"What the fuck is he doing here?" Elijah grappled the edge of the table and moved to stand when Cleo pushed him back with her hands."Sit." She sucked in her teeth."He's with her. He's with Rhonda." His jaw grinded, as he gathered a fistful of the tablecloth in his closed fist."And there are people here. Behave." She lowered her voice, almost pleadingly."Cleo's right. He's trying to upset you. Don't blow off in front of everyone." Tobias added.Elijah's blood-coated eyes rested on the duo as they stopped to talk to a waiter. The boy who didn't look a day over eighteen pointed at a table just a little in front of theirs, which now had vacant seats.Asher threw him a smile and a little dollar bill. The excited boy, bowed, before running away to continue his work.Elijah scoffed when Asher pointed forward. He couldn't believe the bastard was pretending to be a gentleman. Worst off, Rhonda smiled at him and went in front of him.Wearing a proud smirk, he raised his head, and his eyes f
"Why are you acting like a diva?" Elijah who knew exactly why asked, just to stir the pot."I'm acting like a diva?" She scoffed. "A bold claim from the man who was so ready to throw hands with Asher.""I have my reasons, and everyone knows they're valuable. What are yours?" He pushed, keeping a steady, but instigative voice."Could you two not bicker for once?" Tobias intercepted the brewing argument."If you don't like it, you could just go back to your woman's house. Shouldn't she have made you something when you went over there? Why are you still hungry? Maybe she's just trash.""Don't you ever," He said the moment the words left her mouth. The way his voice dropped, made them pause, and stare at him with curious brows. "Don't call her names. I won't accept it. Not from anyone, and sure as hell not from you." He warned."Bro, are you okay?" Elijah's forehead creased in confusion.He had been trying to instigate as a joke. He didn't even truly believe Tobias went to see a woman. Cl
"Elijah?" She called in a small voice.He responded with a groan, and that's when she snapped out of the initial shock."Oh my God, Elijah!" She fell to her knees, her hand bringing his head to her chest, as he winced in pain. "Talk to me, please. What is it?" She looked around, but to her frustration, no one was present."Elijah." Her voice grew thick with tears, because all she could offer him in that moment was her body, when he was clearly in so much pain."Where does it hurt? Can you speak?" She mumbled as she caressed his head.Suddenly, he began twisting his body, trying to break free from her. "What are you doing?" Her tone was filled with both concern and confusion.He tried to speak, but everything that came out of his mouth was incoherent."Okay, wait here. I'll go get help." She let him go, and he dropped to the ground, his body contorting into a ball.She gasped, as he began to shiver violently. Her mouth opened widely to let out a scream, but the sound that came out was
Cleo drove like a madwoman into the compound and parked haphazardly. She jumped out of the car, at the same time Tobias did.Without much need of communication, they both tried to get an unmoving Elijah out of the car. It was like his body had suddenly become slippery. The more they pulled, the more he slipped out of their hold."Wait, I'll try something."Despite feeling weak, Cleo conjured the very last strength from her essence. "Move back." She barked at Tobias, who quickly obliged.She placed her hands on him and shut her eyes. When she opened it again, she was in his room, and they were both on the bed. She rose and straightened Elijah's legs."That bastard." She muttered under her breath."Are you in here?" Tobias burst into the room, followed closely by Snow."We're here." Cleo turned from Elijah brief enough to acknowledge their presence there, and returned her attention to him.He had been quiet for a while now, but there was a pool of sweat forming on his forehead."Is it
Elijah woke up the following day in a pool of his sweat. He tried to stand up, but a weariness in his bones drove him back to the bed.He shut his eyes and sought out the source of his weakness. The previous night's events began to roll like a movie in his mind.When he got to the kiss with Winnie, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. But just a little further, the scene where he fell to his knees splashed in his face, completely erasing the memory of the kiss."Asher." He breathed out in anger.With a fierce determination that formed a dent in his creased forehead, he rose to his feet, ignoring the lingering pain.He went to his bathroom and turned the shower to the coldest temperature. Letting the water rain down on him, he planned his revenge.It wasn't just going to be anything well thought-out. He would find Asher wherever he was and put him in his place.He turned off the shower and stepped out. That's when he saw Snow snoring on the other side of the room."What's he doing
"Sir--- Sir, can you please help me? Help me, please." A voice from the crowd screamed."Please help my daughter." Another added."My dad is dying."And another, and another.Elijah, caught in their midst with no means of escape, beat himself up for putting himself in this mess in the first place.If he had just followed Dr. Hill and demanded he told him everything he knew about the newcomers, he would have been in the haunt for Asher right now.He tried to struggle through, but even more people were coming through. Both the ones who had no idea why everyone rallied around him and the ones who thought he was the Messiah."I need everyone to calm down." He called, defeatedly."No, we need your help!" An entitled voice screamed."It's obvious they don't know what they're doing here. They're only attending to the elites first.""That's simply not true." A voice defended.He turned to see the nurse who had handed him the saline water pushing through the circle. The more she moved, the mor
Elijah couldn't risk people recognizing him as the guy who healed the little boy, thereby drawing attention to him, but there was no other way to exit the center.He stood just outside Dr. Hill's door, contemplating what to do next when someone sneaked on him from behind."Hey." The familiar voice said.He turned and, once again, found the saline nurse staring at him."Are you lost?" She asked with a smile.Something about her seemed so manufactured. There was no reason to be smiling that hard. It made him upset for reasons he couldn't name."No. I'm just trying to leave without drawing attention.""I can help with that." She offered enthusiastically.He paused his moving head and turned to her. "You can?""Come with me."She walked into the adjoining room, and he followed her. "Isn't this an office room?" He asked."Yes. But it also doubles as one of the paths to the more private wards." She explained in a hushed tone."Private wards?""Yep. For the richer folks. They have their exit
They turned at the same time to see Avery come in."What are you doing here?" Asher, stepping away from Elijah, blocked her from coming any further.Her eyes skipped past him to the girl on the couch and then back at him. "Typical." She said."You didn't answer my question. Why are you here? How do you know I live here?""I promise, it wasn't that hard to figure out,'' She maneuvered her way through him and walked to Elijah. "Hey, handsome. Don't you think it's time to drop the act so we can talk?" She touched his face with her fingers.Pushing her hands away, he took a step back. "You two are still at it, I see." He gave her a disgusted once over."Uhmm, no. Immediately no. There's no me and him. I'm only here on behalf of my cousin. I need you to believe me this time.""I don't care enough about you to believe whatever you say for yourself. All I know is for your void. Stay the hell away from me."He had almost reached the spot where Asher stood when her words stopped him. "Don't yo