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flannelpunkcalum · 5 years

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The Devil Wears Kevlar - Part 7

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

it’s crazy how i’ve been doing this for almost two months huh? the next week the chapter is a little short so to celebrate the real two month-aversary I was thinking about updating twice? let me know what you think but I’d just feel bad with the shorter chapter and hopefully I’ll have more time this summer so I won’t need chapters in the bank. but the suspense is a big draw for you guys, right? anyway content warning for violence again

She comes back to consciousness slowly, achingly. One thought after the other.

Ow.

Aspen’s mouth feels like foam.

The chair she's in is really uncomfortable.

Sound really echoes in this place.

Ow.

She's cold.

Ow.

Something is digging into her ankles.

Ow.

Aspen drags her head up and blinks her eyes open. Shapes and colours blur together for a long moment - she huffs out a breath and squints. Things sharpen.

The walls around her are concrete - it's all unfinished, wherever this is. It’s breezy. She can't see any door, and the only light is from some industrial floodlight pointed into a corner. There are dropcloths all over - in fact, there's one under the chair she's sitting in.

Well. Shit.

Now that she's looking around with her stiff neck - her ankles are chained to the legs of the chair she's in. Not delicately, either, the chain’s wound around each of her ankles a couple of times and tight. Her arms - she wiggles experimentally - they're chained too, to something behind her. At least, that's sure as hell what they feel like. She's no expert. She's never been kidnapped before.

Fuck. Aspen forces herself to take a deep breath, and then another, but it doesn't work. She's panicking. And you know what, fucking goddamn right, she doesn't know where she is or how she got here or what’s going on-

A door slams open behind her and she jumps. The chains click a little. It’s a metal foldout, the kind you’d find in a church basement. Any information feels essential, in this state - even turning her head, she can’t see who’s come in. The tears in her eyes make everything blurry again.

“Aspen? Oh, you’re awake, I’m - glad.” Liam comes into her field of vision.

Liam. It all rush through her mind again; the elevator, the garage. There’s a deep ache in her bicep that starts to throb as she remembers it all.

“Here, have some water.”

Aspen is parched, but as Liam holds out a water bottle she doesn’t lean forwards to try and drink. “What the fuck is this?” She says, trying to ignore the way her voice cracks. She looks around again, sees city lights out between the scaffolding. This must be a construction site. Fuck, she’s up so high.

That wasn’t what Liam was looking for, apparently, because he draws the water bottle back and looks wounded. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and sweatpants, and that alone his almost as eerie as this whole damn thing; she’s never seen him in anything but a suit before. There are dark stains on the pants that she’s praying are motor oil. “I just want to get you home, Aspen, I- this wasn’t supposed to happen. You’ll be fine as long as you listen to me, I promise.”

That’s what does it - Aspen makes her hands into fists behind her back, but it doesn’t help, the tears are already falling hot on her cheeks. She doesn’t want him to see her cry, goddamn it. She turns her head away, into her shoulder. She’s still wearing her cardigan. Thank god. She doesn’t know what she’d do if she was stuck in just a slip and her bruises in this- in this-

“Oh, no, I- please don’t cry. It’s- there, there.”

She feels Liam’s hand on her other shoulder and instinctively jerks away, as much as her bonds will let her. “Don’t touch me.” She hisses, even though it sounds pitiful. She can’t look at him, she’ll implode.

After a long moment, she feels him draw away and move around her. She hears his footsteps drag over the concrete. A door behind her closes. She is alone.

She weeps.

This was never supposed to happen. If she was at the mercy of some desperate person in an alley or one of the nightmare supervillains in this town it wouldn’t be so bad, but this is Liam. He let her borrow his stapler and now he’s got a sheet out so her blood won’t stain the floor. Aspen isn’t sensitive, but now she weeps, like she’s a fucking princess in a tower. Only now, she’s an office worker in a a half-constructed skyscraper and she’s going to die here.

She cries her throat raw.

Eventually, she gets her bearings back. She forces herself to take breaths so deep her lungs hurt until she calms down. Wipes her face as best she can on the shoulders of her cardigan. She’ll survive this. She’ll survive this. She has to.

She doesn’t know how long it is until she hears voices outside and she tenses up again, drawing her shoulders back and down like her shoulder blades are plates of armour. She doesn’t know how long she’s been left alone down here. She can’t make out what the people out there are saying, but the voices are low and angry until the door flies open and crashes against the wall, enough to make her gasp.

“-isn’t gonna be happy about this, you know he wanted-”

“Didn’t I say I’d take care of it? Back off, or I’ll tell him exactly how you tried to get in my way.” That’s Liam. The door slams behind her again and she sucks in a breath, in case what comes next hurts, but it’s Liam again, striding over to her. His body is drawn tight - his hands are in fists, too. “How are you doing? You ready to answer some questions for me?” He says, in a voice meant to be gentle. It almost works.

Aspen makes herself take another deep breath. She’s not gonna get out of here if she can’t keep from crying. “Is that why I’m here? Liam, I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything that justifies this, I don’t-”

“Don’t scare yourself, sweetheart, I’m sure we can take care of this.” Liam says, reaching for the same uncapped bottle of water he first offered her. “Here, you want some water now?”

Aspen almost nods. Her mouth tastes like the rest of her feels, and she’s lost a lot of water, but there could be something in that bottle meant to make her fall apart again. “You drink first.” She says.

Liam’s brow creases, and he looks at the water in his hand for a moment until - Liam isn’t easy to read, but she sees something come clear behind his eyes. He understands. He almost looks hurt that she thinks he’d do such a thing, which - dick. “If that’s what you want,” he says, and takes a long sip, wiping his mouth as if to accentuate how safe this is. “It’s fine. I swear.”

Aspen doesn’t need any more than that. “Please,” she says, but before she has to beg anymore Liam is kneeling beside her and tilting the water into her mouth gently. She still nearly chokes on it, but the water is sweet and glorious and she almost feels human by the time he draws back.

“Better?” He asks, and she tries not to be too eager when she nods. “Good. I’m glad. Think you can help me out now?”

That, she isn’t so sure about. “I don’t know what you think I know, Liam. I really don’t.” She says slowly. She doesn’t want to be stupid, she wants to survive this, but - fuck.

Liam’s still kneeling beside her. “Falcone just wants to know a little about Mr. Hood’s plans in the next few days, and you’re smart, I know you-”

“Wait, Don Falcone? Tell him to make a fucking appointment.” If she is chained up in this fucking construction site because one of her boss’ parters doesn’t want to wait to see Calum, Jesus Christ, she’s gonna throw a fit.

Liam looks like her response personally agonized him. “Aspen, please. I shouldn’t have - look, let’s start with something easy, what time does Hood usually get to work in the mornings?”

Aspen doesn't answer. Why would Don Falcone have her kidnapped and tied up to ask about his schedule? Why would he- what does he want with Calum that would make him do this? “Liam, what's going on?” She asks, after a long moment.

“I'm asking the questions, Aspen,” but Liam hesitates even in the cliché and it is not reassuring.

“Please.”

Liam puts the water down and stands up, running a hand through his hair. He turns away from her and looks over Gotham’s skyline, a silhouette against light pollution. To think, probably. All this silence feels worse than if he just told her outright he was going to kill her, which- he wouldn't. Liam wouldn’t.

Of course, Aspen had been pretty sure he wouldn't kidnap her, too.

“...I've already said more than you should know.” Liam mumbles. He's still not looking at her. “All you need to know is that even if it doesn't feel like it, I'm on your side. Okay? I know I've been terrible to you, I know I was a prick at work and all, but this is serious. It’s real. And I- I really don't want to have to hurt you.

“Aspen. God, that's the last thing I want.” Liam turns back to her with wide and desperate eyes, so much so that she almost believes him. “If you trust me, I promise you that I'll make sure you're safe. Just for once in your fucking life cooperate and we’ll both come out fine.”

This is probably meant to make her feel better, feel safe. It doesn't. What is Liam Payne - twice her size Liam, legs like tree trunks Liam, held her down with one hand Liam - what is he so afraid of? Aspen knows it's in her best interest not to find out.

But he's asking her about Calum.

She kissed Calum.

Aspen doesn't know how she would feel about giving up her boss’s schedule if they hadn't- she doesn't know. She’ll never know. All she's certain of is that right now, she's not telling Liam a fucking thing.

She just looks through him. Fixes her eyes on the wall behind him, on the pits she can see in the concrete. If he wanted her cooperation, he shouldn't have chained her up.

He made the wrong fucking choice.

The silence isn't completely lost on Liam, and Aspen can see him shuffle nervously. “...I know you’re mad at me. And once this is done you can be as furious as you like, you can scream at me, anything. Just right now, I need you to play along. Please.”

Liam sounds scared, but Aspen doesn't look at him.

“Hey, I know you must be uncomfortable, I know you must be sore. I can help get you home in twenty minutes if you tell me about Mr. Hood’s plans on Monday. I promise.

“Aspen, I've never broke a promise to you.”

The light in the corner buzzes faintly.

“Look at me.”

She doesn't.

“Hey. Hey. Look at me. I need you to tell me what you know or we’re both going to get- Aspen, this is serious. You know what Don Falcone can do.” He grabs her chin, twisting her head so she has to look at him. She doesn't meet his eyes. She can't. She's not going to. This is all she has control over and she's not going to lose it so soon. “Talk to me. Monday morning. What. Time?”

Liam is getting angry. She can feel it in his grip - he’s not hurting her yet, but his fingers positively thrum with anger like a note through piano wire. Her stomach seizes up, but she keeps her eyes fixed over his left shoulder. He's not going to break her. He's not.

They stay like that, for a long time. Really, probably fifteen seconds, but for every one of those seconds Aspen is drawn tight, waiting for the inevitable blow. Watching his shoulders carefully for anything that could warn her. Forcing herself not to squeeze her eyes shut. This is an interrogation, he’s gonna hurt her eventually, and at least she knows it’s coming. She’s going to be brave for as long as she can.

He lets her go.

Aspen lets out a breath, shoulders sagging, and then he hits her.

It doesn't hurt, not at first. There was a flicker of movement above her, and then her head snaps to the side from Liam’s backhand. She doesn't move as feeling creeps back into her face, and with it pain, pain like sparks.

Liam clears his throat. “Please don't make me do that again.”

Aspen forces herself to turn to look at him.

He’s got his fists clenched, but not like weapons; he looks shaken, too. She doesn't sympathize.

It's not that she doubted he would hit her. He held her down on concrete and stuck a needle into the meat of her bicep, of course he’d slap her. It's just all so appallingly wrong.

“Fuck you.” She hisses, turning her eyes back on him.

Liam rubs his forehead and looks away. He seems exhausted, all of a sudden. Aspen’s so sorry if the emotional burden of slapping her around was too much. “At least you're talking.” He murmurs. She thinks she wasn't meant to hear it.

“Fuck you.” She says again, louder this time. “Don't try to pretend you're on my fucking side, don't act like you're trying to protect me when the whole reason I'm here is because you attacked me. I don't trust you and I'm not gonna tell you shit.”

Liam doesn't even look that hurt, which pisses Aspen off more. He just looks stressed out, like this is one of his sales things gone wrong and not her fucking life. “You will, though. One way or another. Don't you get it? Don Falcone is coming here in less than an hour and if you haven't told me about Calum’s plans there's gonna be people with him who can make you say anything. I know you think you're strong but they will break you in ten minutes if you don’t- don't make this difficult, please. If you want to keep both your, your pretty fuckin’ eyes in your head, you'll tell me what I want right now.”

Liam’s not lying. Aspen knows he's been lucky, that he's gone easy on her for a mobster.

She knows she can't be brave forever. They will hurt her and bleed her until they get what they want from her, and if she's lucky that will be all. Maybe Liam will save her, then, if there's anything left to be saved. Maybe he won't.

But she can be brave for now.

For now, she's not going to answer Liam’s questions. When he hurts her enough to wear her thin, she will lie. And if he realizes, if it comes to that, she'll bite her tongue until she can't anymore. Until they force it out of her. They'll make her talk, she knows that. It's just a question of when.

Not fucking now, that’s when.

“Great,” Liam sighs as he realizes she's clammed up again. “Do I need to hit you again? I will. If that's what it takes.” Aspen flinches as he raises his hand, but he drops it back down after a long second and takes a step back, running a hand through his hair again. “You ever seen someone get their teeth yanked out? ‘S not pretty. You should talk to me before it gets to that point.”

Aspen still doesn't relax, not until he kneels down beside her again. At least if he attacks her from there he won't have a height advantage. “I know you don't want to believe me, but I've been looking out for you this whole time.” He says.

Liar.

“You want to know why I tried to keep you from taking this job?” He continues quietly. “To avoid this. To keep you safe. I knew if things didn't go right, I would have to, um, talk to Hood's assistant. You're- well, you were my friend. I didn't want to see you hurt. I still don't. I tried to get his plans other ways, but- you got in the way.”

Liar, Aspen thinks at him, but her mind is whirring. She knows this is probably just a ruse to make her trust him, but it’s not going to work, even when… I mean, what else would make Liam so desperate to kick her out that he’d try to tell her boss she wasn’t interested after the job interview? He had liked her before all this mess started, she was sure of it, they’d been friends- there’s not much else that can poison their relationship but this kind of fear. Him trying to get the schedule, Don Falcone’s visit - it all made too much sense.

It’s a lot to take in; Aspen had been sure Liam hated her for weeks and now this, and the tenderness, and - like, he did hit her, and that’s damn near unforgivable, but he does just want to help, she thinks. He’s just gonna get her killed doing it.

“I know I don't deserve your trust.” Liam continues, still in his softest voice. “But I need you to give it to me. Just for now. Let me take care of this and I promise you you'll be safe. Aspen. Please. Let me do this for you.”

He doesn’t have to grab her chin this time to make her look at him. Maybe Liam knows it, maybe he’s done this before, but either way he’s saying exactly what she wants to hear.

Aspen might have courage, but she is terrified. Determined or not, she is still so very human and she doesn’t want to get hurt, she doesn’t want to die. She anticipated getting the information dragged out of her with pliers and pain, but in Liam’s big, worried eyes she’s thisclose to telling him every fucking thing.

“Calum Hood can’t possibly be paying you enough to stay quiet.” Continues Liam, like he’s egged on by her silence. “No fucking promotion is worth this.”

Aspen doesn’t want Liam to talk any more about what makes Calum worth this. She breaks her meager silence. “Why are you even after him? He’s like the best-protected guy in Gotham.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Aspen immediately worries about that.

Don Falcone is Calum’s family friend. There’s no reason for this, even by mafia standards. Kidnapping her in the parking garage - that wasn’t subtle. It’s a high-risk move by whoever’s pulling the strings. This can’t be some weird way of securing a business deal, or blackmail material - somehow she thinks there’s got to be better way to get incriminating information than tying up some poor secretary in here.

It’s got to be something bigger.

What the fuck does that leave? Why can’t Liam’s boss just make a fucking lunch appointment? What does he want with one of the richest CEOs in Gotham that he can’t get without-

Oh.

“Aspen? Hey. Look at me.” Aspen’s lungs feel tight as Liam reaches for her face again. She’d been staring into middle distance trying to figure this thing out - and it’s big, shit. She turns her head before Liam touches her, but when their eyes meet-

She sees him raise his hand again, turns her head before he can hit her, but he grabs her hair and hauls her head in close to his. She squirms in his grip, but his eyes are boring into hers and she knows he sees her eureka moment written all over her face.

They’re frozen in tableau for a long moment. Aspen can only hear her heartbeat in her ears and traffic on the streets below.

This is what Aspen knows.

Aspen knows she is trapped in a strange half-constructed room with the man who chained her there. She knows that he is trying to convince her to trust him. She knows that he is not on her side, whatever side that may be.

She doesn’t know if anyone has noticed she’s gone.

She doesn’t know if anyone is gonna find her. Or her body.

She knows that she kissed her boss and that now he is in danger and she knows she is very stupid for this but she’s going to try to hold out.

And now, she knows this; there is a killer in Gotham who is hunting the rich and powerful. She knows Don Falcone is strange and sinister, and she knows Liam is working for him. She knows they’ve been trying to trap her rich and powerful boss. She knows that it would be all too easy for the Don to “kidnap” himself, remove himself from suspicion. She knows the reports said he got beat up, but she also knows he kept a lunch appointment with Calum the day after, so how bad could it be?

She knows Don Falcone is the villain the police have been looking for and he’s going to be here in a few minutes to watch her bleed until he has the information he wants.

This is what Liam knows; Aspen knows too much.

#tdwk #tdwk7 #my writing #ch fic #calum hood fic #calum hood series #cw: violence #tw: violence #ch series #5sos series #5 seconds of summer series #what do i usually tag this with #um #the devil wears kevlar #ceo!cal #batman!au #liam payne #also liams in this one

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