LILIANNA'S POV
My body is stiff when I wake. The heat from my shower does nothing to relieve the aching tension wound through my entire body. My face feels a lot more swollen than it looks, blueing bruises blemish the side of my face, my stomach and over my hand. My hand hurts the most, it aches even with the most minor movements but it's not broken thank goodness.
To my disappointment Seven is nowhere to be found in my flat. I had hoped after last night that he'd be sticking a little more closely to me but after reading his note about having work things to do I should have known last nights attack would be more motivation for him to progress with his plans against Victor. I shudder at the thought of what those plans may do to my Seven. I wish there were some other way, but deep down I know there isn't. Victor will always be a threat as long as he lives. Not just a threat to us, but everyone and anyone whom may find themselves in his way. My hand instinctively brushes over my scar at my side. A reminder of exactly the kind of monster Victor is. Perhaps Seven is right. There really is no other way to keep everyone safe and to respect the rules of their life without taking out Victor. I just wish it didn't have to be Seven, but I understand why it has to be him. No one else will ever get close enough, no one else will probably be brave enough and no one else has more of a right for seeking both revenge and justice against Victor then Seven.
I rake the brush through my hair, detangling the semi wet mess before it fully dries in knots. Change into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a small embroidered butterfly on it. It reminds me instantly of Seven's tattoo, possibly why I brought the top in the first place. I grab some books in the hopes to distract myself from thoughts of Seven with some study but I don't even get to absorb the fist page of reading when a pounding at my door has me jumping from the small dining table.
At first I'm hesitant to answer as the knocking is more of an aggressive pummelling against the thin wooden door. But when Curby's voice sounds over the strikes requesting me to quickly open the door, I do just that.
"What's wrong?" I take in his urgency, Mesha standing right behind him in my doorway.
"We need to go. Now." Curby begins to take my arm but I yank it away from his touch.
"Go? What? Where?" The panic begins to coil its way into my joints, setting me on edge, waiting to react.
"I have to take you up the coast. To your house. We need to go now. I'll explain on the way." He reaches for my arm again but I step back before his touch finds me, leaving him a little irritated with the huff coming from his lips.
My house.
That could only mean one place. The safe house Seven had brought for me in my name. If we were to be heading to the safe house then... Then something must be happening. Has Seven found Victor? Or even worse, has Victor found Seven?
"Lily, you need to come with us." Mesha gently propounds, her brown eyes fearful of my resistance. I know I need to go with them, Seven has probably ordered for Curby to take me. I have to listen to Seven, but I can't just leave. What if I can never come back here? I glance back at my apartment.
"I'll come. Just- Just give me a second." I insist and quickly run through my apartment. My hands grab my bag as I do, tipping it upside down to rid the school books that fill it, discarding them to the floor without another thought and run to my bedroom. I grab my mothers jewellery box from the top of my chest of draws, before fishing into my sock draw and pulling out the paper work of my name changes and stuff them into my bag. If someone working for Victor were to find this they'd find me a lot easier. Next is my fathers journal resting next to my bed where I read it most nights. Then my cellphone, my passport, wallet and laptop. I stomp my feet into a pair of trainers not caring about the fold in the back I've created with my heel before running back out to Curby and Mesha. I grab the beach photograph of my grandmother and myself off the wall as I pass, shoving it into the bag too.
"Okay." I pant, slightly out of breath from running around. Curby looks at me like I'm slightly unstable but he wouldn't understand the intrinsic value the items hold for me. Or perhaps he does, I know Seven has a lock box of keep sakes from his life before the gang. Maybe Curby does too.
"Let's go." Curby ushers me out of the apartment, shutting the door before I can take one last glance back at the place. Curby walks ahead while Mesha's arm winds around me as we walk together. Curby's truck is parked illegally right outside my building and I climb into the backseat of the cab. There's another backpack on the seat next to me, I recognise it as Mesha's school bag. Knowing she must have done the same panicked run around as I have. I hate that she has been dragged into this and feel guilty for her involvement, but a small part of me reminds me that Mesha introduced me to this life, or better reintroduced me. Her manicured fingers intertwine with Curby's and settle over the middle console as his truck roars to life with a heavy grunt. And the thought occurs to me that Mesha probably would have found herself here anyway, regardless of me. I silently scold myself once again for being so oblivious to their obvious attraction. From the first time I met Curby he blatantly flirted with Mesha in front of me, and she served his coquettish banter right back to him. I don't think any of us knew back then what was going to happen within the year.
When we're speeding steadily out of the city heading for the coast, Curby let's me in on what is going on. He tells me Victor has returned to the city and is in fact at the old strip club where I use to work. Club Venus. I haven't stepped foot in that place since my accident. And I don't ever plan to. That is, until Curby discloses that Seven is making his way there alone to confront Victor. I know what he means by, "confront." He's going to kill him. Or at least try to.
"We have to go back." I insist. But Curby makes no attempt to turn the truck around. Instead his brows knit together in a frown and his foot pushes further down on the gas pedal.
"Curby! We have to go back for him! We can't leave him!" I hit at the back of his seat, as he ignores me.
"You know we can't leave him to face Victor alone!" Curby continues to say nothing and doesn't let up his speed as we travel further and further away from the city. Away from Seven.
"How can you run away and just leave him?!" My voice raises, filling the cab of the truck.
"Because he made me promise!" Curby yells back. I know he's not yelling because of me, he's yelling because he's upset about leaving Seven too.
"Seven wants to do this alone. He made me promise to get you out of here and make sure you're safe." Curby's eyes don't leave the road as he harshly glares out at the open road in front of us. Mesha squeezes his hand gently.
"So that's what I'm going to do." Curby continues, his voice now lowered back to its usual volume.
"You're not the only one who cares about him, Lily." Curby reminds me and I settle back into my seat. There's no use trying get him to turn back or pull over. Curby won't break his promise to Seven, even if it means leaving Seven to face Victor alone.
No one speaks for the rest of the drive. The pent up anxiety building inside of me is released slightly with every nail I bite free from my fingertips. When my nails are chewed to the wicks I begin to fidget with the threads of fabric coming loose on the cuffs of my jersey. I try to weave the strands carefully back into place but quickly burn out my patience before eventually yanking the threads loose again, snapping them free from the garment. With the strings in hand I begin tying them, again and again, knot on top of knot till the yarn is now a tiny ball of woven tension - much like the condition of my insides.
After far too long driving Curby eventually pulls off the highway and into a small coastal settlement. There are a few shops on what seems to be the main road even though the road itself is very thin and doesn't even have centre lines painted to divide the flow of traffic. I suppose with us being one of only two cars I spot since pulling into here there isn't much traffic to divide. A small grocery store that seems to sell everything else as well as groceries, an old fishing shop advertising fresh bait for sale sits next to it, and along from the fishing shop is a small police station. Apart from that there isn't much to the small seaside area, despite the abundance of houses lining the streets. I assume most of the residents commute to the outer cities for work, unless most people who live here are retired. But the swing sets and trampolines that reside in more then a few of the front lawns contradict the retirement theory.
Curby continues to drive towards the coast, the wind picking up a little as the beach comes into view. On a sunny day it would look inviting and beautiful. The crystal blue waters sparkling under the heating sun. But today, the waters are as unsettled as me. The ocean is a dark blue, slightly murky with the constant thrashing of white washed waves stirring up the seabed. The sky shines no beauty on the scenery, the overcast clouds shield the sun, sheltering the township in a grey shadow. It looks like it may rain any minute.
The truck jostles as it pulls off the tarmac road, rolling into an unpaved and unkept dirt driveway. Potholes cause the truck to jump awkwardly but we make it up the short drive to the house. Thankfully the house looks to be in a better condition then it's driveway.
At first glance the house looks like a humble beach shack. White painted slat walls, the paint cracked with seasons of ages. But as you get closer you realise how far the house continues to extend out towards the beach. I grab my backpack and follow Curby and Mesha to the house.
"Welcome home." Curby remarks. I can't tell if he's being sarcastic, or if his tone is just a byproduct from the situation. I know it bothers him to be away from Seven too. I didn't think about it before, but there haven't been many times, from what I understand, that Curby and Seven have been apart. It makes sense that he would also be on edge.
The house holds a distinct beach smell. Like salt and sand and a cool breeze all mixed in one aroma. It's clean, and furnished. Dark wood panelled flooring that match the heavy wooden rafters showing in the roof. The house is very open plan, and leads you down to the end where the sitting room is. Floor to ceiling windows and a sliding door offer up the rich view of the beach. We're right on the edge of it. With only a small lining of grass outside the sliding door before it fades into the white sand.
"There's four bedrooms upstairs. A cellar under the kitchen that's been converted into a panic room." Curby looks around as Mesha and I stay captivated by the view.
"A panic room?" Mesha asks, the bewilderment in her tone the same as mine when I first heard of the infamous panic room inside the panic house.
"Previous owner was a bit paranoid." Curby shrugs off. As if it's totally normal to build a panic room inside your house if your prone to paranoia. But, I suppose, their paranoiac tendencies all work in my favour.
"How long do we have to stay here?" I ask, dropping my bag to the cream cotton sofa covered by a clear plastic protector.
"Till I hear something." Curby replies shortly over his shoulder, retreating to the other end of the house.
Mesha moves to stand a little closer to me.
"Ignore him. He's just worried about Seven." Her arm gently brushes against mine.
"I know." I assure her I'm not personally offended by Curby's rudeness.
"I can't stand this waiting. It's like we're in limbo." I groan and step away from Mesha.
"It's just till Curby hears something." She tries to console me as I look around the unfamiliar house that I own.
"And what happens if he hears the worst? What if Victor gets away or-or if he kills Se-" I can't even bring myself to finish the sentence. My chest literally constricts at the thought and I take support in leaning against the solid dining table.
"You can't think like that Lily." Mesha's voice is soft and gentle and I turn to my friend. Her dark hair hangs in its natural curls on either side of her face. The puffiness under her eyes ages her rarely make up freed face. Mesha's humble attire of our university merchandised sweatpants and matching hoodie are a far cry from her usual put together appearance. I regard my friend with sympathetic eyes, the same way her warm brown eyes look to me.
"I'm gonna go check on him." She excuses herself in search of Curby. I grab my phone out of my pocket and check for any sign of communication from Seven but there's nothing. I want to call him, desperately. But I know my attempts will go unanswered and will be a distraction for him. So, like Curby I will have to sit here and wait for any form of communication.
My knees fold to my chest as I sit on the plastic dust cover. It crinkles under my weight but I make no effort to remove it as I sit and watch the world outside the vast windows. It feels like hours pass. Both Mesha and Curby join me back in the sitting area of the house. Mesha curls up on the other end of the couch, eventually falling asleep. The wind begins to pick up even more outside. A strong gust sends sand and broken bits of dune tussock dancing down the beach. I watch from the window as the clouds roll in, darkened with rain.
I watch Curby, who can't seem to sit still for more then two minutes as he habitually checks his watch, then his phone before glancing around the place. His blue eyes catch mine.
"Did he tell you anything about how he'd contact? Or at least how long we'd have to wait?" I ask, keeping my voice quiet so as not to wake Mesha.
Curby sighs. "He didn't say much about anything. Only that I had to bring you here and keep you safe. I don't think Seven even had a proper plan other then go to the club and kill Victor." Curby admits.
"What about the other men? If Seven actually kills Victor won't they turn on him?" I worry but Curby shakes his head.
"He has the backing of the gang. They won't turn on him, not since he told us all about Victor killing Ivan." Curby's blue eyes look out to the sea at his mention of Seven's father. From what Seven has told me of Curby I know he and Seven's father, Ivan, were very close. Close enough for Curby to be almost like a brother to Seven.
"I'm sorry about Ivan. Seven mentioned you had been close with his father." I know it's been many, many years since Ivan's death but I can see it still bothers Curby, just like it bothers Seven. Curby nods at my offer of condolence before softly replying.
"I'm sorry about your parents. I didn't really know your mother, but Jacob was a good man."
"Good?" I question his choice of words. My lips twitching up at the corners slightly.
"Well..." Curby struggles slightly and I shake my head at him.
"I'm only messing with you. I'm well aware of the things my father had done, but thank you." I know there is no place for the word, "good," amongst these people. Good no longer applies to me. We all have our evils, we all have our mistakes. But it is nice to know my father was of less evils than most. Like Ivan, like Grim, like Curby and like Seven.
Curby checks his watch and then his phone once again.
"Is there a specific time you're waiting for? Or are you always checking your watch and phone every few minutes?" I call him out on the repetitive behaviour. Curby looks over at me as another strong gust blows past the house. I can see the contradiction in his blue eyes.
"What?" I can see it in his eyes, something he's not telling me.
"Look I was going to wait till you'd gone to sleep or distracted yourself somehow but I should've known you'd be just on edge as me." Curby begins and I sink my feet back to the floor.
"Wait for what?" I ask sceptically.
"To check the cameras." Curby answers simply.
"Cameras? What cameras?" I lean forward.
"I'm in charge of a lot of the security and surveillance and I have access to all the cameras within our businesses. Meaning-"
"You have access to the club cameras." I finish his sentence for him and Curby nods.
"It was how we were able to try keep Victor in the dark about you and Seven when you first started working. I had to wipe so many clips of you two." He looks down at his phone and if this were any other time where I wasn't solely focused on finding out the fate of the man I love, then I probably would be blushing a vibrant red at Curby's remark.
I remember the club having so many cameras, and to know that Curby has been sat here quiet about having access to those cameras propels me forward.
"You mean to tell me we can check the cameras for Seven and Victor?!" I harshly whisper in his face, hands desperately wanting to reach out for his phone but I don't.
"Yes but I've been waiting till the footage is uploaded to the server so I can view it. I can pull up a live feed from here, it just cuts out every time I try." He explains going to an app on his phone I don't recognise.
"When will the footage be uploaded?" I ask and Curby checks his watch.
"In two minutes." He answers and I let out an uneven breath, causing Curby to glance up at me.
"I think I should probably watch it first, so you don't see anything bad-"
"No." I interrupt him.
"No, we will watch it together." I insist. The determination on my face must be apparent as Curby does not argue with me and instead just nods. I stand next to him as his fingers work over his phone, logging into the surveillance system through an app. I watch anxiously as his thumb continuously pulls the screen down, a small circle rotates around the centre as the server updates. The circle disappears but no new videos have been loaded onto Curby's screen so his thumb pulls down again and the small loading circle appears once again. The action is repeated about four or five times, with every full circle the loading screen completes my patience wears thinner and thinner.
"For fuck sake-" Curby grunts but stops his sentence short when the screen loads with a small box notification in stead of nothing. The box is branded with todays date and my heart just about leaps from my throat as Curby presses on the notification. He turns the phone sideways so we can watch the footage better.
My heart hammers in my chest as Curby fast forwards through hours of irrelevant video. When I spot the familiar broad shoulders and brown hair I almost scream.
"Stop, stop that's him!" I almost shout and we both glance to Mesha who stirs slightly but doesn't wake from her spot on the sofa. Our focus goes back to the phone and my blood runs cold as I notice Seven stood in the main area of the club, his body side on to the camera as he speaks to another person stood not too far from him. The other is dressed in a black suit, dark hair peppered with grey and I know it's Victor before I register his intimidating face.
I can see by Seven's stance he's tense and uptight. On edge as the two of them converse silently through the screen.
"Is there audio?" I ask Curby and he presses a couple of settings to the side of the screen till the eerie white noise of the audios silence plays.
"I do wish now that I had done it sooner. It would've been a lot easier if you hadn't found out about your parents." Victor's voice cuts through the audios silence, the sound of his voice causes the hair to stand on my arms. And I don't miss the audible intake of breath from Curby too. I'm glad I'm not the only one who is scared of Victor - not that Curby would ever admit it.
"It doesn't matter now. Everyone knows. Even if you kill me the firm knows the truth now. And they'll hold you accountable for everyone you've killed." Seven argues back. His voice strong, confident against Victor. Hearing his voice is comforting somehow. I didn't get to see him this morning when I woke up, but still it feels like days since I last saw him not since last night. I miss him. I miss the warmth he radiates when he's next to me. What I would give to have him here with me and not in this screen with Victor.
"Well then," Victor smirks at the floor, his hand gingerly moves to the side but Seven doesn't seem to notice.
"I guess I better make this count." Victor says and pulls something from his side before lifting it up at Seven. It takes me too long to realise what Victor has produced from the side of his jacket till I hear it. A single, loud shot echos from the phone and within the same second Seven collapses backwards on to the club floor.
Shock consumes me as something between a scream and the word, "No," screeches from my lips. The screen goes blurry as my eyes well with tears that refuse to spill.
"What? What's wrong?" My scream has woken Mesha and she sits up looking between Curby and I. Curby looks pale, his blue eyes wide while his phone shakes in his hand. He says nothing and all I can do is let out another cry.
"Curby?" Mesha gets up from the couch.
"I-" Curby says.
"Lily I'm sorry. You shouldn't have seen that. I should've watched it first. I'm sorry." He repeats and I can feel his arm rest over my shoulders. Tears brim my eyes and spill endlessly down my cheeks.
The video continues to play and I can hear the haunting sound of Victor laughing to himself at his success.
"Turn it off." I mumble the plea, hands harshly wiping the tears away. Curby removes his arm from around me to stop the video but before he can another loud shot sounds from the phone, silencing the dark laughter and inciting a loud scream. The bellowing scream comes from Victor and I grab Curby's wrist to stop his movements, holding the phone still so I can see what's going on.
I blink the tears away and watch in disbelief as Seven shuffles up from the floor to stand again. A gun held in his hand pointed and outstretched at Victor. Victor withers on the floor now, his body twisting and contorting in pain as he clutches at his stomach. The red pooling already seeps out from around him as he moves, attempting to shuffle backwards as Seven slowly moves forward towards his injured uncle. My eyes scan Seven's body, he shows no signs of blood. The floor where he laid seconds ago shows no signs of staining unlike the carpet around Victor.
"You never learn do you?" Seven asks him. Hearing his voice almost takes my knees out from under me. A mere minute ago I thought the man I love was dead. I almost can't believe what I'm seeing before me, the table completely turned as Victor scrambles on the floor trying to reach for his gun that is just out of reach.
"Always. Shoot. Twice." Seven says, before another shot is fired and Victor lays back to the floor, completely still. I'm stunned by what I've witnessed and I can't quite comprehend that Victor is gone. He can no longer hurt me. No longer hurt Seven.
Seven.
He's safe. He did it. But how?
I watch as Seven tucks his gun back into his pants. He bends till his hands rest on his knees and a wheezed cough pushes from his mouth, almost as if he's been winded. He stands back upright, opening his jacket to reveal the white dress shirt he wear underneath. I take comfort in its pristine condition, no blood marks the shirt despite seeing Victor's shot hit Seven perfectly on the left side of his chest. He reaches into the pocket of his jacket, retrieving a small metal box and regards it admirably.
"What is that?" I ask Curby with a sniff.
"A fucking miracle." Curby replies. The sound of the front door opening sends all of our heads in the direction. Mesha steps closer to me as Curby protectively moves to stand in front of us, returning his phone to his pocket and pulling out his gun.
"Stay behind me." Curby whispers, but the anxiety doesn't have time to settle in as the familiar rhythm of steps walk through the house. I know it's him before I even see him. That part of me that always manages to detect his presence has me stepping past Curby and running forward.
"Seven!" I almost scream as his face comes into view. His arms open immediately to take me in though his face holds a startled expression at my intensity.
His body his warm as he embraces me, my hands grip around the back of his neck, holding him to me and he leans down slightly to bury his face into my hair. His scent is overwhelming and welcoming all at once.
"We watched from the security cameras. I thought- I thought you died." My voice wavers as the emotions catch up with me again. Seven's arms grasp me tighter and I'm lifted slightly off the floor as he walks us back to where Curby and Mesha are. I don't let go of him and Seven makes no attempt to release me from his hold but addresses Curby over my head.
"Thank you for bringing her here. It's done. Grim and the others are cleaning up the club." He informs.
"I promised." Curby reminds Seven.
"Glad to see you're okay. Gave us a heart attack." Curby chuckles lightly and Seven joins in, his chest vibrating lightly under my ear.
"Well I need a fucking cigarette." Mesha pipes up.
"I'll join you." Curby agrees and I feel the gust of sea breeze brush against my skin as they open the ranch slider to go smoke. I pull back from Seven, my eyes catching the hole in his jacket where the bullet struck him. My fingers graze over it, before resting my palm against the spot. His heart beats steadily beneath my hand.
"I thought I'd lost you." I whisper, staring at my hand on his chest. His thumb holds my chin, lifting it so my eyes meet his.
"You didn't. I'm right here." Seven smiles gently before his face leans down to me. His lips brush softly against mine. His kiss is delicate and sweet but still manages to make my heart race.
"Don't ever leave me." I half beg, half demand. I don't know what I'd do if he ever did.
"I won't. I promise." He kisses my forehead before stepping away from me slightly. My arms drop from around him.
"Lilianna," Seven's green eyes meet mine, the intense emotion behind them sends my heart fluttering. His hand digs into his pocket, pulling out a small metal box. I notice the bullet wedged into its lid and realise this was what was tucked in Seven's jacket that blocked Victor's shot. On closer inspection I recognise the small box from Seven's lock box when I had glimpsed inside of it my first night at his house.
"My sweet Lily," Seven's hand grips the small box while his other reaches up to hold my face face. His thumb gently strokes over my cheekbone.
"I may not know what tomorrow will bring, or what kind of future I can offer you. But I do know you were sent to me for a reason." Green eyes leave mine to glance down at the bullet in the box and I begin to hear my heart thudding behind my ears from his words. His pupils inflate slightly as he looks back up at me, he swallows and licks over his bottom lip and I pick up on his nervous demeanour.
"I can promise you I'll spend every day of the rest of my existence loving you." He opens the metal box and my eyes catch the shimmer of light reflecting off something inside the box. Nestled inside is a golden ring. A large green gem, the same colour as Seven's eyes centres the ring and is bordered by diamonds. It's beautiful. The most gorgeous ring I have ever seen. At first I don't understand what he's doing but my eyes almost ebb from their sockets as I watch Seven get down on one knee, causing my breath to catch in my throat as I completely stop breathing. Seven's green eyes, earnest and vulnerable look up at me.
"Lil, will you marry me?"
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EDIT: THERE IS ANOTHER BONUS CHAPTER AFTER THIS.
Fin.
xo
Anyone else kinda want a lil bit more of Seven and Lily??? Or is that just me lol