𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧
𝟐𝟕
︾︾︾︾︾︾︾︾︾︾︾︾︾︾︾︾
Do you know this feeling of drowning?
I'm not talking about the sudden loss of air, no. I'm talking about what comes after it.
I'm talking about the fear.
This... Suffocating, the way your brain realizes before the rest of your body that something is terribly wrong. And just then- just then your senses are all facing one fundamental truth. This is the end.
Hell, I'm not a coward. Never been one, actually. But I'm a realistic.
So when I'm woken up by this immense pain in my, well, my everywhere, my brain knows I'm in deep shit.
I tilt my head aside and groan, spitting the blood out of my mouth in hopes of getting rid of the metallic taste.
The darkness around me makes it easier to open my eyes, but I don't have enough time to comprehend what I'm seeing.
Another jolt of pain runs through my arms, but when I try to move them, I realize I can't.
My hands are tied together at the back of the chair I'm sitting on.
I snap my head back forward, trying to ignore the growing uneasiness in my chest.
Come on, it's not like I've never been tied up to a chair before.
I usually have Ares and Theo by my side, but I guess they weren't invited.
I closed my eyes and relaxed for a few seconds, forcing my brain to remember what the hell happened.
"Great." I mumble as I hear footsteps right outside the door I'm facing, and when it opens, I squint my eyes and groan in pain.
"You're up." a familiar voice say. I blink a few times to get used to the light, but the door closes almost immediately.
Thiago, the son of a bitch who brought me here, is standing right in front of me, a bottle of water in his hands.
"Where am I?" I croak, only now feeling how dry my throat is.
My hair is sticking to my face in a mix of blood and sweat, and I'm sure my white shirt is the opposite of white now.
Thiago chuckles as he opens the bottle, slowly approaching me. "I'm not sure the answer will help you."
I stay silent as he connects the bottle to my lips, lifting it up. My body was more than happy to receive the water, but halfway through it, Thiago pulled the bottle away.
I breathed heavily and tilted my head back, using my shoulder to wipe my mouth. Thiago didn't take his eyes off of me, and neither did I.
He wears a short, brown shirt with a pair of jeans, and his shoulder length hair is now tied to a bun at the back of his head.
When he turns his head to the side, I get the perfect view to his perfect stubble.
"Who are you?" I clear my throat, narrowing my eyes. How does he look so familiar if I've never even seen him before? "What do you want from me?"
"You?" he smiles, crossing his arms over his chest as he leans against the wall. "We want nothing from you. It's your brothers we care about."
I sighed. Of course.
The crazy rich family finally finds their missing sister, only for her to get kidnapped again. The perfect blackmail.
"So you're not planning to kill me?" I asked, bringing my eyes back to Thiago's brown ones.
His smile widened, seemingly amused. "No, at least I don't." he shook his head, pushing himself off the wall. "But my boss doesn't necessarily hate that idea."
"Your boss?" I tensed. "Viktor?"
"That's right." he hummes, reaching forward to grab a plastic chair from the corner of the small room. "He doesn't think you have much value alive."
"And you?" I clenched my jaw, watching him place the chair right in front of me. "You think I'm more valuable alive?"
"Of course." he sat down, spreading his legs as he leans back. "You are the key, Olive."
The way he spoke, like his words were the most obvious thing made me furrow my eyebrows. A key to fucking what?
"A key?" I voiced out, and apparently he got my confusion mixed up with something else.
He laughed shortly, reopening the bottle. "Come on, don't be modest." he said, pulling it closer to his face. "Take pride! The Italian princess. Embrace it."
"Embrace what?" I shot, irritated. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Again with the princess! What is that supposed to even mean?
Thiago's calculated eyes landed on mine, searching. He slowly lowered the almost empty bottle from his lips, leaning his body forward. "You don't know?"
"Don't know, what?" I whispered harshly, ignoring the pain in my body as I also lean towards him.
He scanned my face, no trace of the smile he had on just a second ago.
"Fascinating." he mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows. Thiago left his chair, and the only sound in the room was his shoes against the wood. My nostrils were wide from anger, from not knowing something my kidnapper does.
"Why aren't you scared, then?" he halted in his steps.
"What?" I asked, my eyes following his every movement. Every tilt of his head, every flash of curiosity in his eyes. I gritted my teeth and tried to move in my seat, feeling like my hands are on fire.
Thiago's eyes immediately found the ropes around the back of my chair and he gestured towards them, nodding his head. "You've been abducted, drugged and tied up without knowing the reason behind it." he counts, scratching his jaw. "And yet, you're not afraid."
"Want me to cry?" I scoffed, ripping my eyes off of him as I shift in my chair, trying to find a more comfortable position for my hands. "To beg?"
"And you don't know anything." he asked, but it sounded more like a statement. I shot him a glare.
"Know what?" I hissed.
"Stop moving so much." Thiago shook his head, lazily pointing his tattooed hand at me. "It's only going to cut your wrists."
"Then why won't you take those ropes off?" I snapped, my chest raising and falling quickly, matching the beat of my heart. A few strands of hair were blocking my sight, and their red tips were fueling my anger.
I was fucking kidnapped. My entire body hurts, and I don't know something important. I think anger is an understatement.
"I can't-" Thiago started, but cut himself off with a curse. I watched as he sighed, rubbing his temples. His crossed arms dropped to his sides as he took a few steps towards me, crouching down to my level.
"You know what's behind this door, Olive? The one you keep glancing at?" he asked, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. His eyes were serious, just like his expression. "At least twenty armed men, and that's just the beginning."
My eyes flickered again towards the brown door ahead of me, but Thiago wasn't done talking.
"You can't escape, and I need you to realize that." he continued, pulling my attention back to him. I stayed silent. "I told you before, my boss doesn't care if you're dead or alive. Those men won't hesitate shooting you."
"Why are you telling me this?" I muttered.
I get it, I'm stuck in this room and can't get out of here. It's not like I have any way out of this chair, anyway.
"Because I'm going to free your arms, alright?" he said, gesturing towards the ropes. "And it's important you understand you can't try anything, not now."
He stayed crouched in front of me, looking back at me as I furrow my eyebrows. Thiago got up to his feet as soon as I nodded and walked behind me, starting to untie the ropes.
I tilted my head to the side, watching him confused and hesitant.
Why is he freeing me?
"I'm going to ask you a few questions." he said, yanking one of the ropes out. The pressure on my hands lessened, but was still painful. "Will you work with me on that, Olive?"
"I don't have much choice, do I?" I sighed, turning away from him. I closed my eyes, feeling him pulling the ropes away.
"Sure you do." he chuckled as the last rope met the floor. I immediately brought my hands forward, rubbing my bloodied wrists.
I raised my head, trying to hide the hatred I'm feeling towards him. He works for Viktor, he fucking drugged me. I don't care if he's freeing my hands, because he is the reason they were tied up I the first place.
I'm still locked up in a room with, like he made sure I'd know, at least twenty men outside.
I need to focus on getting out of here.
Thiago saw my expression, and maybe even the way my brain was trying to figure out my next move.
He smiled, opening his arms in an inviting manner. "You can leave this chair and try to attack me, steal my gun, too. Might even shoot me in the whole process. Or," he raised his eyebrow, sitting in front of me again. "You can corporate with me on this one."
I almost laughed.
If I shoot him, I get shot. And I really don't want to get shot.
Maybe I do have a choice. A really shitty one, though.
"Alright." I said, bringing my thumb up to my tongue, wetting it and then pressing it against my wrist, trying to wipe some of the blood off. "I'll play by your rules."
"Good. I-"
"In one condition." I cut him off, looking directly into his eyes. Thiago stopped talking, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You're going to tell me what the hell you were talking about before." I continued. "What don't I know?"
If I'm forced to sit here, I want to know why.
He looked at me for a few seconds before opening his mouth, considering me. "What are your older brothers doing for a living?"
I furrowed my eyebrows, breathing out angrily. "What's that has to do with anything?"
"Patience." he shook his head, leaning forward. "We'll get there."
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my noise in irritation. "Hotels, restaurants." I threw my hand up, trying to remember. "I don't know, they own places."
"That's true." Thiago nodded, confirming my words. "But not the whole truth."
"What?" I asked, looking up from my wrists to his face. What is he talking about, not the whole truth?
Oh.
I rolled my eyes and brought them back to my fingers, inspecting the blood underneath my nails. "If you're talking about the strip clubs, I know."
Yeah, well, it's hard to live under the same roof as Rivo without hearing him muttering about the fact that even though they own strip clubs, he's not allowed to go to any of them.
I was shocked, let me tell you that. Never really imagined Alessandro to be that type of guy.
But then again, business is business.
"No, I'm not talking about that." Thiago laughed, shaking his head. I furrowed my eyebrows and lowered my hands to my lap, looking at him expectedly.
"Then what?" I asked.
"I'm talking about why the police aren't looking for you right now." he leaned back, his eyes roaming my face. "About why the police have no idea you're even missing."
I tensed, feeling my blood freeze under my skin. He's lying.
"If you want me to believe my brothers are sitting tight, waiting for me to magically appear back, then you can go shove your words up your ass." I spat, my voice full of anger. "You can't fucking scare me."
"Olive." Thiago said, shaking his head. "Just listen to what I-"
"You want me to believe they gave up on me?" I exclaimed, pushing the stupid chair back and standing up. He immediately followed suit, now on his feet. "The police is looking for me everywhere, and when they'll get here, you're going to rot in jail for the rest of your fucking life!"
"You need to keep quiet." he whispered, grabbing my arm tightly while looking behind his shoulder.
He tore his eyes off the door after a few seconds, immediately connecting them with mine.
"Your brothers are looking for you everywhere." he said, earnestly. "But the last place I'll end up in is jail, do you want to know why, or not?"
I glared at him, tilting my head up closer to his own. My arm was between us, and the grip he had on it was rough, but not painful.
"Because they simply can't call the cops." he said, keeping his voice down. I swallowed the lump in my throat but didn't move, waiting for him to explain.
"I really hate to burst the little bubble they created for you, Olive. But all of this?" he raised his eyebrows and let go of my hand, gesturing around. "Is because you were born into the wrong family."
"What are you-"
"Your brother, Alessandro. He's the don of the Italian mafia." Thiago cut me off, looking directly into my eyes. "Just like your father was."
I blinked, taking a step back. "Bullshit."
"Think about it, you-"
We both snapped our heads towards the door.
The sound of footsteps was too loud to miss, just like the sudden change in Thiago's demeanor.
He straightened himself, his eyes jumping from me to the ropes on the floor. "Sit, now." he ordered, not wasting time before kicking the ropes to the corner of the room.
I stayed still for a moment, watching him lift the chair he sat on before and putting it right above the ropes. He shot me a pointed look, gesturing towards my own chair. "Come on!" he whispered. "Pretend you're still passed out, and put your hands behind the back of the chair."
I tried to clear my mind and think about my options, but as soon as I heard voices along those footsteps, I realized following Thiago's words might be my only option.
I clenched my jaw and sat back down, glancing at him once before lowering my head and closing my eyes.
Not even a second later did the door open, and I tried my best to regulate my breathing. Thiago's last words were still fresh in my mind.
The door was yanked open. I took a deep breath, trying not to break my cover by flinching.
"Curran." a rough voice greeted, a sharp edge to his voice. "What are you doing here?"
I tried to resist it, but I just couldn't stop myself from slightly opening my eyes. My hair fell down over my face, blocking most of my sight. But not all.
Thiago's brown boots were the first familiar thing I spotted.
He walked across the room, approaching the owner of the black, shiny boots by the open door.
I managed to see a few firearms dangling before the man closed it.
Thiago really wasn't lying about what's out there.
"I could ask you the exact same question, Hudson." Thiago replied smoothly, stopping right in front of him. "Being here is not part of your job."
"The guards told me you've been here for quite some time." the man, Hudson, said. He walked slowly around Thiago, and the second his boots pointed at me, I pressed my eyes shut.
My heart was beating fast in my chest, and the way Thiago's voice turned hostile didn't help.
"What have you been doing?" he asked.
"Came to check if she has any major wounds on her." Thiago's voice immediately filled my ears, not a moment of hesitation. "She's fine, if you're curious."
"When will she be up?" Hudson ignored Thiago's last comment. "Viktor wants to send him in."
I took a deep breath before slightly cracking my eyes open, and what I saw made the air in my lungs freeze.
The same black boots were dangerously close to cross the line between my front and back, and just a few more steps separated him from figuring out my hands were free.
Thiago, unlike me, didn't sound very bothered by that. "You can ask her." he said, his sarcastic smile clear in his voice.
Hudson stopped in his tracks, staying still as my heart leaps. "I don't like you, Curran. Never did."
He turned around, walking back towards Thiago. I closed my eyes for a second in relief, sighing silently.
"Viktor might think your opinion is important, but I see right through you." he sneered, stopping right in front of him. Thiago didn't move. "If I were in charge, she would've been already gone, and you-"
"Good thing you're not, then. Now go."
The sharpness in his voice left no room for arguments.
He sounded like a whole different person.
Hudson stayed silent for a few seconds. "Alright." he chuckled, talking a step back. "But you're both running out of time, Thiago. I'd watch it if I were you."
"I'll keep that in mind." he responded, walking after him to the door. I remained still, not lifting my head even after hearing it close.
"It's all good." I heard Thiago's voice, and I immediately dropped my arms.
Looking up to meet his eyes, I could easily spot his irritation.
"He sounds like an ass." I said, rolling my shoulders.
Thiago smiled, laughing shortly. "He is."
"Who is he?"
"He's in charge of those soldiers out there." he answered, pointing towards the door. "But sometimes he thinks I'm one of them too."
I rubbed my wrist, looking at him hesitantly. "Why didn't you tell him I'm awake?"
He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "He, Viktor, all of them, they only care about destroying your brothers through you. They don't care if that means war."
Destroying my brothers through me? War?
"I don't want war." he continued, leaning against the wall. "And I don't really want to kill you."
I snorted, resting my hands on my lap. "I thought the only reason you're keeping me alive is because I'm the key, or something."
Thiago smiled, running his fingers through his hair.
We stayed silent for a while, just looking at each other.
"You weren't joking before, were you?" I finally asked, tearing my eyes away from him.
"No, I wasn't." he shook his head.
I sighed. "I really thought my life started to go in a..." I started, searching for the right words. "In a good path, you know?"
"Not really, no." he chuckled.
"Mafia?" I spat, disbelief clear in my voice. "All of them?"
"The first three, yes."
"Amadeo too?" I snapped my head back to him, raising my eyebrows in surprise. "You're talking about the guy who makes sure I have no pickles in my burgers, the guy who has every song of Donna Summer in his playlist. Him?"
"Especially him." Thiago nodded, trying to hide a smile. "And that psycho brother of yours, too."
"Riccardo?" I furrowed my eyebrows, but almost immediately bit my lip. "Actually, I can see-"
I widened my eyes, quickly scanning Thiago's face. He tensed, furrowing his own eyebrows.
"He has a photo of you in his room!" I exclaimed, finally realizing where I know him from.
That day after I got home drunk and slept in Riccardo's room, I saw two pictures on his wall. Thiago was on one of them.
"I'm flattered." he scratched his chin, nodding slowly to himself. "Did he have more photos, or...?"
I shook my head, still trying to fully grasp this idea. "Yeah, there was this scary guy with blue-"
I cut myself off. "No way."
Thiago nodded.
"That was Viktor?" I whispered, eyes as wide as they can get. "I was looking for your boss this whole time and... And they were too?"
He nodded again.
"Oh my God." I mumbled as I left my seat, standing behind it. "And Andreas... He said he'll be joining the others to look for him. The others were my brothers?"
"I fear so. Hey, look." Thiago pushed himself off the wall, looking down at the watch on his hand. "I know you're freaking out, but I have to go."
"What? No." I quickly shook my head, moving past the chair to stand closer to him. "I have so many questions."
"Trust me, me too." he put both hands on my shoulders, looking down at me. "Try not to make a lot of noise, okay? Don't let them know you're up."
I blinked in confusion and took a step back, letting his arms fall. "Is that mean you're not going to tie me up again?"
Thiago is the guy who kidnapped me. The guy who held a gun to my head and was there as the four guards who swore to protect me died doing so.
So why is he acting like... That?
"When we first met, I told you I don't want to hurt you." he sighed, rubbing his jaw. "I have some influence in this place, but not everyone thinks like me. The best I can do is hold them back until..."
"Until what?" I asked hesitantly.
"Until it'll be out of my hands."
"Or until my brothers will get here. Mafia, right?" I scoffed, turning around. "Help me out, and they won't kill you."
Thiago laughed, putting his hand on the handle. "I'll take my chances."
I groaned to myself as Thiago left the room, hearing him locking the door behind him.
Great. I find out my brothers are top notch criminals by, oh, isn't that just the best- by my weirdly nice kidnapper, who seems to be the only person around here who doesn't want me dead, and now I'm left to deal with that alone.
It actually makes so much sense. I mean, the guards, Riccardo's creepy room, the secret office, even the strip clubs.
And Jace! I can't believe that! I really thought there's a third option.
Does Theo know? And Ares? Did they know all this time and hid it from me?
I almost laughed.
Yeah, like they have enough brain cells to keep something from me.
I can't believe my brothers kept it from me.
I guess I get it, but still. I told them everything about me, and they hid the most important thing about them from me.
Shit, I'm actually a part of the mafia.
It's kind of cool, I think. Well, expect for getting kidnapped because of it. Twice, it seems.
Holy shit, is that why Brian told Malcolm Alessandro would kill them? Oh my God. I could've actually caused their deaths. Only... They are dead now.
I ran my hand aggressively through my hair, trying to distract myself from my own thoughts.
My eyes roamed around the room, taking in everything.
It's a small place with grey walls and a hardwood floor, no windows for an obvious reason, but one plastic chair in the corner.
Maybe I can sit my way out of here.
I groaned to myself after a few minutes of just staring and turned around, placing my palm on the wall. My arms are full of small cuts, but come on, I've been through worse. Glass has nothing on me.
Knocking a few times on the wall, I pressed my ear to it.
I sighed when I heard absolute shit from the other side, but at least I've heard the door opens. Maybe now Thiago will finally give me information about what the hell his boss wants from me, except, of course, for ruining my brothers.
"Hey, did you bring food or anything?" I asked, pushing myself off the wall before turning around. "I'm kinda starving-"
I froze.
Everything in me was screaming to escape, to get the hell out of there, to run. But my body completely shut down.
Thiago voice suddenly flooded my mind, memories my mind blocked of the seconds before I passed out.
"I have this one guy, I think you know him. Well, he most certainly knows you."
I could feel my blood freeze with each passing second, and my fast heartbeat was pulsing in my ears like a warning alarm.
I couldn't tear my eyes off him as he closed the door behind him, shutting my only way out of here. From him.
"Isn't that something?" he chuckled, putting his hands in his front pockets as he takes a step towards me.
I immediately backed off, almost stumbling as my bare shoulder hit the wall.
I watched the man who terrorized me throughout my entire childhood smile. I was aware of every single movement he made, every single twitch of his lips.
My mind shut down completely, letting my body act on its own. When he took his hand out of his pocket, I couldn't help but flinch.
He's standing fifteen feet away from me, and I flinched.
"Don't be stupid, Olive. You'll know when I'll try to hurt you." Bo, Elsher, clicked his tongue as he held his hands up in mock surrounder, a smirk playing on his lips. "Trust me."
No, fuck. No. Shivers ran down my spine as I tried to keep up with what I'm seeing and hearing. He's standing right in front of me, looking exactly like he did all those years ago, when he's supposed to be in jail.
He's supposed to be in fucking jail.
"Still not a talker, are you?" Elsher said, his eyes moving automatically to my neck. I wanted to move away so desperately, to not give him the satisfaction of witnessing what he's done to me. But my legs just refused to work.
"What do you want from me?" I hissed, my voice holding every bit of hatred I have for him in me. My hands shook, so I fisted them.
His smile widened, looking at me up and down. "That's not how you treat an old friend."
My eyes flickered down to the right pocket of his pants, immediately recognizing the unforgettable shape of his favorite knife.
I'm dreaming. This is just a fucked up nightmare. I'm going to wake up in my bed in a few seconds, probably screaming my throat out. It's simply a nightmare, designed by my own mind.
The moment I snapped my eyes back to his own green ones, I wanted to throw up. This is real.
Thiago said he'll try to hold them off.
"Thiago!" I yelled from the top of my lungs, tearing my eyes off the man who promised to kill me all those years ago.
The smug smirk he had on completely vanished and before I knew it, he was right in front of me.
I don't know how my body was able to react, but I managed to dodge the fist he sent my way.
I have to get out of here, and Thiago is my only chance.
"Thia-"
My body crashed onto the floor. Nausea washed over me as I tried to lift my head up, feeling like it weighs hundred pounds.
"What, you saw the knife and freaked?" he glowered, crouching down next to me.
I tried to push myself up with my palms and elbows, wanting to get as far away as I can from him.
"You're not going anywhere." he chuckled before stretching his arm out, connecting his fist with my jaw.
I groaned as I rolled on my back, feeling my pulse in my cheek. My brain in screaming at me to fight back, but one look from him makes me cower.
"Isn't this amazing?" Elsher exclaimed, rolling his sleeves up as he gets to his feet. "Just like old times. Really brings back memories."
"My brothers," I mumbled between breathes, painfully twitching my jaw. "They'll kill you this time."
He's wrong. This... This is not like old times. I just found out Alessandro runs a fucking mafia. He can't-
The air got caught in my throat as his leg met my ribs, making me feel like an eleven year old again.
I coughed repeatedly, doing my best to push myself away.
"They're not here now, are they?"
I raised my hands and pressed my fingers to my lips, looking at the blood through blurry vision.
I guess they're really not here.
The sound of a door opening should've made me feel like the luckiest person in the world, but all I managed to do was keep staring at the ceiling, trying desperately to stop the tears from escaping.
"I brought you a sandwich, figured you-" Thiago's voice echoed through the small room. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, and even if I did, my lungs feel like I've been through a car crash. I can't fucking move.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Thiago asked, his voice filled with rage.
Elsher took a step away from me, and I suddenly could breath again.
"Relax, chief. Just doing my job." he replied, amused. I slightly shifted my head, now being able to see them.
As soon as I did that, another pain wrecking blow from his leg was sent to my stomach. I cried in pain, my knees immediately folding.
Thiago threw the sandwich and the water bottle he had in his hands on the floor, walking towards us with blazing eyes.
"Get out." he hissed, grabbing Elsher by the collar of his shirt before pushing him away and towards the door.
"I'm getting my orders from Viktor, like it or not." he said, pulling his shirt down to straighten it. "I can't imagine he'll be happy to know you kept her waking up as a sec-"
A smile spread across his face as he looked down at the sandwich. "But I guess we know why."
I coughed again, turning to the side to spit the blood out of my mouth. Thiago's head snapped to my direction, but I didn't look back to see his expression.
"Never thought you'd be that type of man, but she does look like a good fuck, doesn't she?" Elsher chuckled, crossing his arms. Before Thiago was able to react, he clicked his tongue. "Never did that myself, though. I'll give you a friendly heads up, she's pretty damaged. Have you seen her neck?"
"Get the fuck out." Thiago's nostrils flared as he looked at him, his voice threatening. All I could feel was pain and disgust.
"She's all yours." Elsher raised his hands up, a smirk tugging at his lips as he walks towards the door. "For now, of course."
Something about him not being in the same room as me anymore did something to my body, finally allowing me to take a deep, painful breath.
Thiago immediately crouched down as I groaned, putting one hand behind my back in support.
"Don't touch me." I hissed, my lips curling in pain as I use every remaining bit of power I have in me to shake him off.
"Let me help you, Olive. You're-" he tried, putting his hand back on my shoulder.
I almost growled, looking at him through furious eyes.
"I said, don't fucking touch me."
"Whatever he said right now, that's his fucked up way of getting to your head." he shook his head, pulling his hands back to him. "I won't do anything-"
"You knew him!" I shot, tears welling in my eyes. I gave up sitting and remained lying on my back, breathing hard. "You talked about him before, and like a complete idiot, I couldn't remember it."
"No, I-"
"Get the fuck away!" I shouted as he opened his mouth again, still crouching next to me.
He finally took the hint and got up, walking to the other side of the room, right across from me.
"Is that good?" he asked, sliding down to sit on the floor.
I ignored him and brought my eyes back to the ceiling, forcing the tears to stay in.
"I didn't know what he'd do, Olive. I swear." Thiago said. "I only met him a few days ago. All I knew is that he worked in the same orphanage you grew up in."
"Are you seriously expecting me to buy that?" I muttered, glaring at nothing in particular. "You work with him."
"Yes, Viktor is both of our boss, but," he added quickly after I turned my head towards him, my face contorted with rage. "But I don't work with Elsher."
"What the hell is that even supposed to mean?"
"You can say I'm an outside contractor. I'm here to tell Viktor what's the smartest move is. Nothing more." he explained, his eyes fixed on my own.
"So it was your idea to drug me and bring me here?" I rasped, using my entire strength to lift myself up and lean against the wall. Thiago already made moves to get up and help, but I glared at him.
"Yes." he sighed, sitting back down. At least he's not lying about that. "That was supposed to be the smartest move."
I raised my eyes from my legs and looked at him, my face blank. "Supposed to?"
"I never intended for you to-" Thiago started, but cut himself off. He rubbed his eyes with his tattooed fingers and when he opened them, they were following my movements as I wiped blood off my lip.
"When I agreed to be Viktor's second, he said he'd listen to me. He's done it at first, but now... Now he lets other people call the shots."
"You're not going to cry, are you?" I groaned as I slightly pressed my fingers to my stomach, trying to feel how badly my ribs are bruised.
"I don't think so." Thiago smiled a little, his eyes not wavering from my hands. "Are you?"
I nodded, sighing deep as I rest my head on the wall behind me. "I might."
I've been beaten up before, I can take it. It's not it, it's the man who did it.
"He didn't just work where I grew up." I mumbled, wanting to get everything I feel out. "He..."
Fuck, Rivo was right.
"He abused me." I muttered slowly, cringing as I word it out. Thiago remained silent as I gathered my hair and put it behind my back, tilting my side towards him.
"I couldn't make myself forget him." I smiled, feeling tears rolling down my cheek as I show him the scar on my neck. "But now I don't need to. He's here again."
"Olive, I'm-"
"Shut up." I said, my voice not above a whisper. My chest feels like it's crushing. I tried for years to forget his face, his eyes. Only for him to show me once again I can't fight him. Show me how weak I am when it comes to him.
How I become a little girl again with no defenses, all with one look from him.
"You agreed to work for a man who took away my chance of family as a baby." I continued, glaring at the floor. "And apparently, a man who made sure there'll be someone watching me, someone who will make my life a living hell."
Viktor. Viktor. Viktor. It all comes down to him. Bo was there because Viktor told him to. He didn't kill me because Viktor told him to.
The room was quiet for a few minutes. I was so deep in thoughts I completely forgot about Thiago.
"I brought you some water. And a sandwich." he said, pushing himself up to his feet. He picked them both up from the floor before taking another few steps towards me, looking for any signs of hostility in my face.
"It's wrapped up, so I think it's still fine." he said, his voice apologizing. He sat down next to me, and when he saw I have no intentions of taking it from him, he placed the sandwich and water on the floor.
"I really thought I'll be able to get over what he's done to me." I said, laughing humorlessly as I shake my head. "Not relive it."
Thiago remained silent, not saying anything. I didn't want him to.
"When I saw him, I was terrified. I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything." I whispered, looking at my open palms. "I was completely frozen. Like I used to be as a kid."
"You-"
"Shut up!" I snapped, tilting my head to the side to look at him. "You have no right to say anything! You are the reason he was able to get to me again! And for what? To hurt my brothers through me? You say you're not like them, but if he'll kill me, it'll be your fault."
Thiago tore his eyes away from me. He looked at the wall in front of us for a few moments before clearing his throat, pointing to the bottle next to me. "Drink."
I didn't bother to reply.
He got up, slowly waking towards the door. It looked like he wanted to say something, but eventually chose not to.
Just before he left the room, something in the corner caught his eyes.
I furrowed my eyebrows as he crouched down before the plastic chair, his back facing me.
"I have to take these." he said, showing me the ropes he hid there when Hudson came.
I turned my head away, focusing on the wall. "Of course."
Can't leave me around something I can defend myself with, right?
Thiago works for Viktor. He was nice because he wanted information, and even if he's against killing me, it's only because it's not the smartest move. That's it.
"For what's it worth, I'll try to keep him out of here." he said, getting up to his feet. I smiled to myself, shaking my head.
"With what influence?" I asked, blowing out air in bitter amusement. My eyes found Thiago's, who had an unreadable expression on his face. "You're not the one calling the shots anymore, are you?"
Thiago opened his mouth to say something, put decided against it at the last second. "I'll come check up on you when I can." he eventually said, turning around towards the door.
"Don't bother." I mumbled under my breath as he put his hand on the handle. "I'm not going anywhere."
Chapter 44!!!
Damn lol that's a long one, a bit more than 6.3k words.
Olive is my baby 😭
What'd you think about Thiago?
10k votes yallllll
Love you sm
See ya next chapter :)