My right fist goes to the center of the punching bag, then followed by my left. I lift my leg and kick. Using my palms I stop the bag from swinging and grab my water bottle from the floor. The ice cold water is refreshing from my body being heated and exhausted.
I was allowed to go to the workout room so I've now been in here for four hours. The only people who have walked in take one look at me and then leave. So what they haven't accepted me as their own, I don't care because I'm not one of them. I won't ever be,
I take the hand towel I set on the bench and wipe the sweat off the back of my neck and then my forehead. I smooth out the hairs sticking up from my ponytail.
The door open and Alek steps in but stops the moment he notices he's not the only one in here. He's about to leave but I hold my hand up.
"The room is all yours, Orso," I grab my things, tucking my water bottle under my arm.
Alek doesn't acknowledge me, he just shoves past me, his body brushing against my shoulder. I roll my eyes and slam the door shut behind me.
I make my way upstairs to my room and gather clean clothes. I go to the bathroom in the hall, turning the shower to hot water. I undress, setting my clothes on the toilet, then get into the shower.
Once I'm finished I brush through my hair and change into black leggings and a tight green shirt that matches my eyes.
My thumb rubs over the black spider burnt into my skin. I will find the men who did this to six year old me.
It's terrifying to know those men still walk around. I only know the face of one of them, the rest all wore masks with a smile engraved on them.
I push my thoughts away and grab my things and go to my room. I'm not even in here for a full minute when the door is thrown open.
Aria stands in the doorway with a finger up in the air as she catches her breath.
"I could have been naked," I cross my arms over my chest.
She looks me over, "Well you aren't."
I gesture for her to tell me what she came here for.
"Oh, Damien has our take off time to New York at seven thirty tonight," she tells me.
My brows crease together, "Our flight?"
"Yeah... to find Liam," she is looking at me as if I should have known this.
"Damien is letting me leave this house, wait no, he is letting me leave the country," I confirm.
"Well, yes. So, get packing," and with that said she leaves the room.
"Nikita!" she squeals from the hall and then yelps, followed with a thud.
I open the closet and on the top shelf has a black suitcase. I stand on the tips of my toes to pull it down. I unzip it on the bed and start folding random clothes and throwing them into the suitcase.
I freeze when I realize Matteo is going to be alone in Russia.
I rush out of the room to Damiens bedroom door. I hand hesitates to grab the knob and I end up knocking instead. The sound of shuffling is heard through the door and then it cracks open.
"Donatella?" all I can see is part of his face from the small space.
"Damien, I need to make another call," I say straight away.
"Who do you need to call and why?" he asks, his voice is husky.
"Just a friend. I need to tell him something," his facial expression flickers to maybe anger but his face goes back to straight.
"No," he says simply.
"Damien, I need to tell him. I won't tell him anything about," I move my hand around, "this."
"No."
My jaw tightens, "If he ends up dead, it's your fault."
"Okay."
My teeth grind together, my hands close into fists at my side. My nails dig into my skin.
His eyes move down to my fists and I unclench them.
His jaw hardens, "God, Donatella, you're bleeding."
My gaze shifts down to my palms, blood tickles off my palms to the floor. Damien opens the door fully and gestures for me to come in. My eyes trail down his bare chesk to the sweat pants hangning low on his waist. The room is atleast double maybe even triple the size of the one I'm staying in. There is a double door for what I assume is the closet and then another door for the bathroom.
Damien opens the door to the bathroom and I follow behind him. There is a long vanity with two sinks, a walk in shower and a tub. There is another door that is opened that has the toilet.
Damien catches me off guard when he picks my up by my waist, lifting me up onto the vanity. His hand goes beside my left thigh and picks up the white cloth. He wets the cloth under the sink. He takes my hand by my wrist and I open my hand.
"You need to stop hurting yourself. Kai told me you did this a couple nights ago," he shakes his head.
He presses the cloth onto my right hand, holding it to absorb the blood.
"I don't mean to," I mumble looking down to my lap.
He sighs, lifting up the cloth and wiping down the blood that smeered. He does the same thing to my other hand.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask, my voice is soft.
He shrugs his shoulders. Damien bends down, opens a drawer, in the small motion his muscles move.
He sets a white bottle of rubbing alcohol beside me. He takes the cloth and uses a section that doesn't have blood to pour the alcohol on.
He gives me a wary look and I give him a small smile.
"It only feels like a little sting, I'm fine," he nods to my words.
He wipes the cresent moons on my palms the alcohol stinging, but not bad. When he is finished he opens the same drawer he got the rubbing alcohol from and unravels some medical tape.
I shake my head, "They are only small cuts, I don't need that."
"It's to stop you from doing it again," he doesn't wait for me to say anything else, he starts wrapping my palms.
He starts to put everything away and I slip off the vanity.
"Just one phone call, Damien," I ask again.
"I said no."
I groan and follow Damien out of the bathroom. I notice his phone on the dresser and as we pass it I slip it into my waistband of my leggings. Damien opens the door for me and I walk out not sparing a glance his way,
I walk as fast as can to my room and lock my door. My fingers move quickly as I dial Matteo's number.
After three rings he answers.
"Hello?" Matteo says.
"Hey, I need to make this quick."
"Donatella?" Matteo voice goes higher.
"Yeah. Anyways, tonight we are leaving for New york. I'm pretty sure Brooklyn, I need you to get on the first flight you can there."
"Okay-yeah, will I get to see you?" Matteo asks.
There are footsteps in the hall that are getting louder.
"I don't know," the door knob shakes as someone tries to get in, "shit, Matteo, I gotta go."
"Wait-" I hang up, closing the call app out of the phone.
The door is unlocked and Damien walks in, his body tensed.
"What part of no did you not get?" he's obviously angry.
"Oh, I got it, I just didn't care," I shrug my shoulders.
I grab the phone and toss it to him. He catches it with one hand, shoving it into his pocket.
"Who did you call?" he asks.
"I told you, a friend."
He runs a hand through his black hair, "I need a name, Donatella."
"And I won't be giving you a name, Damien," I narrow my eyes at him.
His hands tighten by his side, "Fucking hell, Donatella. I have told you enough that if anyone knew who you were I'd be killed and yet you can't just tell me a fucking name."
"You drugged me to try to make me talk!" I stand up and yell.
"Because you tried to murder my brother!" he shouts back, taking a step closer to me.
"Yeah, that was my job, dumbass," I roll my eyes.
We're now only a couple inches apart. His eyes darken and I let out a laugh.
I shove past him, leaving him alone in my room. I go to the bathroom and lock it. I wait until I hear my bedroom door close and then footsteps down the stairs, then go back to the bedroom.
I end up laying in bed until Aria knocks at the door to tell me it is time to go.