{unedited}
" Lorenzo ,"
Geneva called out as a thought pushed forth. One she let out without much restraint. Not that it mattered if he happened to catch on with his own personal interpretation of her words.
" are you well versed with the subject of anatomy ?"
Her head turned to face him with a gentle smile accompanying her request.
Suddenly, everything else he had to say concerning her family and his leave alone Marcelo himself could wait. She found no reason to listen to any more of it and the hard conclusion had manifested in a harsh and fast manner like a like a slap.
She had a to do list that had numerous boxes waiting to be ticked off concerning her personified affairs in regards of getting her life back into her own hands.
Avenging her mother was first on that list. And in order to have it ticked off, she had to acquire the skill of using a gun. But that wasn't all, besides the patent fact she wasn't a murder - to which she knew, she was more than serious about paying Marcelo back for what he had done to her mother.
Maybe because of what had transpired in the pool the previous day that left her crying and dejected when he'd said those brutal words to her and had proceeded to walk away from like she'd meant nothing at all.
It had stung deeper than she'd expected. Her heart taking the brunt of it, walking around and replaying his words each second that passed by with repeated gloom. An emotional state she failed to shake off easily.
She acknowledged with sharp difficulty that she wouldn't have been feeling the way she did if feelings from her end hadn't been involved. But even then, it was pang to know that she wasn't as significant as she'd thought herself to be.
For Pete's sake he had abducted her and taken her through hell to prove a point -she belonged to him over and over again like one addicted to drugs who always found themselves with a way of acquiring the substance no matter the circumstances.
She'd thought him into her. And though a fraction of her had found it difficult to believe at first , she had come around to the thought. The new discovery had hit her hard in the face when she'd chosen to be honest with herself and introspect after she'd calm down from the fresh pain of her crushed heart.
Still, she'd concluded powerfully*m that it wasn't the end of her world.
She'd live.
Like she still was .
Taking a step back into the past, it wasn't the first time this kind of pain had clawed it's way into her heart. She had her ex to be thankful for that. Though this time round, it had stung ten times worse. And they hadn't been officially dating to begin with.
If this was the power of distraction a situationship carried, she concluded she wanted none of it if ever at all.
And of course she'd conclude so. Infidelity was something she would never acclimatize to in her life. It had been a fact within herself that she'd come to accept regardless the double standard defense around the topic where man was pardoned and put on a pedestal for it.
When she had found out that her ex had cheated on her, she had heard and experienced the absurd expectation to understand that apparently it was okay for men to do so because they didn't put their feelings into it all the time and that it didn't mean anything because for them, it was merely an act to satisfy their needs plainly.
Women on the other hand, acting out with even sane reason was taboo , up till date with the attack on the propaganda that women had sexual needs and desires like men and hence had a right to act on them without condemnation.
She had been expected to understand that ' he was simply a man ' after all and that's just how they were.
But she'd rejected that input, and she still did.
Even now as she questioned why and maybe if she was the problem, probably doomed to never find the right one for herself who wouldn't tolerate or see the need to stick his length deep inside another woman's warmth or a perfectly attuned arsehol - yes they both counted in her world, male or female it didn't matter.
Marcelo was the most captivating and handsome man she'd ever met. One who had taken her to his bed and kept her locked up for himself without relent.
It was a story that could go either south or turn out swoon worthy.
She didn't believe him to abduct women and keep them prisoners against their will for sport.
Alberto had confirmed to her that she'd been the first. Maybe asking Lorenzo to reaffirm the claim was not a bad idea, but a lot of what had transpired also spoke up for the claim.
He had gone way above many things for it to be a careless or idle sport if his.
She had nearly become emotionally constipated.
Geneva had chuckled when she'd thought it through, she wasn't staying for it. Never would. She actually loved herself too much to sweeten and take that kind of treatment and condition like an obedient dog.
Funny how it was the break of whatever spell had drawn her to Marcelo with a persistent infatuation for the male amidst all things. And not his psychopathic tendencies which went to say a lot about her individuality she had not only accessed but had been on the receiving end of it herself.
Geneva saw the amusement and interest dance in Lorenzo's gaze when he faced her upon her question.
" I am." He answered easily with a beam " are you interested in it?"
Her smile increased, switching to a more genuine one. The bubble of joy from within rising at the response she had received.
" I am." She agreed " I'd like for you to teach me. Like a crash course without text books involved ."
Geneva turned her body to face him giving him her undivided attention. He wouldn't say no , she wouldn't let him. She'd bargain with him if need be but she wouldn't allow him say no. Because she couldn't lose out on valuable Intel that would be acquired much quicker with him than if she were to do it alone.
" I want to know vital points, how to inflict life threatening injury and one's which aren't." She specified for him what she needed to know concerning the subject.
" you need this information for a reason." Lorenzo voiced as his eyelids narrowed slightly whilst observing her.
Geneva gulped at the sharp gaze. Dark and laced with a hardness nearly canceling out the imagery of his amiable persona she'd thought she'd been talking to.
" is it death or killing that you're contemplating?" His brow slightly rose as he looked down at her. His aura darkening. Geneva too unschooled on how to approach or go about the matter with him and still get her desired outcome without being placed into an un unwanted spotlight .
To tell him her reason as to why or not she wanted to learn became a mental dilemma in the seconds that ticked by.
Both sounded papery for him to simply consent. He was related to the core subject of interest to the subject . Marcelo would come first for Lorenzo in this scenario.
Come to think of it, it was the same conclusion in all scenarios.
His loyalty and affection wasn't to her, an outsider. Marcelo was his brother and not hers. He was his friend and not hers.
She needed to get that fact straight in her head.
" both ." She answered . " I want to be able to not only defend myself against my enemy, but also know how to hurt them if need be."
She matched his gaze, hers with hardening resolve as she faced him off with a serious stare.
However the longer it took, her mind didn't dilly dally in letting her know that if Marcelo was capable of all the physical and psychopathic behaviors he had exhibited over her, his brother was certainly not scrapped off the gene of character.
There was no way he was. He too had that air about him. That forbidding aura that warned and yet drew you in to him as she analyzed him now. And it clicked like the sound of a lock in a quite and empty room, that Lorenzo was a deadly person whom she couldn't mindlessly mess with.
Not to forget, Marcelo had gotten men to flog her for himself.
One wouldn't see it coming as quickly if they weren't paying attention. Lorenzo's amiability had the ability to render one defenseless if they weren't careful.
The man before her was actually one who was artful.
Settling with that assumption might have been presumptuous of her but something in her gut told her that she wasn't far off with her conclusion and she had to tread carefully.
The speed at which Lorenzo's body neared hers as he leaned in had her blinking in static shock at his close proximity, his distinct scent of heady spice that left her inhaling deeply again and again to get the true feel of it.
" is it because of what he did to your mum little one?" Lorenzo asked . His voice sounding beside her right ear. Pulling back to see her face, he continued " Il n'y a que les imbéciles qui ne changent pas d'avis."
( only fools never change )
As much as he was merely stating a common French proverb that she was familiar with, it still felt like a slap her way. She felt insulted.
He literally called her foolish, the proverb entailed that wise men weren't rigid to advice and wisdom and changed with the weather appropriately, whereas fools were subject to their feelings and biased believes, whether wrong or mislead they followed and were subject to what they knew without question or room for interpretation to lead to improvement.
Her father had expounded a great deal of literature and wisdom with and for her all her life as she grew up. This very proverb had also made it to the list of his explained and expounded sub topic.
He was the most intelligent man in her life. So the actuality that someone had referred to her as one of the persons her father had taught her not to be when it came to intellect made her feel like a disappointment .
It stung deep enough for her composure get distorted and she hated that it might have been evident on her face for Lorenzo to pick up on.
The twitch on the side of his lips and lowered gaze expressed self content from his words.
" I am aware." Begun Geneva suddenly over his critic in record time. She wasn't foolish , maybe not noble smart worthy like her father but that didn't make her any less than of a being with a brain. Her reason for her actions and drive were not out of the blue or unreasonable nor had they just sprouted from no where. She had her reasons to express herself the way she saw and felt fit toward Marcelo for what he had done.
Gazing back at the nearly beautiful features that enhanced Lorenzo's handsomeness. Long lashes, perfectly shaped eyebrows, dark hair that was styled back like the other handsome men she saw in k dramas, shapely jawline and captivating green eyes that shared in similarly with Marcelo's only Lorenzo's were a lighter shade at that point in time,
Geneva conveniently was aware that Lorenzo was a man that wasn't above revenge and like. If it had been his mother instead of hers, he would no doubt have done something about it. And unlike her, his would have been much quicker than the duration it was taking her to act.
Being called foolish held no water, maybe his words independently did, but not where he was concerned as the deliver. And the pang of disappointment she'd experienced before evaporated with that knowledge.
It was true what they said.
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
She'd heard it first from Barbie's princess charm school and the scene she'd watched it in made more sense with deeper clarity now than before.
"I'm aware of the proverb and the message behind your words dear Lorenzo." She didn't coat her words with fake honey and thus they were not coated with sarcasm of any sort despite the choice of address to him.
He was letting her know that her stubbornness would get her nowhere with Marcelo. The plan she wanted to see through would only prove to blow up in her face was probably what he was leading to. And he was probably right. There was a chance that it would blow up in her face. But there was also a chance it wouldn't.
You see, Geneva's thoughts that enmeshed with Marcelo had changed. Did she no longer fear Marcelo? Yes she still feared him. He bloody frightened her she was sure she had twines of trauma where he was concerned. But she didn't care as much any more regarding the post consequence her actions brought hence forth no more.
Was it developing immunity of sort?
She wasn't sure.
Concerning her loved ones, she knew Marcelo wouldn't kill Dante and his family because of her. And where her mother and family was concerned, with the Intel Lorenzo had shared with her , there was no way his actions wouldn't have consequences. Heck , his father knew her grandfather and were supposed acquaintances. That, was concrete enough to deduce that Marcelo's actions wouldn't be taken light if his father and her grandfather's relationship was being threatened mindlessly.
It was her grandfather involved in the mix. And even if she didn't know Marcelo's side well enough, she knew hers adequately.
Further more, Marcelo wasn't God. He was just as human as she was. And funnily akin to her mother, Marcelo could bleed red too.
The knowledge making her smile with closed lips, she looked down at her all black outfit. Black body shaper, loose cropped tee and white VEJA sneakers for the day. Her braided hair tied up in a bun in preparation for the day's gun practice.
She could feel the design of the necklace between her sports bra clad chest. Right between her cleavage covered by the tee.
Everyone in the house willing to look had seen it and none commented at the marking left on her neck .
Not even the chef who had pleaded with her to have breakfast in French . A dense nutrient rich meal with French usual delicacy. Chocolate croissants, baguettes with butter, jam and brioche present without fail. Her cocktail juice had been dense and he'd still asked her to take the glass of full cream milk . Skimming it at the end before she took it because their was no way she was going heavy with both the carbs and fat in one go like that.
Diet was something she was keen on ever since she had battled with anorexia. It had taken a healthier turn from her misleading facts back then thankfully. To food wasn't her energy, it was her friend, and her body needed it profoundly to keep her standing and be of optimum service to herself.
She hadn't argued with nor dismissed the chef because as she was about to, it crossed her mind that Marcelo was a probability behind the man's slightly panicked persistence when she'd tried to politely decline the meal.
No one had been on her case to eat before up until Marcelo had returned with her consciously aware.
Geneva remembered the necklace's flashy display when she had caught the chef gaze at her neck as he had proceeded to fill her cup with a quarter of hot hibiscus tea to wash down her palate. The tea addition had felt odd to her truthfully.
By the end of his service, she concluded that she didn't need the offending jewelry on display, it wasn't that deep in her case for it to be reflecting light every chance the necklace got. But she also knew better than to have it off her neck with Marcelo around.
He'd do something about it no doubt, knowing him.
And she didn't need a repeat experience of the previous day. So soon at that. He was the reason she'd also opted for the body shaper and not tights with a large shirt like the previous day. He'd dismantled the material way too easily for her own liking.
Him and his cursed pocket knife.
Did he hone it every damn day of the week for it to be that effective? She'd also noticed the specialized casing. Black with light brown mixed into it. She was sure she had seen initials of sort. She'd seen an M with a lion on top of the letter before she'd looked away frightened for life every time he had removed it around her. For every time she'd seen it, her heartbeat had been racing in fear of what he was about to do to her.
Preparing to stand up from from the ground, Geneva stilled at Lorenzo's slow proposal.
" let's strike a bargain shall we? You're having your first shooting practice today. If I am impressed with what I see, I'll teach you all that you need to know regarding your interest in anatomy. "
Now that caught her attention.
The catch strong enough to have her remain seated and attentive to what he had to offer. Dismissing herself from his presence became obsolete.
She needed him and he was offering a bargain in order to achieve her need.
" you promise?" Geneva narrowed her eyes at him. " no games, only honesty."
" I don't take fun in the spot of lying. It's an activity we were taught not to tolerate in the slightest. And the best part?" His head tilted slightly with a crocked smile. " their's no one above us too with enough power to make us find reason to lie."
Oh... this deep shit.
Smugness did run in the family it seemed.
She hadn't seen everyone in it. Raksana already her sealed favorite amongst the group, she did notice Raksana's distance around her . It had felt like Raksana hadn't wanted to get involved with Geneva more than necessary that fateful day she hd awoken after being flogged like Jesus had been.
She respected those 40 stripes the world's Christ had taken more now that she'd experienced personal flogging. And His was with one aim directed with pure hatred and wickedness on His back. To the point sliver of skin was all one could see.
The mental examination brought a shiver down her spine and Geneva rained her mind back in.
Raksana .
Yes, she wanted to be friends with the woman who saved her mother and possibly her finger as well so bad. Geneva herself could pick on the desire within effortlessly in that regard.
" that's really good for you Lorenzo." She spoke in French deciding to switch back to the language.
Letting go of the grudge she had on Lorenzo because of his family line with a visible simple smile.
" it's a splendid thing to know as well. This means that you won't go back on your word." She nodded once with confirmation. " howbeit what I had meant was that you won't do me dirty when it came to the detail of vital spots and knowledge you'd be sharing. " she clarified her statement.
" oh" his brows rose slightly in understanding. " of course Geneva. You have my word I won't cheat you cheap darling."
" good." She nodded, her lips tucked between her teeth as she gazed at the ground.
" you don't want to slip up huh?" Questioned Lorenzo who had quickly and silently came to his feet. And she blinked up at him in surprise.
Recalling his words, she found him to be head on with his statement.
She wondered if he took it out of both the reasons she had given for wanting to learn or had leaned more towards one of the two. Death or killing.
She wasn't a murderer.
Yes every human was capable of offing another being with the right push but her conscious was still innocently intact where guilt was concerned to merely take another's life without it being for defense. And even then ....
Maybe that would change.
Her aim was Marcelo's vital point that wouldn't kill him immediately but rather put him in a critical state. She didn't plan on using a silencer when she took the dig at him like he had her mother to which she vividly remembered the loud white noise that had surrounded her.
The sound within her plan would bring immediate attention to her location, whatever spot it would be. She was boldly relying on his household inhabitants to save his life. And if they delayed to do so, leave alone failed to show up in time, she wouldn't do anything about it. It would be him succumbing to his death all on his own.
She had her own definition of murder now.
And she'd gladly take the title of assisting in his death even if the world saw differently. Like it always did with its billions of opinionated inhabitants.
Raksana had been there to intervene in her stead, and in his she'd placed Juan. It was a good addition that Lorenzo was around. He'd make the perfect fit to the recreation of her revenge for her mother.
As she too stood up missing Lorenzo's offered hand for assistance to which soundlessly chuckled, she let Lorenzo lead the way to where she would be practicing, her thoughts swirling.
It was beginning to look like she'd have to do it in the room that she and Marcelo shared. For no one besides house help easily entered his room to take up room or spend mindless time of rest there.
There'd be no unwanted audience to take the shot for him or interrupt her mode of action on that day.
And maybe, maybe .... It would be the least obvious and most unexpected location he'd think of her doing it.
Marcelo knew what she was up to and why she was taking the classes. Lorenzo currently had added information that would no doubt be shared with his brother. Juan too most probably.
Heck, all the guards within the residence and maid might have been told to be on high alert.
Which meant that getting aware from the shooting range with a gun leave alone finding one not accounted for by the end of the day would be as hard as expecting a 60 year old woman to give birth.
And yet, life gave anomalies. And it didn't matter how impossible it was biologically, it became possible in rare occasions.
A miracle, some called it.
For Geneva? She'd cling to that anomaly . For where there was a will, there was a way.
She had been determined enough to make it out of Mexico, and even if it hadn't been based on her own effort entirely, she'd pushed through it with determination.
And Geneva smiled in thought as they progressed further away from the open greenery to paved enclosed ground. She already knew what and how to get herself holding a gun pointed at Marcelo by the end of her acquired desirable level status of training.
~*
Once within the open shooting range, Geneva couldn't help herself. Her legs took her closer to the equipment within the enclosed range only for her gaze to stop short when she landed on the two figures within the space who had already been there in waiting.
Juan.
She could spot him from anywhere at this point.
He was part of her nightmares you know. His snitching activity that contributed to the beginning of her ordeal from Marcelo, come to think of it he was usually present whenever Marcelo punished her with pain.
" Juan was the one to train you." Informed Lorenzo as he took a step besides her facing the two men like she was.
" and he still is isn't he?" Concluded Geneva with bitterness.
She found herself more inclined to the prospect of Lorenzo training her than It being Juan.
The man hadn't done anything to her honesty, not once did he lay a finger of harm her way. She didn't even know Juan's signature scent to date. That's how much they hadn't been in close proximity and yet, as she observed the silhouette of his all muscle and no visible fat, his toned arms on display because of the black vest he was dressed in as he talked to the equally tall and heavier bodied male besides him, she wondered why a good looking man like him was twisted like that.
He could pass for her William Levy she had watched and crushed on from addicted. Only Juan had pitch black hair and had a distinct difference of appeal.
A beguiling one .
Who could easily tell that this was the very man that enjoyed decapitating human body parts?
She remembered the look of delight in his eyes as he had faced Marcelo with the axe handle placed over his shoulder with blood dripping from the sharp metal.
Juan faced them, meeting her gaze and she blinked.
Watched as he came forward in their direction, stopping at 3 feet. Observing her for a moment with a slight tilt of his head, his gaze left hers to great Lorenzo.
They appeared to be friends with how easy the energy between them easily flowed. Handshake and the usual manly hug with a pat to the back, Juan stepped back for the other who stood beside him who exchanged a brief handshake with Lorenzo.
Her gaze dropped from the man's not so friendly oval shaped face that harbored light grey eyes with very short hair and dropped to his thick defined neck getting stuck there.
The face of a skull was tattooed at the center of his neck right below his chin in view with black color covering the tone of his skin outside the drawing.
She'd seen that tattoo design before in Mexico.
The men who had walked with Marcelo the day she'd been found touring the premises. Both them men who had accompanied Marcelo had had it as they had headed towards one of Marcelo's dungeon.
She had come to figure out later that Marcelo had more than one dungeon..
Not sure the detail of why all of them existed nor had she been interested to find out.
Lifting her gaze from his neck to his face, she found his gaze on her already. The edge of his eyes showcasing smile lines.
He was smiling at her before he spoke.
" Roman Diego sends his regards."
Hearing those words come out from him, Geneva gasped, her eyes widening.
That's what it was in his eyes. The slight trace of familiarity and lack of enmity directed at her within his energy.
She'd remembered ink of a skull as well on Roman's left forearm amongst the bunch of other ink when he has folded the sleeves of his shirt after dropping her at the hospital in Mexico.
And well shit.
Royalty fucked, is what crossed her mind. The drum of her heart in agreement as it picked up speed.
Suddenly her head felt heavy, she considered letting herself fall to the ground head first. Perhaps her head would spilt open and she's finally be no more. Just peace surrounding her forever and ever.
It had been a while since she'd felt this anxious and she hated it. She hated feeling her walls close in on her, her body succumbing to the beginning of an anxiety attack.
She wasn't running away anymore at the moment. Nor was she in Mexico. But the feelings of memory of the day she had escaped Marcelo and met Roman had rushed through and into her system and taken over.
She wasn't sure how long it took her to calm herself down and when she did, she found that her hand had been holding onto Lorenzo's lower arm tightly.
Retracting her hand quickly, she held her wrist to against her chest and apologized to Lorenzo for the uncalled for contact as she stared at the ground blankly.
Stoping herself from worrying about whether Marcelo knew about that particular scene in Mexico or not because it had already passed. And he had punished her severely for having decided to leave those gates.
" tell him," her gaze lifted to the man's grey ones . " I send my regards as well. I hope he and I can make even better acquaintances one day."
The odds of her life were beginning to look grim and bizarre it would seem. Her breath shaky, she humorlessly chuckled under her breath.
Did Marcelo know every damn person she knew in the world or was it just her current knowledge of her now surrounding?
It didn't matter.
Genevas convinced herself it was of no matter whatsoever. She needed to simply get out of his vast prison or prisons because damn it, they were too big and many for her licking.
Lorenzo hummed, his peripheral gaze raising from her spot to the men before them as he carried on with short conversation.
Geneva could pick the small traces of Italian mixed with Spanish. Blocking out their conversation, Geneva observed the surrounding of the shooting range taking the space.
It downed on her copiously that she needed to learn how to protect and stand up for herself in this kind of world.
Even if she had no hand with business in Marcelo's world, him and his kind of people in similar operation roamed and shared the world she lived in nonetheless. Hands holding her arms in, she dropped them when Lorenzo faced her.
Juan and the other male taking departure and leaving the both of them alone.
" shall we begin?" Lorenzo asked.