Session 31

Quinn had thoroughly exhausted herself. As she rested her head upon her pillow, she listened to the sound of the shower turn on. Vicious was weak and alone in the bathroom. Quinn worried about his decision to continue his nightly routine. In fear of repeating such a traumatic scenario, Quinn laid awake. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, but her mind, electric with anxiety.

His shower did not last long. As soon as Quinn heard the water shut off, she straightened out the covers and closed her eyes. As much as she wanted to get away and sleep on the couch downstairs, she was far too tired to do so.

Moments after the water had stopped, Vicious stepped out of the bathroom. Quinn's heart began to race as Vicious made his way over to his side of the bed. She felt him pull the covers upwards, and as he slipped underneath, Quinn wondered if she had the strength to sneak away from him.

She knew his shuttle was parked outside, and she figured the keys had to be in his coat pocket, which was somewhere between the bed and the bathroom. As Quinn listened to Vicious make himself comfortable next to her, the sound of jingling metal caught her ears. The metallic ringing was soon followed by the sound of a drawer shutting, and a lock being turned into place.

Quinn rolled her eyes. Of course he had locked them away in the nightstand. Despite the inconvenience, Quinn was not fussed, in fact, she was rather relieved. She was so exhausted she didn't know if she had it in her to escape. It seemed as if Vicious wasn't going to let her go, so she knew there was no shortage of time. If anything, this was better for her. It gave her a chance to solidify an escape plan.

Quinn wondered if he kept the drawer key under his pillow, or maybe around his neck. She never heard the key get set down, meaning there were going to be a few more steps to her escape plan than initially anticipated. Anyways, there was plenty of time to scheme, and Quinn soon realized that if she were to play her cards right, she might just be able to win him over and get him to set her free without any repercussions.

Quinn smiled at the thought. She knew she had a certain, irresistible charm to her, and as a business woman, she knew how to negotiate. Despite his hard exterior and vile demeanor, Vicious seemed vulnerable; Julia was proof of this.

The thought of playing the role as a lust-filled, weak-minded, desperate woman was honestly a sickening thought, but desperate times called for desperate measure. Quinn was hopeful that her plans would workout, and as her consciousness slowly began to slip, she was suddenly snapped back to reality when Vicious broke the silence between them.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked, his voice cutting through the air smoothly, like sharpened scissors through cellophane.

Quinn took a moment to reply.

"Not entirely," she admitted. Truthfully, she was feeling rather hopeful. Quinn was confident with her negotiation tactics, and she knew if she played the damsel in distress character for tonight, she might have a better chance at winning him over.

Vicious sighed as he slid his hand closer to her from underneath the covers.

"I know you don't need to hear it, but I'm impressed, and rather proud of your actions tonight," he replied, his hand brushing up against hers. Quinn flinched at his touch, but she accepted it. She was surprised that he had complimented her, and what was even more surprising was the fact that it sounded genuine.

Sliding her hand overtop of his, she inhaled deeply.

"Thank you" she replied through a half smile. He was despicable, but she had to play the part. Silence fell between them again while Quinn desperately thought of things to keep the conversation going. As exhausted as she was, she knew what she had to do.

"May I ask you something, Quinn?" Vicious asked as he turned his head towards her. Happy that he interjected first, Quinn smiled and opened her mouth to reply.

"Go ahead," Quinn replied, feeling his gaze cutting into her from the side.

"Did you ever love him?" He asked. Quinn laughed loudly before flipping onto her side. Shocked by the nature of his question, she pulled her hand away from his and gazed into his eyes. It was dark in the bedroom, the only light being from the moon that was shining in through the half closed curtains.

His wet hair shimmered beautifully in the sparkling moonlight. His dark were eyes filled with curiosity. Quinn blushed before opening her mouth to speak.

"Of course not," she chuckled nervously, averting her gaze from his.

"I hardly knew the guy," she sighed before locking eyes with him again. Quinn was telling the truth for the most part, but she knew there was something about Spike that made her weak.

Vicious was silent for a moment. He seemed to be studying her face.

"Does that surprise you?" Quinn added.

"I suppose so," he shrugged before inhaling deeply through his nose.

"He's always had that effect on women, Julia being one of them," he added solemnly through a long exhale.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Quinn replied. This time, she spoke without intention of playing into her role. She didn't know if she was truly sorry, but she did know what it was like to feel the way he did. Her constant back-and-forth with Mack and the boys in high school made the feeling Vicious was expressing, all too familiar. She couldn't help but sympathize with him.

"It's alright, he always seemed to be the more appealing man. I suppose that happens regularly in friendships such as ours," Vicious added. Quinn chuckled lightly in response.

"Tell me about it," she replied, thinking of Mack once again.

"I take it you're familiar with the feeling?" Vicious added, and Quinn sighed before replying.

"How'd you guess?" Quinn replied rhetorically. Vicious exhaled sharply through his nose, laughing softly at her sarcastic remark.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have a sinking feeling that fiery red-head girl is responsible for a great amount of your wretched emotions?" Vicious asked. Quinn's eyes widened as she raised an eyebrow.

"This time I actually mean it, how'd you guess?" Quinn asked. The news coverage and headlines about Mack was entertaining to say the least, but they in no way provided a solid excerpt of their relationship.

"When I saw those headlines, I figured her crimes were either filled with deep hatred, jealousy, or love, and when I met you, I knew it had to be the last option," Vicious stated, and Quinn blushed involuntarily.

"Love? You guessed that?" She replied curiously.

"Of course, you know, you're quite the extraordinary woman, Quinn," Vicious complimented, and Quinn felt her face heat up in response. She hated that he was making her blush, but compliments were something she hardly ever received.

"Really? You think so?" She asked, her cheeks flushed crimson.

"Absolutely! I mean, you are a successful business woman, clearly well versed in the area of medical aid, and you managed to avoid being seduced by a man who specializes in trickery and charm," he replied eagerly, his body shifting closer towards hers.

"Thank you," Quinn gushed. Spike truly was an expert in charm, and she should've figured that out as soon as she watched him seduce Mack. She was foolish for ever thinking she was different, but it was clear now that it wasn't uncommon for Spike to play such games.

"Of course, you deserve the praise. I have a sinking feeling you don't get enough of it," he added. Quinn smiled weakly. Suddenly a warmness started to grow within the pit of her stomach. Was Vicious flirting with her? And was it really making her feel good? Of course not, she was simply playing a role, and buying into his charm was part of it.

"Am I that transparent?" Quinn laughed again. Her smile was growing larger by the second.

"Oh of course not, you're far too educated to be that much of an open book, I just enjoy reading people, and I must say you are one of the finest works of literature I have ever had the pleasure of setting my eyes on," Vicious complimented.

This time, Quinn felt her entire body heat up. Vicious was truly a master of flattery, and she was trying her absolute best not to fall for it.

"You are a man of many kind words," she replied, smiling ear to ear.

"I appreciate your kindness," she added. It has been quite some time since a man had shown her this kind of compassion, and despite the circumstance she was in, she was happy with what she was hearing.

For a split second, Quinn wondered what life could be like if she fell for Vicious. Of course she would never do such a thing, but the thought was tempting. After all, he was offering her obscene amounts of protection, and considering the man she was just involved with, and the life she had before he came along, the protection seemed necessary.

The idea of falling for him was utterly insane, but after all that had happened to her, she wasn't sure if her life was ever going to be normal. Everything in her life seemed to be a threat, and it really seemed like Vicious could make it all fade away. The offer he had initially made to her over breakfast was growing more and more intriguing by the minute.

"You're a very kind woman, Quinn, thank you for your help tonight," he added, bringing his hand to her face.

"Thank you too, and, you're welcome," Quinn smiled as she felt his palm rest upon her cheek. It wasn't long after they finished talking that she drifted off into sleep. That night her dreams were silent. There were no nightmares, there were no struggles, it was just a blank canvas. It was nice to have such tranquility. It was a feeling Spike had never brought her.