Chapter 51.
*****
I let out a heavy sigh as I woke up. I could barely see out of my right eye and the left was completely shut. I tried to push myself up but pain shot through my left hand so I opted for my shoulder and my right hand letting out a groan as I pushed my aching body up before I slumped against the wall. I lifted my hand to my face and felt dry blood before I gave a light chuckle that caused my entire chest and abdomen to ache. This is why I never get into fights. They're way more painful than they look, and they look fucking painful.
I looked at my left hand. It was surrounded by dry blood but still bleeding. My dark jean was soaked in blood from the stab in my leg. I needed to wrap them up before I fainted. I tried not to move too fast or too much as I began taking my shirt off.
I was on the floor in a room with just a tiny boarded up window and a door. I should have put a jersey on when James had told me to after we left the restaurant. I shut my eyes shoving him from my mind. I didn't know what to feel about him. Angry that he got me into this or sad that he's dead. I hated him at one point when I was younger but I never wished he would get hurt.
Luckily, I had worn a vest... it didn't matter much. It was dirty with blood as well and it didn't help with warmth at all.
I lifted the shirt to my mouth and clenched my teeth on it ignoring the pain in my jaw before ripping the shirt apart. I wrapped the bigger half of the shirt around my leg as best I could and began to wrap my hand but I froze hearing a lock. I looked at the door actually feeling fear strike through me.
I was in no condition to move, let alone fight. I wouldn't be able to defend myself right now. The door pushed open and I watched as one person walked in before they shut the door behind them.
"Wow, you look like shit..."
I didn't respond, I just stared at him watching the way he moved. He didn't look like he was looking for a fight but how would I know. And there was clearly a gun hidden under his jacket.
"Oddly still attractive, though. I think I like this new look you've got going." He offered a smile. I swallowed as he knelt down, "Told you I would get you back for this scar." He said smirking.
I glared at him as he grabbed my wrist.
"What the fuck are you doing?" I muttered.
"Right now, I'm making sure you don't bleed to death. Declan's orders, he wants you alive." He said pulling the cloth off my hand before he tried to wrap it but I balled m fist to stop him, in turn hurting my hand. He rolled his eyes. "Don't mess with me right now, Alexander." He said warningly.
I let out a defeated breath relaxing my hand. He began wrapping the shirt around my hand surprisingly carefully.
"We don't keep first aid kits here, usually when someone's injured they're dead." He stated. "Or their infected and that's the intention." he added.
"How long have been playing them?" I glared at him.
He glanced at me before he moved to fixing the shirt I had poorly wrapped around my leg.
"Answer me," I grabbed his shirt. "You knew about it, didn't you? Macen's death? The fires, the bombing. The drive by. You planned it."
"You're right." he said casually as he shoved my chest and I let him go because it hurt like shit even though he only pushed me. I slumped back against the wall and he finished fixing my leg up. "I knew." He said.
"But... Kyle..." I drifted.
"Kyle was a piece of shit." He muttered, "We never intended to keep him alive, what's such a gullible cop got to offer us?"
"You're playing Sergio." I shook my head.
"I was." He muttered.
"You are." I hissed.
"I was." he glared at me, "I went in there to weaken his gang, to sabotage them... but then I met him and –" he cut himself off as he shook his head, "He's just nothing like Declan." he muttered.
"You're a fucking traitor." I hissed.
"I am." He said looking at him, "I've had countless opportunities where I could have killed any of them, especially Sergio. I could have finished everything, made Declan's gang rule around here, but I haven't. I am a traitor. To Declan." he hissed.
I snorted. He shook his head.
"I didn't know about the thing with James. I was with Clyde and the others for the past few days. See this," he pointed to me, "This I couldn't care less about. I like seeing you get the shit beat out of you." he smirked. "But Sergio." his smirk fell, "I won't let him get hurt like that. I could have killed him, I could have destroyed him... but..."
I looked at him.
"You really love him." I frowned. "Back off."
"Asshole." He glared at me. "I don't like you. I can't stand you." I smirked, "But he... he loves you." he stated and I felt sorry for how much saying that seemed to hurt him, still, he needs to back off. "And losing you... would kill him... I won't let him get hurt. So as much as I want to leave you here to rot, as much as I don't want to tell Sergio that I've been spying on him this entire time, I have to get you out of here and I need the gang's help or I'll have to try alone and we'll both die here." he said.
I watched as he finished on my hand.
"You're not that bad." I smiled.
"Shut up." he muttered.
"You're actually really soft." I teased.
"Alexander, I will fucking hurt you if you don't shut up." He hissed.
"It's really cute, Ben. I'm sorry about Sergio – he's mine – but, if you showed more people this side of you, you could find someone –"
"Shut up!" I froze as the door swung open behind Ben as he yelled at me.
"Don't kill him yet, Benjamin." Declan chuckled.
I looked back at Ben's face and almost laughed seeing his cheeks slightly pink but instead I glared at him like we had been fighting... had we? Ben shoved me as he got up and I groaned as my back hit the wall, by the smirk on his face I knew he did it on purpose and not just for show.
I looked back at Declan as Ben stepped a few paces back. There were a couple of men outside. Declan walked closer to me and smiled.
"Good afternoon, Nephew. Sorry about the floor, I would get you a bed but what would the point be when you're going to die soon anyway?" Declan chuckled.
I gave a sigh looking at the shirt around my hand. Did Ben have First-Aid training? What would Declan do to him if he figured out what he had been up to? What was Sergio going to do to him?
"You're not my uncle." I muttered.
"Actually, I am. Your grandfather cheated on his wife with his secretary." He said. "Hence." He motioned to himself. "And then he threw her aside and went on with his happy little family like nothing had ever happened leaving her with nothing." He muttered.
"That's not my dad's fault." I said. I ignored the look on Ben's face telling me to shut up.
"Yes it is!" he shouted, "he left me for him! Carl got everything! He had the perfect little family, with no problems while I... And then he hires me, like he's better than me."
"He didn't know you. He couldn't have known you were his brother." I hissed.
"He knew later!" he yelled.
"And you expected what? He had over everything to you?"
"Since it was handed to him."
"My father's success had nothing to do with your father! He worked for everything he had. If you spent an ounce of your time working as hard as he did you would have been something other than a fucking crook." I said.
I cried out as his foot met my temple.
"You spoilt piece of shit. You're just like him, but worse!" He said. "Don't forget that your boyfriend's exactly like me." He added before he laughed, "Save for the fact that Sergio's a faggot."
I didn't reply. I didn't want another kick or punch or stab wound.
"He got my father. He got the perfect family – my family! And grew up in this happy little bubble and then he meets an amazing woman and they have the perfect little family and they thrive while I had nothing." I grit my teeth.
"I'm sorry about your father," I meant it, "but mine had nothing to do with what his father did to you. And stop blaming my dad for what you don't have. My grandfather handed him nothing. Nothing fell into his lap, but that's what you wanted. All you've done is feel sorry for yourself, grow up! You're pathetic, Declan."
I ignored the shock on Ben's face as he stood behind Declan who looked pissed for a second before he chuckled. Ben's jaw dropped. The guards still looked shocked by how I spoke to their leader.
"I worked for my empire, Alexander. Look around. I don't own businesses, I own cities." He said raising his arms. "I own people. Carl could never have done this." he smirked proudly. I stared at him in disbelief.
"You own cities? You mean running around in the dark with guns trying to scare people?" I snorted, "You must be so proud of yourself." I muttered sarcastically.
"Keep talking, Alex. The only thing keeping me from the city you live in was Sergio's excuse for a gang. Now that I've got you, he's taken care of. But I'm going to make him suffer for making me fight this long." he said.
"Sir." A guard called after a phone went off.
"No matter what you do, you'll never be better than my dad was." I said looking at Declan. From the look in his eyes I knew I stuck a nerve.
"I am better. I have more money than he ever had." He said.
I smiled.
He glared at me.
"Why was no one ever told about you? Was he ashamed?" he asked.
"I don't know, was my grandfather ashamed of you?" I gave another cry as he kicked my chest.
"You know, Alex," he leaned down to me, "You're right, there is one thing your father could do better than me. Keep a woman." he said. "Damn... I should have done one thing differently."
He paused, waiting for me to ask what it was he should have done differently. I just glared at him.
"I should have kept your mother alive, she would have made one good bit –"
I shoved myself off the ground and swung my fist into his face. My sudden adrenaline covered my pain pretty well. I grabbed his hair and kneed him in his stomach before I kneed him in his face and then began bunching him as he lay on the floor until I got pulled off him and slammed against the wall. I covered my face as I received a few blows and kicks from his guards and Ben until he spoke.
"Lay off." He said.
I dropped my hands not quite feeling anything yet, I knew it would hurt like crazy as soon as my rush subsided but I couldn't regret it too even though beat up again since I got to punch him. I watched as he stood up with Ben's help.
He chuckled as he wiped the blood from his lip.
"Not bad."
"Sir," The guard muttered something into his ear and Declan grinned.
"See you later, I have a meeting. Make his bleeding stop before he dies, Ben." Declan left pulling the door shut behind him.
Ben knelt in front of me.
"I just wrapped this." Ben rolled his eyes as he began fixing the cloth on my hand again.
"I'm going to get you back for that kick." I muttered glaring at him. He smirked.
"No, you're not." He said.
"Damn it." I muttered shutting my eyes as I could feel my pain creeping back.
"I have to go." He stood up.
"Keep your mouth shut, Alex. I'm surprised he didn't kill you, usually he can't control himself. I guess getting back at Sergio just means that much. Oh yeah, they have no intention of feeding you so... it's all I could sneak in."
He threw a protean bar at me that he fished from his pocket.
"Can't you sneak in pain killers?"
He chuckled. "I'll see. Seriously though, I won't be here for the next few hours... I might not be back..." He swallowed.
"He won't kill you." I said. I figured if Sergio was really angry, he would hurt him... but not kill him, right?
"Let's hope so. Don't piss anyone off – I'm pretty sure that's fucking impossible for you... Just keep your mouth shut, okay?"
"That might be impossible for me too." I said.
He shot me a glare and I smiled as he walked out before I heard the door lock from outside.
*****
Does everyone still hate Ben?
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