Devour You

42

Victoria

"Darlin', I'm waiting..." I remember hearing the gangster's husky voice shout from downstairs, minutes before I finally found the perfect dress to vesture for the night.

My black heels clicking upon the house stairs were the only sound to hang in the air, before I reached the last few steps, and I see Rio stood at the end of the wide stairway.

He stands tall and firm in a suit; the fine collars of his black tuxedo canvasing just below his tattooed neck, as the black tie rests down the bright white button down undershirt he portrays. He seems to examine my frame just when I do his own, because his full lips curve in awe - his chocolate brown irises glistening at the sight of me in the tight black dress he bought me a while back.

My smile can no longer falter.

"You look..." A soft giggle escapes my lips as he starts, and the gangster chuckles himself, shaking his head when he licks his luscious lips slowly, "immensely beautiful." he finishes soothingly.

Immensely beautiful, I replay his smooth voice in thought, before I drift the memory away temporarily, and the vision of Rio becomes a blur. When I do though, push the image of him away, a sudden uncanny feeling unravels inside me.

I miss him.

And this distance that feels exceedingly infinite, pains me.

I sit on the hard chair, still, either of my burning wrists tied and aching. Fiddling with the sparkling diamond on my finger, I stare down at the engagement ring I never expected to receive last night.

I feel my pink lips twitch.

"Did he say you can come inside?" A rough and ruffled voice sounds from behind the closed door across me - resulting in my attention to jolt ahead. I feel my shoulders merely tense.

"He doesn't have a say so. Let me in." A female voice responds behind the door - the voices are ruffled and almost unclear. But I note the familiar feminine tone all too well.

Just then the squeaky wooden door is pushed open carefully, and I swallow.

But either of my tense shoulders relax, under my yellow flannel blouse, when Beth enters. Alone, she closes the wooden door behind her.

My untrusting eyes are glued in her direction, when I send her a hesitant once over.
Her strawberry blonde waves lighten under the ceiling light of the puny room, as she takes one step toward me.

"I thought I overheard there was a hostage down in the basement." The red head begins, plastering a slight frown with her hand propped against her hip. "Except, the name wasn't Mary." Her ocean colored irises pierce me from across the room.

With a set jaw, I nasally take in a smooth breath.

"Look, I know I lied." I breathe. "I'm sorry. Now can you untie me?" I display a toothy, fake smile her way, raising my brows.
In return, Beth merely licks her red lips.

That is, before she begins in her firm and quick steps, nearing me. My light brown eyes widen, when I watch her kneel down in reach for the ropes hugging either wrist of mine.

"Just like that?" I ask quietly, perching an imperceptive brow whilst searching her irises that swirl with blue and green.

"Don't screw it up." She states sternly, undoing one rope out of the two. The red head doesn't meet my gaze. "I'm here to talk with you. Last time I checked woman-to-woman chats weren't one sided, as in one being tied to a chair." She remarks, finishing up the last rope.

I shift slightly in my seat, peering at her with hesitant eyes. Once she's finished, she stands upright and takes a step back, watching me carefully. Instinctively, I take my now free wrist in my other hand to rub the aching pain away in adjustment.

And I come to a firm stand, afterward, finally on my own two feet. Our solemn gazes lock.

"Well?" I start, still holding my wrist within my palm.

Beth takes in a breath, between the set of lips that canvas a deep red lipstick. "He really does have a plan... about all of this." She says, informatively.

My bare lips part, but I'm unsure of what to say. Though I know, certainly, who she's referring to. But for some reason, I still ask.

"Who?" I question, lowly, within a whisper.

In return the red head crosses her arms firmly across her chest. "Bossman," she states eagerly; as if the head enemy's name were bitter poison.

Isaiah. Just say it.

I swallow, softly. And I nod. "What are his plans?" I ask her, watching her familiar irises glint with something I can't quite grasp onto. She's silent a moment.

"He intends on hurting him." Beth informs. For a brief, quick moment, our vigilant gazes exchange the same glimmer of disagreement at her words.

I feel my jaw lock once again. "How do you know he's planning on hurting Rio?" I question, tone hinting suspicion.

"I spoke to him. I asked. It took a lot more than that, but he finally spilled." Beth responds.

"And why are you telling me?"

"Because-" She pauses, curling her lip. I watch her suck in a calm breath, her arms still crossed. "Because I care about him too." She reasons, her light swallow visible before me.

I stare at her, rather blankly, in turn. Maybe it's because I'm clueless as to what to say, to such an answer. Now, I'm consumed by wanting to ask why, and how. For how long?

But I know there's countless subjects more prominent, right now.

I tuck a strand of my disheveled waves behind an ear, lips parting.

And instead of the mix of questions that I urge to ask, I send Beth a nod - in understanding.

But then a thought occurs to me, in realization. My brows furrow. "You say you care... but I know what you did. You stole all that money from him and the gang, and you took off." I trail softly. "Why?"

Beth averts her gaze onto to hard floor beneath us, a moment. Then she meets my brown and perceptive irises again. "I... That was wrong," she corrects herself, unfolding her arms. "And stupid." She finishes below her breath.

"But I worked for him too, you know. And I can assure you, in case he hasn't already, it was nothing more." She says gently, her ocean eyes sharing a look with mine. And I already acknowledge what she's saying is true; Rio clarified all that concerned me in the past.

"But I was a member of... yours and his... gang for about a year." She grins. "So we grew close, him and I. But I never really understood the part of him that you do." She says lowly - and it's barely audible.

I feel my face slightly soften, at the red head's personal words.

"But it's because I care, that I had to tell you." She adds, holding my gaze.

My pink lips merely twitch, before I nod again - in understanding, in gratitude.

After Beth returns the half nod, I take in a prepared breath.

"OK. Take me to him." I state firstly, and Beth's brows barely furrow in confusion. But it doesn't take long before she knows what exactly I'm ordering - from her noticeably tense expression.

"I'm gonna talk him out of it. I'll talk him out of his plan." I add, my tone unfluctuating.

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Ahhh I know I said I was gonna update earlier, but I got caught up with some stuff!! But I really hope you enjoyed, loves. Took me a while to write this one.

Much love,

xx