to her waist and he knew she just let out a huff from her bloated cheeks.

He was about to get out of the car to simply help her, although that would have made him seem like a creep, he figured she would understand, considering her current predicament, however, before he could walk out, he saw her get on the phone to call someone, and not long after, a man exited the doors that led to the apartment on the second floor.

He wondered then who he was, was he a brother? A friend? A roommate? A boyfriend? At the last notion, he shook it off, for she didn't seem like the type to entertain other men whilst she already had one waiting back home, and he surmised that he was just a friend.

Bella hadn't wanted to wake Milo up, but seeing that Cassidy weighed way more than she had estimated, she figured rather than drag the woman upstairs, she would trouble the man just this once. Milo wore his sleep wear with slippers on and she felt slightly guilty for having possibly woken the man up, and as she apologised, the man simply shook it off.

"No worries lillypad, I'm glad you called me rather than ask a stranger" he reassured her, and she smiled, making sure the car was locked, before following the man who carried Cassidy, like a groom would a bride, but she knew Lila wouldn't mind.

She felt it then, right before she could walk through the glass door, a pair of eyes were on her and she worried in that moment of who it could possibly be, until she saw a familiar car a few cars down, even though the young man inside tried to hide, she simply chuckled in both relief and amusement then.

Only to be slightly concerned about why he had followed them, knowing that she would soon find out who he really was, she brushed it off for the time being, trying not to focus on the fact that a mere acquaintance she would use as a tool now knew her home.