The Dark Ghosts

75. Bianca

Bianca's POV

The morning breeze fanned my face as I wrapped my arms around myself, leaning against the bench. I placed the coffee we had just bought next to me, making sure it wouldn't fall. I felt Alec's eyes on me, not in an ushering manner but patiently waiting for me to start as he sat beside me.

The park was unsurprisingly deserted, just as always I came here, and I'm pretty sure guards were scattered around the perimeter on high alert. It didn't take a genius to figure that Alec had called them as soon as I asked him to come here, Brooklyn Bridge Park, wanting to ensure our safety. Not that there might have been many people as it's still a bit early, but I'm sure Alec's men made sure there was nobody in here. It is something that still surprises me, how he can just evacuate some places just like that.

My fingers drummed against my arm following a nervous rhythm, my eyes looking blankly into space. A warm hand was suddenly placed over my thigh, gently squeezing it. One of my hands travelled down my body, landing on that hand as my fingers tangled with his. He held my hand tightly and rubbed comforting circles on the back of it, providing me with the reassurance I needed but not helping my stammering heart. Nothing could help the anxiousness I felt.

After a few seconds, I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on him, unconsciously scooting further into him while reminding myself that I had to be brave for this.

"I had quite a normal childhood," I began. "I lived in the outskirts of Washington, in a very tranquil neighborhood, I went to a public but good school, had a few friends there, got along with my teachers and classmates... My parents were a normal, married couple with average jobs, a nice house and completely unproblematic. So, as you see, nothing out of the norm.

"I never had an outstanding IQ nor did I was the most intelligent child in the world, but that didn't mean I wasn't a bright kid who didn't notice how her parents occasionally acted... weirdly. Even from an early age, I could notice how their behavior wasn't the most normal. I'm not just talking about how they acted in some specific situations, but also how they behaved as parents. They cared for me, sure, but love? Those were much bigger words and I'm not sure if they ever loved me." I paused and gulped down a big sip of coffee before putting the cup back down, enjoying the calming effect that caffeine produced.

"I had two close friends at school: Katheryn and Kaleb, identical twins. We were like siblings, they even called me their triplet. We were the perfect example of inseparable best friends," I chuckled. "I used to talk about my parents' strange behavior but none of us took it too seriously. In my case, I always thought that they were simply cold and distant people who struggled to show their feelings and them showing me they cared was the best they could do. I always turned a blind eye to it, until it was too late and I realized that maybe I should've done something about it.

"One day, the twins' mom was getting us three from school so we could finish a project together at their house. On the drive home, she received a call from the office she worked at. Her boss told her that some documents were missing and that she needed to go to the office as soon as possible. She was hesitant at first because that meant she had to leave us alone as her husband was working too. We were young and, even though we were good kids, she didn't feel comfortable leaving us unsupervised. However, I remembered that my mom used to arrive home around that time, so I suggested she drove us to mine so she could solve her problem at her job. She eventually agreed and took us there in less than twenty minutes. The twins bid her goodbye and we happily chatted as we made our way to the front door. However, none of us were expecting the sight we witnessed when we entered.

"Both of my parents were sat in the living room with serious but scared expressions. That was the first suspicious fact to me, as only my mom was supposed to be there, not my dad. On the back of the room stood two bulky men dressed in all black with a man just as terrifying-looking, if not more, standing in front of them. The twins were just as confused as me, who was trying to process everything that was happening in front of my eyes."