Elsa
I felt like I was losing my sanity the longer we were locked up in this shit hole. My heart ached continually at the thought of Nicholas not being alive. The image of him being shot was playing over and over in my head, and no matter how hard I tried, tears threatened to fall.
I wrapped my arms around my knees, somehow trying to calm down my racing heart. Guilt was eating me alive. Maybe... if I had gone away, he would still be alive and he wouldn't have had to deal with all those problems I carried along with me. He wanted to make life easier for me. To make me happy. And he did. But in return, I placed all the burden on his shoulders, causing his death.
Was this how it really was going to end for us?
For him?
For me?
To lose the people I loved so dearly in a blink of an eye?
If he wasn't here with me, then I wouldn't want to live anymore. And maybe, just maybe, with a glimpse of hope still in my heart, I would be able to see him again in the next life.
"We have to do something..." My voice was barely audible. I sniffed and wiped the tears that had managed to escape. I stood up, my legs trembling a bit from being physically and mentally exhausted. The sedation left my body all messed up and my mind wasn't giving me a break with anything with thoughts running like crazy.
"I know, but what can we do?" Tessa sighed and got up as well. I could see she was drained as well, but we had to shove it all to the side and focus on getting out of here.
I looked around in the basement room we were in. There wasn't anything we could use to try and break out. And the door was being guarded from the other side.
"Wait, I have an idea." Tessa whispered and stepped closer to
"Maso is by the door. Maybe I can convince him to let us out to the bathroom?" She suggested, and I thought about it, assessing the possibilities.
"What makes you think you can convince him?" She drew her lower lip between her teeth before, hesitating a little before she spoke.
"He... kind of took care of me." I gave her a questionable look, waiting for her to elaborate.
"He was the only one who was kind to me and took me to get treated whenever I was beaten to the point I couldn't walk. I think, at some point, we may have had something going on but he stopped before it could turn into something more. Or maybe I read too much into it and confused his kindness for something more." Tessa sighed.
"I don't think so." I told her. Matthew was close to hitting her, but Maso didn't allow it and stopped him before he could.
"He still has a soft spot for now, but how big, I wouldn't know. Whatever it is, we have to take advantage of it and at least try to do something." I said.
"It's worth a try."
"Just one problem... We don't know how many are out there with Maso." If it was only Maso, we had a better chance of taking him down. But if there were more men guarding the door, our chances were slim. Even more so as we had nothing to defend ourselves with.
I let out a small gasp when I realized we were still wearing our hair accessories. It was not much but at least they were still somewhat sharp enough to stab someone if put enough force to it.
"Okay, this is what we're going to do." I lowered my voice to make sure no one would be able to hear me. I carefully explained what I had in mind to get out of here while mentally preparing myself actually to fight. This was not out in the training field with Logan and Giovanni. This was the real deal, and it had my stomach churning and my heart beating in nervousness.
Our lives were on the line.
We both took a deep breath, preparing ourselves for what we were about to do. We only had one shot and we couldn't fuck it up.
"Maso?" Tessa knocked on the door while I stayed behind. She continued to call after him and knock until the hatch in the door opened, Maso didn't say anything and just looked at her, waiting for her to speak.
"We need to use the restroom."
"I will get you a bucket."
"What?!" She shrieked in disgust.
"If you think I will be willing to pee in a disgusting bucket, then you're wrong!" Tessa frowned.
"I can't help you." Maso replied blankly.
"Wait, Maso!" She called after him before he could close the hatch.
"Maso, please... I really need to go and I'm on my period. Do you know how dangerous it is to leave a tampon in for so long? I could get TSS. Do you know what TSS is? It's Toxic Shock Syndrome, and if you don't want me to die from bacteria getting into my body, I suggest you let me use a normal toilet so that I can take care of my business." Tessa continued to plead her case in a passive-aggressive tone, holding her ground and continued to stare him dead in the eyes.
"If you're going to fucking hold women hostages, at least be a bit more considerate about our anatomy." I looked back and forth between them as they continued to stare at each other for a while. My body was tense, hoping it would get us out of here.
Then Maso shut the hatch, and my heart dropped.
We fucked up.
"Bring tampons!" Tessa yelled before turning to me with a small grin.
"It worked." She whispered when she neared me and I looked at her confused.
"It didn't look like that..."
"That's how he works. He doesn't say anything but will get the job done. Now, we just have to wait until he returns."
Time passed before the door suddenly flung open and Maso stood by the door. It now just dawned on me just how big he actually was, having my nervousness spike even more and doubt overtook my body.
Shit, how are we going to take him down?
"Get going." Maso ordered sharply and gestured with his head in the direction we should go. I held tightly onto Tessa's hand as we stepped out into the long hall. I wanted to curse out loud when I saw one more out there with Maso. And he was holding a gun.
I stayed close to Tessa when we walked down the long hall. She was the one who had to put the plan into action since she could take advantage of whatever relationship she had with Maso. I just had to stay close since she was my chance of surviving since they could not give a fuck about me, and would kill me in a heartbeat.
Maso and the other guy were behind us to make sure we wouldn't be doing anything. My heart was beating like crazy and I couldn't help but keep glancing behind me, fearing I would suddenly get shot from behind.
"The fuck you looking at?!" The guy spat out and pushed me hard that I tripped over my dress and into the wall. I winced when I scraped my elbow, feeling the cuts sting immediately.
"Don't touch her, you pig!" Tessa stepped in front of me.
"What did you call me?" He hissed out and aimed his gun at her.
"Lower your gun." Maso snapped and stepped closer to him. CaTessara made the move to cower behind Maso, pretending to seek comfort with him. I noticed him immediately tense when her hand touched his back.
"That bitch -" I couldn't see what was happening, but he never finished his sentence. He let out a scoff and kept his mouth shut.
"Leave. I will take care of it." Maso ordered. He gave him a stare before turning around to leave. I let out a breath, feeling the tension easing a bit now that it was only Maso. He turned to look at Tessa, frowning a little but didn't say anything and handed her something. Only now did I realize he was holding a box of tampons.
"Thank you." Tessa gave him a small smile and he immediately looked away as if he didn't want to see her smile.
Maybe he does feel more for her than she let on...
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." I gave her a small reassuring smile.
"Hurry up." Maso once again ordered, having Tessa roll her eyes.
"Calm down, will you? We will be back in that shit hole soon enough." She snapped and grabbed my hand.
We continued down the long hall, going through a door before we reached the restroom. I was the one to go in first, and Hooked at Tessa to make sure she would be okay by herself. She gave a small nod and I swallowed hard before going.
He won't hurt her I reminded myself.
Shutting the door behind me, I let out a shaky breath. Now, all I had to do was to waste some time for Tessa to work her charm on Maso. I pulled out the accessory I had stuffed in between my breasts. It was a wide, pearly hairpin I had in my hair and it would be my best shot as a weapon. As quietly as I could, I managed to break the pearls off and sharpened the pin against the wall all while I heard Tessa trying to spark a conversation with Maso.
"... Why exactly are you doing this to me? Was marrying me away not enough?" Tessa was talking to him in a gentle tone, but he wasn't replying.
"I didn't expect this from you. You were the only one who was nice to me... Did you ever care about me? Or was it all fake as well?"
Damn, she is good.
The way Tessa was talking even had me feeling so fucking guilty. I had no clue as to how much she had been abused in that household, and something in me told me she downplayed it a lot when she finally told me what was going on. I shouldn't have listened to her at the time, and I should have done something to get her out of there. But in fear of making things worse for her, I was forced to stay put and only offer an ear to listen.
"... It wasn't." I stilled at his reply.
"Then why did you push me away at the time?" Tessa asked after a while. She talked quietly as if she didn't want me to hear. I knew she loved dante and was happy with him, but it sounded like she wanted some clarity on whatever happened between them.
"What happened, shouldn't have happened in the first place. It was my mistake and I should have known better." Maso replied, still in that tone that didn't hold any emotions.
"Why was it a mistake? Was I too broken and bruised for you? Of course, I was. I was nobody." Her voice was laced with sadness and my heart dropped for her.
"Tessa...." His tone went soft, and I anxiously waited for what he was going to say.
"It was wrong of me to get involved with my boss's daughter." Maso said, his tone going back to being emotionless.
"... That's it? That was your lousy excuse?" Her voice raised. I jumped when there was a hard bang on the door.
"Time's up! Get out." Maso ordered loudly to me. I tried to compose myself and took a deep breath, holding the now- sharpened hairpin in my hand.
"Always go for the vital points." I whispered to myself. I took another deep breath before swinging the door open.
| swung the door open, holding the hairpin tightly in my hand. I stopped at the doorway and just looked at them, feeling the tension between them. I couldn't do anything since Tessa was looking at Maso, not prepared, and Maso was keeping a sharp gaze at me. I wanted to shout at Tessa for not being ready, and possibly wasting our only chance. I couldn't do this on my own.
"Turn around and put your hands on the wall."
"What, why?" I asked, my heart leaping to my throat and my hands started to get sweaty.
Fuck, I'm going to get caught.
"I said turn around -"
"She can't!" Tessa finally snapped out of whatever was going on with her and came to my rescue.
"I need help since I can't really do anything in this big dress." She continued and gestured to her dress. Maso's eyes narrowed as he looked at me. His eyes continued down, stopping by my hands where I had them both into fists.
"Hands on the wall, now!" He snapped. I took a step back when he came closer to me, and I sent a panicking look to Tessa.
"No, wait, Maso -" Tessa went after him but tripped over her dress and crashed into him. Maso was fast and managed to grab a hold of her before she could hit the ground.
This was it.
Without hesitation, I quickly kicked the back of his leg, having him fall to one knee. His head snapped to mine with fury, reaching for his gun. Tessa managed to push his hand away from the gun and I pierced the hairpin straight into his eye.
Adrenaline was pumping in me like crazy, and I was sure my heart was about to explode when Maso shouted out in pain. In fear of attracting attention, I tried to silence him by putting him in a headlock to cover his mouth. Tessa managed to limit his movements by holding on to his legs to keep him down.
"Grab his gun!" I told Tessa to hurry. The minute the words came out of me, Maso snapped out of it and elbowed me right in the face with great force. I staggered backward before falling to the ground. A massive, overpowering shock flooded my body before a sharp pain spread across my face like a bitch.
I blinked a few times to regain my vision. I turned around just in time to see Maso shoving Tessa away from him. With a burst of adrenaline, I jumped to my feet.
Only to meet the muzzle of a gun. With a very furious Mase behind it.
"You fucking Russian." He sneered with the hairpin still attached to his eye. His eye was bleeding, and the way it looked, had me trying not to throw up all over the place.
My chest rapidly rose and fell quicker than ever as I looked right into the gun. There was nothing I could do at this point. I was mentally preparing myself to be gone, and I hoped, whatever was going to happen, at least Tessa would be getting out of here. I hoped Dante would be able to find her and get her all the help she would need after witnessing my death.
I watched as his finger curled, ready to pull the trigger. I closed my eyes, just wanting it to be over already.
I will be with you soon.
I managed a small smile, thinking of Nicholas, our baby, and my mother.
A tear rolled down my cheek, knowing I would soon be on the ground. Dead.
"No!" Tessa screamed and I snapped my eyes open at the sound of gurgling.
"My God..." I breathed out in shock at the sight. Maso staggered on his feet until his back hit the wall and dropped his gun in the process. He was choking badly, trying to stop the bleeding where Tessa had punctured a knife right into the side of his throat.
"Tess..aa...." Maso choked out as he stared at her with wide eyes. Almost pleadingly. His hands were desperately trying to do something. But they were moving slower by the second until coming to a complete stop and slumped down to his side. His eyes closed and his body stilled.
"What have I done..." Tessa whispered in fear. I couldn't tear my eyes away from Maso, seeing blood continue gushing out from his neck. I tore my eyes away from him and looked at Tessa.She was looking pale and her entire body was trembling with tears in her eyes. I instantly grabbed her and turned her back to him.
"It's okay, Tessa. It's okay." I pulled her into me, holding her tightly, and kept telling her over and over again that it was okay, trying to convince myself as well. I put my hands on her face, wiping her tears away.
"You did what you could. It's not your fault. It could never be, okay?" I talked to her firmly, not letting it show in my voice how appalled I was. She looked lost and she was in shock. I knew that feeling too well.
"Listen, Tessa. Right now, we need to snap out of it and get the fuck out of here, okay? It's our only chance." I talked to her hurriedly and she nodded, taking a breath to compose herself.
"We need to move his body into the restroom before anyone sees." Luckily, the doors were heavy and thick to not attract any attention to us, but it was only a matter of time before anyone would walk in through those doors. The other guy might come soon to check on what was taking long for us to be back.
I grabbed Maso, forcing myself to think of his body as a heavy bag of potatoes and not a fucking dead body I was dragging. Tessa came to help and I knew it wasn't easy for her as well when she flinched when his head dangled into her.
"Just a bag of potatoes..." I mumbled continuously. We managed to get him into the restroom and I saw the trail of blood that followed along with the body.
"Wipe away the blood!" We grabbed a bunch of toilet paper and tried the get rid of the blood the best we could, but it was still not enough. I looked down at my dress, getting the idea of cutting it to use as a cloth to cover our tracks. I searched around for anything sharp I could use to make a tear and of course, there was nothing.
Until my eyes landed on the knife stuck in Maso's throat.
"Oh, fuck... I need that knife..." I said, grimacing.
"You're not actually thinking of..." Tessa trailed off, looking disturbed by the idea.
"I am..." I nodded but made no move to get it.
"Okay... Okay.... You can do it. You smashed a rock into someone's head. You watched his fucking brain mass. This is nothing." I tried to encourage myself.
"Nope, not working." I gagged at the image that flashed in my mind. I put a hand to my mouth, trying my best not to throw up. I took a few deep breaths and finally mustered the courage to retrieve the knife.
I grabbed the handle with a disgusting look on my face as I tried to pull it out. The feeling of the knife being pulled out was so vile that I almost emptied my stomach on him. It was too much for me and I had to immediately pull it out in one swift motion.
"To think our husbands do that for a living..." Tessa was looking disgusted and I mirrored her expression.
"Something I will never understand." I shivered in nausea. Ignoring the blood on the knife, I started to cut my dress shorter and tore the material into a few pieces. We wet them and started to wipe the floor clean in haste. We were almost done when we both froze in place and looked at each other with wide eyes. The sound of loud voices could be heard and they were getting closer to us. I quickly wiped away the last blood on the floor before we rushed to the restroom.
"Fuck, the wall!" I whispered in frantic. I was about to get back out but Tessa managed to grab me back and close the door just in time when another door banged open.
Men shouting and footsteps running past the door had us
looking at each other with questioning looks.
What in the world was going on out there?
I promptly told Tessato handle the gun because she had better aim than me and I was better at handling the knife. The footsteps were fading and I let out a breath of relief, thankful they didn't notice the blood on the wall.
"Where the fuck is Maso?!" We both tensed at the voice of the other guy that had been guarding the door. We pressed ourselves against the wall next to the door when he stopped nearby. Tessa and I jumped in fright when bullets were flying in through the door, and I held my hand to my mouth to not let out a scream.
Then it went completely silent.
He stepped closer to the door and I tried to signal to Tessa what to do next and follow my lead. I crouched down, pressing myself to the wall as much as I could, and held onto the knife tightly. The door slowly opened and the second half of his body was inside, I stabbed him right into the side of his stomach. He screamed out in pain and crashed into the door.
"Now, Tessa !" I shouted and she fired before he could pull the trigger.
Shooting him right in his face.
"We have to move." I pulled the knife out of him. I had no time to be sensitive about the sight in front of me.
"Cut my dress!" Tessa lifted her dress. I nodded and went to cut it but stopped.
"Such a beautiful dress though." I said.
"I know. It's my dream dress" She looked at it sadly. We both took a second to admire it before I let out a sigh and cut the dress.
.
We sprinted-down the long hall after making sure the coast was clear. The others went this way, meaning there must be an exit somewhere. We entered another door and came to a stairway. I looked up and saw that there were three floors.
"We don't know how many we will face up there." Tessa spoke.
"I know. But we have to take the chance and see if we can fight our way out." I told her.
"Shoot whoever comes in sight and we can take their weapons to make it out." I knew she was nervous. Hell, so was I. It was not like we had years of training to be doing this.
Tessa was more advanced than I was as she did have proper training in handling the gun and had good enough fighting skills. I, on the other hand, had just begun training. And I was so thankful Nicholas decided to train me because there was no way I would have survived so far without it.
"Don't think, just shoot. And I will stab those bitches who come near us." I said, trying to ease the tension. She cracked a small smile and held my hand tightly in hers. Together, we made our way up while trying to keep out of sight.
"They're here!" Someone shouted from below us. He ran up the stairs while I heard more footsteps approaching.
"Run!" Tessa reacted faster and dragged me with her as she ran up the last few steps to the first floor. There was no time to check the situation on the other side as we burst through the door.
"They're escaping!" There were more men to the far left of the hall, guarding the floor. We quickly ran to the other side with them hot on our trail. We ran as fast as we could but stopped when someone came appeared at our end with a machine gun. I was already exhausted, breathing loudly and my heart was on verge of stopping altogether. At this moment, I wanted to cry that we were surrounded.
"Duck!" I barely registered the word coming out of his mouth, but still managed to hold Tessa and threw us both to the floor as bullets went flying over our heads.
When everything stilled, I looked up and got to my feet, wary of the person in front of us. He was dressed in all black and wore a mask. I held the knife tightly, getting ready to swing as he neared us. Then he took his mask off.
"Asher?!" Tessa gasped.
"Wait, I thought you were..." I trailed off but then really looked at him. He looked like he had been through hell. Tessa was about to go to him but I stopped her as I looked at Asher with narrowed eyes. unsure if we could trust him.
"Look, I know what I have done is unforgivable, and I would like to explain my side of things. But that will have to wait until I get you out of here and to safety. I've got clothes for you to change into so hurry up. We don't have much time." Asher explained but I still hesitated.
"Elsa , please. I would never intentionally put you and Tessa in danger. Trust me." He looked sincere with his pleading expression.
"Come on." Tessa nudged me and I gave in. He looked relieved and we followed him from where he came from. This place was like a maze with so many passages. It felt impossible to navigate around.
"You can change here. I will keep an eye out." He led us to a dim area and handed us the duffel bag he carried with him before turning around to give us privacy. We hurriedly helped each other get out of our dresses and pulled the clothes out, black leggings and black shirts.
"The vests too." Asher said. I went to grab one when I was suddenly pushed against the wall. I immediately swung my knife at the person but my arm got blocked and pinned against the wall. I was about to grab his arm to bite, but instead, I let out a strangled gasp and dropped the knife in shock.
His lips curved into a beautiful smile as he looked at me.
"Hi, baby."