Entangled (Vice Games) (2 page)

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ she sobbed.

Tristan whispered something in her ear and then picked her up. He carried her out of my apartment without a word to me. And just like that, they were both gone and I was left standing alone at my door.

‘That went well,’ I said to myself.
‘But a thank you would have been nice.’

I didn’t see or hear from Anna again and I couldn’t help but wonder if she’s alright. Then there is the matter concerning her brother. He just appeared and swept her away. I could not sleep and when I did, I would have dreams about him. I would wake up in sweat, the ghostly touch of his hand lingering upon my skin. They were nice dreams that left me thrilled with an electric current but also disturbing to think about and I did my best to forget them.

A month slowly dragged by
and as I worked at my crummy ten bucks an hour job; I shook my head and refocused my thoughts. There were other things to worry about. The girl is safe with that godly brother of hers.

Alison, my roommate, had just moved out to be with her boyfriend and I was left to pay the rent alone. The leaky roof also had a hand in her departure. I’ve complained to the landlord several times about it but he didn’t care.
Besides, I’ve been late to pay these past few weeks and he’ll most likely kick me out.

As I walked up the pathway that led to my flat, I noticed a silver
sports BMW parked outside the building. It was out of place and everyone seemed to notice. I caught eyes peering curiously through the windows. Passing kids and teenagers pointed it out to each other as they passed and was as perplexed as I was about it being in this part of town.

I walked up the steps. No one had replaced the lights let and the
dinky building was still moist from the week’s rain. As I slipped my key into the door, a tall dark figure emerged and I gave a little scream of fright.

‘Miss
Walters,’ he said. I immediately recognized the man. It was Tristan Vice – he was not someone I could forget that easily; especially when I’ve been dreaming about him. My face grew red with embarrassment and heat.

‘Oh, hi,’ I said weakly. ‘Hello.’ There. That sounded much better.
‘How’s Anna? I mean your sister.’ Of course I meant his sister. Who else could it be? Just shut up Phoebe.

‘She is under observation. May I come in?’

‘Sure.’

I didn’t know why I said that. He was a stranger. I opened the door and he followed me in. ‘Um, tea or coffee?’

‘Neither.’

There was an awkward paused between us as I stood in the leaky kitchen. The bucket was half filled with water and I was sure that the roof would collapse soon if s
omething was not done about it. In the silence, I felt as if he was observing me in the dim kitchen light. In his presence, I became conscious of my frizzy brown hair, my averagely plain face and ill fitted uniform.

‘How can I help you?’ I asked finally.

‘Anna, my sister, she needs someone to supervise her, that is, to be with her while she recovers from her issues. I’m offering you a job.’

‘Me?
’ Holy motherland what? ‘Your sister needs proper help. I’m just a grocery store worker.’

‘Yes and
I’ve been assured that she is receiving all the help she needs. But there are some things that doctors and their pills cannot heal. She needs someone who she can talk to.’

‘I’m not a shrink, if that’s what you’re looking for.’

‘No. Psychiatrics would only make things worse. She needs a friend.’

‘Doesn’t she have anyone her own age?’

‘That is difficult to discern as she is currently being home schooled. Your task will include keeping her company and helping her through her emotional difficulties. I’ll pay you five times the amount you are getting now. Accept and I’ll have a car pick you up tomorrow morning at six.’

‘And what if I reject?’

‘You cannot reject this.’

‘I’m doing it now.’

‘You’ll have to return to your grocery job.’

I looked at Tristan and could not read him. I was not quite sure what to make of the situation either.
Here was a man I did not know offering me a job that did not seem to suit me at all. In fact, he was asking me to be a nurse to his mentally unstable sister. But oh my goodness, that face, Tristan Vice is definitely in the wrong place.

‘Why me? I’m sure that there are heaps of other people more qualified than I
am at this job you’re offering,’ I found myself saying rapidly and despite stumbling over some of the words, it sounded sensible.

‘While on
the bridge, she listened to you,’ Tristan Vice explained. He lowered his chin slightly and looked at me with eyes that only belonged to those who are born gods. ‘Not many people can make her do that when she attempts. In fact, it drives her to do it again. But something you said changed her and I believe it in her best interest that you accept my offer.’

‘You mean that it wasn’t her first time?’

‘No. It was her fifth.’

I was shocked by the report.

‘She needs a serious amount of help,’ I found myself saying. There I go again. I watched Tristan’s face and it did not move. He stood there stoic and I felt a lack of empathy towards Alice from him. Tristan controlled himself well and did not let any of his thoughts slip.

‘Your
will receive a bonus for every month you keep her from attempting.’

I couldn’t bring myself to accept the offer. It was too much responsibility and I did not feel at all up to the task. I’m just a grocery worker and what I just got lucky on the bridge. If I hadn’t grabbed her in time, she would have
succeeded. I didn’t know what Tristan saw in me to offer this job. Or perhaps he was getting desperate. I didn’t know. His face didn’t let anything slip and I could not read him like a normal person. He was something else – an enigma with a troubled family member.

‘I can’t do it,’ I told him. It was too much responsibility. Besides, I didn’t know anything about Anna or how I could help her.

Sharp shadows on his face created by the dim light made me hold my breath. There was something indescribably handsome about Tristan Vice. His skin was pale and smooth like marble and his strong broad shoulders made me wonder how often he went to the gym. Tristan Vice was most likely made from money too, judging by the car parked outside. It can’t belong anyone else that lives around here.

‘This is your last chance to accept,’ he said in a low voice. It made my heart weak but my senses got the better of me. Accepting the job would mean that I would
become responsible for a life. Taking care of an unstable teen was not my thing. Besides, Anna is much too old to have a nanny and I’m much too young to mother her.

‘Thank you, but no,’ I found myself answering.

‘Very well,’ he said. Tristan Vice paused and my eyes became hooked by his pools of blue jewels. I felt my ears grow hot and quickly broke the unnecessary prolonged gaze.

Without a word Tristan Vice left.
I did not walk him to the door and I heard it close behind him. The drip-drip of the kitchen ceiling reminded me of who I am and it was a prompt that advised me not to be silly. Tristan Vice probably lived in some uptown house and his sister somewhere with their parents. Or perhaps he has his own house and his sister lives with him. There were only three numbers on the phone. I didn’t know anything about his family and it is best that I don’t.

A loud knocking against my door woke me up. I checked my clock and found that it was quarter to three in the morning. At first, I thought it was a dream but the knocking persisted. I dragged myself out of bed and down the dark corridor. I turned on the lights and peered through the security hole in the door. What I saw confused and shocked me. Anna stood on the other side, her face covered in tears and she looked as if she had just waded through a pond. I instantly threw back the door and she wrapped her arms around me.

‘Please don’t make me go back to the Main House
,’ she sobbed.

‘Good lord, what happened?’

Anna was incoherent. There was something about drugs and pills and doctors trying to kill her. She was distressed and there was a cut on her left cheek. I took her in and sat her down on the couch.

‘Hey, hey, slow down and breathe.’

Anna’s lungs were sporadic as her sobs mingled with her attempt to talk. I noticed that around her left wrist was a hospital tag.

‘Please don’t me away.’

‘I won’t.’ I knelt down in front of her and she peered down with confused blue eyes. They were the same shade as her brother’s. Anna tugged at her tag and her inability to get it off made her panic. She began to cry violently and I ran into the kitchen to grab a pair of scissors.

‘Here,’ I told her as I took hold of her dainty wrists and snipped the plastic bracelet. It fell to the ground and I placed the scissors on the table behind me.
Better keep sharp objects away from this girl. ‘It’s gone now,’ I told her. ‘See, it’s gone.’

It calmed Anna and I wrapped my arms around her. There were bits of rocks and dirt in her hair as she lifted her legs off the ground and curled up against me.

‘Please don’t leave me,’ she whispered. ‘Tristan’s already gone. I have no one else.’

‘What do you mean he’s gone?’ I asked, confused by what she meant.

‘He’s proposed to that bitch. She wants to put me in an insane asylum.’

I blinked. So Tristan is getting married? I felt saddened by the news but shook the silly feeling away. Why should I feel sad? It’s not like I know him. Sure he’s a good looking guy but it’s not like I have claim over him. And besides, I could see why his fiancé
e would want Anna in an insane asylum.

‘I’m not crazy,’ said Anna, ‘they just have me on too many things. This isn’t me. They’re trying to kill me.’

‘How many pills are you on?’ I asked.

‘Fluoxentine, strattera, clomipramine, zolpidem, eszopiclone, xanax, valium and that stuff they just injected me. Please don’t make me go back.’

Oh god. No wonder Anna’s going mad. Although I didn’t know what each of the listed drugs are for, it was clear that no one should be subjected to so many things.

‘I won’t,’
I told her. ‘But if you’re going to stay here, you’ll need to clean up.’

Anna nodded like a terrified child. I helped her to the bathroom where I washed the dirt off her hair and gave her my
pajamas to wear. It turned out that she escaped from the hospital by jumping out of the window and into the pond below. She could have died, it was the third floor, but the fish pond broke her fall. It must have been a really deep pond. I was amazed by the story as she told me. But I could also hear it in her voice that it wasn’t another suicide attempt. She didn’t want to die. The doctors had given her something and it caused her to freak and run.

‘So you walked all the way here from the hospital?’

Anna nodded.

‘But that’s miles away,’ I uttered with surprise.

They would probably have the police after her. The sensible thing for me to do is to notify the authorities, but I knew that it would not do Anna any good. She specifically came to me and by doing that she would trust no one else; and that can be more dangerous than letting her stay at my little rundown flat.

I thought over about what I could do. There was the option of calling her brother but Anna didn’t have her phone on her. And seeing that she’s distressed over his marriage proposal to his girlfriend, I didn’t want to risk mentioning his name, just not yet.

The drugs prevented
Anna from sleeping and I stayed awake to be with her. We ended up playing cards on my bed and I taught her how to play poker. Her mood stabilized with each game and I did not press her to speak about any particular topic. When it was six in the morning, I called worked and asked for an emergency day off. Roger, the manager, was not happy but I risked my chances of getting fired.

‘You have a leaky roof,’ said Anna as she sat at the round kitchen table while I stood over the stove top with eggs cracked into the pan.

‘Yeah. The landlord won’t get it fixed.’

‘Don’t you have a roommate?’

Anna had calm down enough to hold a conversation.

‘I used to but she moved out to be with her boyfriend,’ I told her.

‘Where is she now?’

‘In the city. Eric got a job as a salesman for a computer store. Alison moved in with him so that they can be together.’

‘Do you have a boyfriend?’

‘No.’

‘Why not?’

‘No one’s asked.’

‘You’re lying,’ she said.

‘No, really. No one’s asked.’

‘But you’re so young and beautiful.’