Silent Love, Silent Pain [Levi x OC]

9. Truce, not trust

Her heart was pounding really fast as she looked at Ben's calm eyes and lips curled in a light smile that he always had when they were coming in. It was because they never let him down before. It felt like if they were about to crush his trust, his faith in them. What if he's going to fire them? Or...punish them? He might seem as a gentle, sophisticated man but he could be ruthless, tasks that he was giving them were proving it very well. She wasn't the only scared one in the room. Furlan and Isabel were also afraid, moving their feet nervously like if they wanted to storm out of the room. Ben was their guarantor of peace. He was the one that was paying them, making their stomachs full and never once he overused his power nor was horrible to them. Letting him down felt like if they were betraying him, like if they were ungrateful. They were ashamed of their own failure. Of Sophie's failure and their too slow reaction to that. 

"So? Will you finally say something?" Ben broke the silence and looked quickly at all of them before he stopped at Sophie's face. He usually was focusing his eyes on Levi, so the fact that he made an exception from that was suspicious, making all of them more nervous. "I'm waiting" he almost chuckled but a slight tone of impatience was palpable in his words.

"We burned the warehouse down" Levi slowly said after he cleared his throat. When he spoke Ben moved his sight at him, but quickly got back to Sophie again making her really uncomfortable.

"And?" he asked after.

"We killed almost everyone" as Levi said it his eyesight moved to the ceiling almost like if he wanted to roll his eyes, except he didn't. He was fighting off his own frustration. He crossed his arms which only sharpened the effect.

"Almost?" he raised his eyebrow in question.

"Yes, one person got away and-"

"I know" he interrupted him as he stood up and walked towards them with his hands in his pockets. They parted their lips in surprise. What does it mean that he knows? He knew the whole time and still stressed the hell out of them?! Was that his punishment? They had a lot of questions in their minds but none of them got verbalised because Ben continued. "One of Reginald's messengers paid me a visit early in the morning. I considered killing him but then he told me what happened last night. How our friend" he pointed with his head at Sophie and she blushed in embarrassment. "spared one of his guys. Torren if I remember correctly" he continued. As he mentioned that name Sophie felt unpleasant twist in her stomach. Furlan clenched his fists and Levi spluttered quietly which made Ben smile more. "As I can see you two are not very happy with her decision, am I right?"

"They're not" Sophie quickly said before anyone made it to speak. "It's my fault. I'm sorry. If someone has to be punished it should be only me" she stopped to the front with her head down, ready for a scold or even a punch, but Furlan grabbed her by her arm and made her come back next to him.

"I can fix it. I'll kill him even today" Levi offered.

"No need to do that"

"What?" all of them asked at the same time confusedly. They thought that they misheard him.

"Apparently Reginald got moved by her mercy. He wants a truce" he made a pause to check the look on their faces. They were shocked and it seemed like processing through his words would take them more time. He chuckled seeing that and continued. "He believes that you proved that we can trust each other and restrain our killing instincts. He thinks that will make us stronger and will help to take down other businesses in here. I agreed to that"

"What? You want us to cooperate with them?" Furlan asked loudly, gritting his teeth. He couldn't believe it, it was making him furious especially seeing the fear that was building up in Sophie's eyes.