Business No More

Chapter 29

Sam knocks on the door several times. "She's not opening."

I pull him to the side. "Maybe from the balcony. Just go into the other spare room and climb from the balcony to her balcony."

Sam nods. "You try to get the door open."

I watch as Sam goes into the other room. I hope he doesn't hurt himself. I knock on the door a few more times but Bianca doesn't open.

There's not a single sound coming from her room and that's what's scaring me.

"Bianca, please," I say. "Just open the door and we can get through whatever it is together."

"What's going on?"

I turn to notice Daniel. I point at the door and mouth "Bianca."

He walks over to me when he registers what I've said. "What happened?"

"She's locked herself in," I whisper.

"Just give her some time. She's gone through a big ordeal. She just needs time to heal."

I shake my head. "It's more than that. I just know it."

I'm sure Bianca doesn't want everyone to know she tried killing herself so I don't tell Daniel. I feel bad because I don't keep secrets from him and it is because of him that Bianca's back. Well him and Sam and even Sophia.

I notice Max walking over rubbing his eye where his bruise is. He winces but shows no reaction to the pain. "What's all the noise for?"

I shake my head. "Nothing, you should go to sleep."

Max looks at me and then back at Daniel. "It's not nothing. Why are you guys standing out here in the hallway in front of the guest bedroom."

I go blank, my expression almost giving it away.

That's when Daniel jumps in. "Cause I needed to talk to her and Sophia was asleep so I stepped out here to not wake Soph up."

Max lifts his eyebrow, the way all three brothers do. "That's not it. Is Bianca okay?"

I know if I answer, I won't be able to lie so I look down at the red carpet with gold edge embroidery running down the length of the hallway.

The door suddenly clicks open and Sam swings it open, stopping in his tracks when he sees Max.

I push through not worrying because that's my friend in there. I'm not going to give up on her. I'm not going to lose hope in Bianca.

When I walk in the room, Bianca is crouching by the side of the bed on the ground, her head between her knees.

I can hear talk behind me which tells me that both Daniel and Max have also joined us.

I turn to watch Max, as he notices that Bianca doesn't look well. It takes him less then a second to crouch beside her and I can tell it hurts him to do so because his knee is injured.

He doesn't make a sound though and doesn't even show the pain registering over his face or body. Instead he focuses entirely on Bianca.

"What's wrong?" He asks placing his hand on her knee.

When she moves his hand away and shifts further away from him, that's when I see the pain in his face. This hurts a lot more than his knee.

"Don't be like that, B. Why are you crying?" Max says. "Just talk to me. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

She looks up at him when she hears him promise that he won't let anything happen to her. "You promise?"

"I promise," Max says as he pulls her body close to his.

This time she doesn't hesitate. She lets him hold her like that but we know something is wrong and Max definitely knows something is wrong by the way her body shivers.

Max clenches his teeth in anger as if he's figured out what may have happened.

"I'm sorry," Bianca says between sobs. "I tried to tell you but I couldn't, I was too weak."

Max watches her carefully. "Are you telling me that that son of a bitch put his hands on you?"

Bianca digs further into Max's body, crawling between his arms as he wraps her tighter. "I'm sorry," is all she says.

Max grabs her face. "No," he says. "Don't be sorry. You did nothing wrong."

I notice Daniel leaving the room. I feel like I should too but I need to know exactly what happened.

"I feel dirty, Max," Bianca says. "And I can't get the feeling off of me."

Max rubs her arm. "You're not dirty, okay. Look at me Bianca. You're anything but dirty. Don't doubt yourself. I'll do whatever it takes to help you," he says as he squeezes her hand. "Which one was it?"

Her face shoots up to his and she shakes her head. "No you won't do anything crazy. I just got you back."

"Who was it, Bianca?" Max asks in a calm manner.

She shudders. "Max you don't understand. He raped me. I just want to forget. I just want to get the feeling off of me. I feel like I let you down."

"You didn't Bianca. You didn't. Nothing you could do would let me down but I won't let that bastard live."

Sam kneels beside Bianca. "I just need a name or description."

Bianca shakes her head. "No. Isn't it enough that we're all together."

Sam frowns. "Not if that guy is the reason you tried to kill yourself."

Max's face goes towards Sam as he watches him. "What!"

Bianca grabs Max's shirt as she cries. "I didn't want to but I just can't get this feeling off of me. I feel gross and I just feel used. I can't do it."

Max grabs her face. "Look at me. Promise me you won't do anything like that again."

She blinks but doesn't say a thing.

"Come on, B. I'm trying. Help me out here," he says as I notice the tears start rolling down his face. "Promise me you won't try to harm yourself again."

Bianca takes a deep breath. "I promise."

Sam squeezes her hand. "His name, Bianca?"

She shakes her head. "We're safe. That's all that matters."

"And we will be safe but I can't let that criminal off without him paying the price," Sam says. "They're in jail so we're all safe."

She looks at Max who nods.

"Just a name or description is all I'm asking for, B," Sam pleads.

She squeezes into Max's body and begins shivering again. "He had a beard, a long one and a tattoo across his wrist saying 'death',"

San gets up and leaves the room. I know what he's up to so I follow behind him. "Sam, wait!"

He doesn't stop as he goes down the stairs. "It's late now, Sam. Go in the morning."

When he finally stops by the front door, he turns to face me. "I can't. I need to solve this now, for Bianca's sake, for Max's sake and for our sake. None of us will ever hurt again."

I blink but I don't say a thing. I let him open the door and leave.

When I go back upstairs, I notice Max taking Bianca into his room. At least she'll feel safe with him beside her.