Ominous- Jeff The Killer x Reader Ch.7

Jeff had given you a set of clean clothes and directed you to the shower, which was in a separate room downstairs.

The building you were currently in was an apartment, much cozier than the dilapidated warehouse. It was lightly furnished. Two bedrooms, one bath, with a small kitchen and living room.

While the hot water ran over your skin, you thought about when and how Jeff would kill you.

If you were just some ordinary victim, why hadn't he killed you already?

Why was he keeping you alive?

Was he really so strict as to only kill healthy victims? Ones that could try to run, or struggle?

You took off the bandage a noted the intricate stitching along the bottom of your ribcage. Whoever this “friend” of Jeff’s was, must’ve known what he was doing. The stitches were flawless.

After you felt clean, you shut off the faucet and dried off with the towel that waited for you on the sink.

You tousled your wet hair into some semblance of a decent style After dressing in the clothes Jeff had given you, a camisole, underwear, a pair of grey sweatpants, and a red raglan shirt, you walked back into the living room, where Jeff was waiting by the front door.

He had a blue baseball cap over his head, which was framed by his long black hair. He wore a well-fitted grey shirt, jeans, and his leather jacket. He knelt down to tie the laces of his white Adidas sneakers.

His pale skin and scars also looked much less noticeable, and you wondered if he had put on makeup to blend in.

Not wanting to risk pissing him off if you mentioned it. You simply stood beside him and grabbed your shoes, slipping them on following him out of the main door and down a small hallway.

He unlocked the bolts on the front door and opened it. The storm door creaked quietly and warm autumn air blew into your face, a feeling that was surprisingly soothing.

Before you could take another step forward, you felt Jeff's hand grip your upper arm.

He lowered his head level with your ear and whispered in a deadly tone.

“You won’t do anything stupid right?”

You just shook your head. Jeff nodded once.

"Good. Let's go."

The neighborhood was quiet and it seemed as though Jeff's safehouse was in a small town.

You had no idea what town it was, or how far you were from home.

Every once in a while you would stagger or hiss in pain from the soreness in your side, and you could feel Jeff's eyes watching.

He didn't speak during the walk unless it was to tell you how far you had to go or to watch your step.

The only things that could be heard were chirping birds, distant cars, and the sound of your own footsteps. Heavier than usual. The atmosphere was peaceful and uncomfortable at the same time. Finally, you spotted a car a few years away, a white BMW. Jeff pulled out a set of keys and pressed a button on the car lock control. The car brake lights flashed for a moment and Jeff opened the passenger side for you. You slid into the leather seat and closed the door, noting the new car smell and the faint scent of old fast food.

Jeff opened his side and slid in behind the wheel, turning the keys in the ignition. The radio switched on, playing rock n’ roll. He turned the volume down low.

“Seatbelt.” Was all he said, and you obliged.

He drove off, on hand on the wheel, the other reaching into his pocket to pull out a cellphone. You’d never seen him with one before. But while he drove down the road he called a number and held it to his ear.

You couldn’t hear the person on the other end. But Jeff seemed comfortable, conversational.

“Yeah… just a heads up.”

He paused listening.

“Just don’t do your normal thing. You know what I’m talking about Jack.”

He hung up, not looking over at you. You didn't ask about the phone call. Frankly, it was none of your business.

When you finally arrived at a small diner, Jeff pushed the brim of his hat down and led you inside.

There were only a few people inside, mostly middle-aged truck drivers, and two indie-hipster kids who were sitting in a booth near the jukebox. 80’s pop played over the speakers.

Jeff picked a booth towards the middle of the room, and you slid in across from him.

Without even missing a beat, the waitress, a short blonde woman with freckles and doe eyes, walked over to your table and placed two glasses of water and menus in front of you and Jeff. She pulled out a notepad and pen. You gratefully grabbed the glass and stuck a straw in the icy cold liquid, drinking it fast enough to give yourself brain-freeze.

The waitress clicked her pen and straightened out the messy bun on her head.

"Hi, my name-"

She paused and stared at Jeff, who was watching you with piercing blue eyes underneath his baseball cap.

You grew uneasy. What if this woman recognized one or both of you?

The woman tapped the pen against her chin, then used it to lift Jeff's hat slightly.

Oh no.

"Jeffrey honey! Back again?" She asked, smiling and cracking her gum.

Jeffrey.. honey?

Jeff rolled his eyes and lifted his head to the woman.

"Yeah, Lisa, ‘back again’." He mumbled, folding his arms.

The woman, Lisa, shifted her attention to you.

"Who's this pretty little angel? Your girlfriend?"

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat and took a long sip of water, not looking at either of them. You shook your head furiously.

Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Hardly."

Lisa however, was incredulous.

"What a shame. And she's so pretty too, your kids would come out gorgeous!" She said, fanning her face and giggling.

You choked on your water, startling both Jeff and Lisa. They both watched you with puzzled expressions as you wiped your mouth on your sleeve and cleared your throat.

"Sorry sorry. That was uncalled for." Lisa apologized, calming herself down.

You said nothing, averting your gaze and staring at the table like it was the most interesting table in the known universe.

Lisa cleared her throat.

"So anyway. What'll it be Jeff? The usual?"

"Yeah. Same for her." He said, nodding towards you.

Lisa smiled and grabbed the menus, not even bothering to write down the orders.

Did Jeff eat here that much?

After Lisa had disappeared behind the kitchen doors, Jeff pulled the brim of his hat back down and folded his arms.

You just sat there awkwardly picking at your fingernails and wishing you had your cell phone, so you could at least occupy yourself with a game or something, or call Hannah.

You just wondered how long it would be until Jeff killed you.

Was it part of his twisted methods to hold out this long? Give you a false sense of security?

Was that his game?

Seeing him act like a normal person was unusual. And then you remembered what you saw that night when he was crying like a lost child in the bathroom.

What was that even about?

Lost in thought, you barely noticed Lisa return with two identical plates with burgers and fries.

"Thank you." You said.

"No problem hun." She smiled at you and turned to Jeff when he cleared his throat.

"Is Jack around?" He asked in a low voice.

Lisa nodded and pointed to a door towards the back of the diner.

"He's in the back if you want to talk to him."

Jeff nodded and started eating as Lisa walked away.

You took a bite and smiled. It was delicious. Jeff glanced up at you with an amused expression.

You noticed a customer leaving with a styrofoam box just like the one Jeff had given you before.

Had he walked all the way here, wherever 'here' was, to get breakfast earlier?

It made you wonder about how difficult life was for Jeff, constantly running from the police, hiding his identity.

But how did he know Lisa?

"So uh… who’s-"

"She's my cousin, Jack's girlfriend. Jack's the one that stitched up your gunshot wound. Yes, she knows I'm a murderer, in case you’re wondering, but if you met her boyfriend, I'd seem really normal, really fast.

"No shit?" You asked, suddenly not wanting to meet Jack. He was the guy who stitched you up?

After Jeff was finished half of his food, he stood and slid out of his side of the booth.

"I have to meet with Jack for a few minutes. Stay put." He said.

You nodded and watched as he went into the back room.

You finished your plate quickly, and when Lisa came back she asked if Jeff had gone into the back room.

You nodded, shifting uncomfortably when you noticed Lisa examining your face.

"You're looking kinda pale sweetie. You should step outside for some fresh air. I know it can get stuffy in this place."

You shook your head quickly. Jeff said to stay here.

"N-No... I shouldn't."

But Lisa just waved her hand passively.

"I insist. Just for a few minutes. If Jeff comes out I'll tell him where you've gone. Just don't go far."

You relaxed a bit and smiled.

"Okay."

After stepping outside the diner you noticed the sun was starting to set behind the trees. You rounded the corner and leaned against the side of the building, letting out a shaky breath. Your thoughts drifted back to Hannah. How was she recovering? Was she searching for you? What about your mother? Did she even know you were gone?

You were so lost in your head, you didn't notice the two men approaching you.

"What are you doing here all by yourself girlie?" One said.

You glanced between the men warily.

Classic.

"Minding my own business. Do you mind?"

You attempted to walk past the two increasingly shady looking men when one grabbed you by the wrist.

"Don’t be like that babydoll."

You used your free hand to punch the taller man in the gut, causing him to double over and release you.

You ran in the opposite direction around the back of the diner, hoping to circle around the other side and find Lisa.

As you turned the corner you froze in your tracks.

The other man was waiting a few yards in front of you.

As he moved forward, you doubled back, only to run right into the first man.

You were surrounded.

Jeff watched the young man in front of him in disgust as he took another bite of the burgundy flesh on his plate.

Jeff knew exactly what it was.

He folded his arms, glaring at the man in front of him. "Ugh. I'd like to keep my dinner down if you don't mind."

Jack had a particular habit that even Jeff wouldn't justify.

"Oh c'mon, people eat animal kidneys all the time. Why is it so wrong to eat this?"

Jeff wrinkled his nose.

"I'm not sure what human on this planet would willingly give you their kidney for lunch."

Jack laughed at that.

"Willingly... that's cute. Though, I did have a few I convinced with money."

The man smirked, brushing a hand over his chocolate brown hair and setting the plate aside so as to not cause his good friend to vomit.

"So how's the girl?"

Jeff shrugged. "Still living. Still a fucking hassle.”

Jack leaned back in his chair.

"Really Jeff, I’m curious, why go through the trouble? This isn’t like you. When you called me asking that I stitch up one of your victims who had taken a bullet from police, I was genuinely surprised. You’re not one for compassion or mercy. No offense."

Jeff scoffed. "You find joy, thinking about the reactions of your personal victims when they wake up in a bathtub of ice missing a kidney. But tell me, if your victims died after you took their organs, without even realizing what happened, would it still be fun?"

Jack thought for a moment, before smiling.

"You do have a point, my friend. I should t-"

Jacks words were interrupted by a scream from somewhere outside.

He stood and looked up at Jeff.

"Who was that?"

His mind automatically shifted to _____.

“Shit.”

He ran out the door and saw that her seat was empty.

Lisa was walking in from the kitchen humming along to the radio. Jeff grabbed her shoulders.

"Lisa, where is she?"

"Huh? Oh- y'mean your lady friend? I told her she should get some fresh air outside. What's wrong-"

Jeff didn't spare another moment to let Lisa finish. He bolted out the front door and followed the sound of your voice.

What the hell had you gotten into?

He quickly pulled a pocket knife as he turned the corner, freezing in his tracks when he saw you fighting off two large men.

You continued punching and kicking, not yet noticing Jeff's presence.

He was impressed you were holding your own, but Jeff knew it wouldn’t last long. You were weak from your injuries, and the men were clearly drunk. He made a move forward.

"Jeff! Help me please!" You yelled.

Your words punched him in the gut.

Why were you calling for him to help you?

Why would you put your faith so blindly in the insane notion that he would actually come for you?

Then he realized, right now he was all you had. There was no one else who would save you. Not your parents, not your cousins, not even yourself.

Just him.

You let out an ear-splitting scream as one of the men gripped you up by your hair. Hot tears streamed down your face, as you felt yourself grow weaker by the second. You could feel the wound in your side throbbing.

"Let go of me!" You rasped, trying to kick the man in the gut.

"Shut up." He spat, punching you in the jaw.

Your head reeled, and just when you expected the worst, the man above you suddenly stopped his actions. A dark red stain began spreading over his shirt. He fell over on his side, bleeding out on the dirt.

In your blurred sight, you could see Jeff lean down and yank the blade from the back of your attacker, turning to the other man and grabbing him by his head from behind, holding the blade to his throat.

You'd never seen so much anger in his eyes as he dug the blade deeper into the man's skin.

"Wait, wait!" The man begged, raising his arms and moving away from you.

Jeff’s expression darkened from rage to an eerie calm, and it made you shiver.

"H-hey man take it easy! I was just-"

Jeff didn't wait for a second longer before dragging the blade across the man's throat. Blood sprayed everywhere, as he dropped the body, watching as the man choked to death on his own blood. The sight reminded you of Carter.

Jeff wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled you off the ground. You wrapped your arms around his neck and clung to him tightly.

The world felt fuzzy.

You tried to stay steady but it was too much. Your knees buckled and you collapsed, feeling Jeff catch you in his arms.

Lisa and another man, most likely Jack, had rounded the corner, staring at the dead bodies then at you in Jeff's arms.

Lisa was distressed.

"Oh god. I shouldn't have-"

"Don't worry about it." Jeff said, quickly cutting her off.

"I'll make sure the bodies are disposed of quietly," Jack said, placing an arm on Jeff’s shoulder. “Take her to my office so I can fix her up. The stitches are torn.”

"Thanks." Jeff nodded, walking past them.

You still clung to the fabric of his jacket like a lifeline.

Jeff carried you inside the diner, ignoring the strange looks of the customers sitting down. Jack and Lisa followed you into the back office where Jeff sat you down on a cushioned chair.

You groaned in pain. Jack walked over to his desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a first aid kit and some antiseptic. He kneeled in front of you.

“Could you lift your shirt a bit sweetheart?”

You obliged, turning up the front of your now bloodied shirt, exposing the wound. The stitches were tearing painfully at your skin, and blood leaked from the wound.

Jack cleaned the wound and bandaged it. You hissed at the sting of the alcohol, and he gave you an encouraging smile. Jeff and Lisa were standing across the room, both with identical expressions of concern. They really were cousins.

When Jack was finished he offered his hand for you to shake.

“I’m Jack. We’ve met before- well, you were mostly unconscious but-”

You took his hand and shook it lightly. “Nice to meet you, I’m ______. Thank you for stitching me up. I’d be dead if it weren’t for you.”

“It was Jeff’s request of course. He just keeps surprising me.”

“You and me both.” You noted, glancing up at Jeff. He averted his gaze.

Lisa left the room for a minute before returning with a small bag of ice wrapped in a paper towel. She handed it to you as Jack stood and straightened his shirt.

“Here honey, that scumbag punched you pretty hard. You’ve got a nasty shiner.”

You took the ice pack from Lisa gratefully and held it to your jaw. The cold soothed the throbbing pain and you closed your eyes and sighed in relief.

Jack approached and beckoned for me to follow him out the door as Lisa struck up a casual conversation with _____. I followed him down the back hallway. Jack stopped and leaned back up against the wall

“Seems like this is a little more than a pet project to you.” He smirked, folding his arms across his chest.

Smug bastard.

I rolled my eyes, stuffing my hands in my pockets. I didn’t meet his eyes.

“It’s not like that. I’m not like you.”

Jack raised a brow. “Human? That little rescue you pulled proves otherwise.”

I scoffed. “And what was I supposed to do, just let it happen?”

“The you I’ve known would have.”

I glared at him. In our profession, compassion was a luxury. I knew that all too well. But it’s not like Jack had any room to talk. His record was stained the darkest shade of red. Yet he had Lisa clinging to his arm at all times. I couldn’t understand how he had the capacity for it. Yet he insisted he did. Not that that’s what I wanted, but why was he questioning my motives?

“I do what I want. When I want. There’s no hidden agenda.”

Jack just shrugged. “If you say so, friend.”

Lisa appeared in the hallway. Before I could speak she cut me off.

“She’s waiting in the room. Jack, I had an idea. What if we let her stay with us?”

“No.” Was my immediate response.

Lisa huffed. “Pfft. You don’t own her.”

Jack’s expression was neutral. “That's a stretch, Lisa.”

“I know. But it could be good for everyone. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders, and by that I mean she seems completely jaded. Her life’s taken a turn, I could help her out till Mister In-denial figures out what he wants to do with her.

I shot a glare at Lisa, who stuck her tongue out defiantly.

Jack turned back to me. “It’s no trouble. We could take her off your hands so you can get back to work. Lisa seems drawn to her for some reason, and she doesn't get to talk to many people other than the customers.”

I remained quiet for what felt like forever. Mulling it over in my mind. If they wanted to take responsibility for her, I didn't care. I just didn’t know their end game. Lisa was trustworthy enough, and Jack was virtually invisible to government radar, but that didn’t mean _____, wouldn’t try to run. She knew too much already. It was a risk.

I sighed. “It’s your call.”

Jack clapped once. “Great. We’ll take her back to my place. Give you some breathing room. Don’t want you going soft on us yet.”

I followed behind Jack and Lisa and they entered the office. _____ was sitting quietly, fiddling with the zipper of her jacket. She eyed the three of us warily.

Lisa walked over to her and helped her stand.

Lisa approached you and helped you to your feet.

“Jack and I are gonna take you back to our place- give you some time away from Mr. Meanie over there.” She jutted her chin towards Jeff, who was watching you with a scowl, arms folded over his chest. He blew a lock of hair out of his face and shifted on his feet.

You blinked at Jack.

“I don’t mean to impose.”

Jack just waved his hand passively.

“You’re not imposing at all. Lisa will take good care of you. While Jeff and I attend to business.”

You raised a brow. “So you’re his employer?”

“Mhm.”

“I see.”

Jeff coughed, tapping his foot impatiently. Jack reached into his blazer pocket and tossed a set of car keys to Lisa. She caught them and grinned at you.

“Let’s get going _____.”