"Dealing with a broken heart that I didn't break." - Drake
•••••••••••••••••••••••
We finally arrived in Florida after a long trip from our pitstop at South Carolina. Becky is still fast asleep probably due to her high but I keep on checking her pulse to make sure she's still alive. The girl's a handful and she's not even awake yet. Obviously Luca was pissed at first but I told him that she was going nowhere and he didn't really have a choice. Luca knows that I need him for this to work and he needs me to get whatever it is he wants to get.
"She's sleeping with me." I say as I wrap Becky's arm around my neck and pull her out of the car.
"And who's going to make sure you don't run away?" Luca says from behind me as I wrap my hand around her waist and try to hold her up straight.
"And here I thought we were past this stage." I say rolling my eyes at him as I brush past him towards the small apartment that Nikolas claims to be one of the few ones he owns in Florida.
"Who is she and how do we know she won't betray us or is just working for them?" He says more firmly now stepping in front of me again.
"Look I know her okay. She's lost and doesn't work for anyone!" I grit out harshly at him and watch him as he assesses me.
He let's out a short frustrated breath and I watch as his eyes move from mine to Becky's face for a moment. I don't tell him that she's Marco's fiancé, well ex fiancé.
"I need a smoke." He grits out and bumps harshly past me as he makes his way down the dark street.
"Asshole.." I mutter under my breath as I tighten my grip on Becky's hand and waist.
I follow behind Nikolas as he enters the small apartment and watch him as he switches on the light. The living room is a small warm area where there's a small fire place in the middle of the room. The brown couches are made of leather and the carpet is made of light brown fur. The walls are white and there are paintings attached to the wall. There's a large flat screen TV opposite the couch which looks brand new. You can tell that no one has used this apartment yet, it looks new. At the far end of the room there's a round table with a whiskey bottle and three small glasses around it.
I drop Becky carefully onto the couch and lift her legs so that they're resting on the couch. She's been out for a while now and I doubt she's waking up anytime soon. My eyes move to her face and all the memories of the past come floating back. The constant arguing and fighting with Marco, the lies the cheating. No wonder she faked her own death, she always wanted to leave him but I never really thought she'd actually leave him. But when they weren't fighting they were the happiest together. I think somewhere down the line they gave me some sort of hope that it is possible to find that one person who's capable of handling all of your darkest demons and still manages to see past them.
I guess I was wrong.
"Taylor, are you okay?" I look up to see Nikolas standing in front of me with a concerned look on his face as he stares down at me.
"Yeah.. Yeah I'm fine." I say blinking rapidly and take in a deep breathe.
"Ohh okay well you guys can take the second room to your right." He says in a weary voice.
He's wearing his white shirt with the first few buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. His sleeves are rolled up till his elbows and his hair looks messy. He looks tired but doesn't show it.
"Thanks." I say as I stand up and run my hand through my hair.
"Okay.." He creases his eyes slightly but I stop looking at him and walk towards the the small table I saw earlier with the whiskey bottle.
I open the bottle and pour the brown liquor into the small glass. I pour it until it's full to the brim before taking the first sip.
"Ahh..." I release a well needed breath as I feel the burn flow down my throat.
I lean my shoulder onto the wall beside me with the strong liquor in my hand and my heavy thoughts in my brain. I slump my shoulders down in relaxation as I feel the heat from the fire place spread throughout the whole room.
I hear Nikolas's steps from behind me and I sense him stop beside me. He pours himself a glass of whiskey but his is not as full as mine.
"Who is she?" He asks as he eyes me carefully and puts his other hand in his pocket.
"I don't want to talk right now Nikolas just go to bed." I say dismissively and take another sip.
We remain quiet for a few minutes and that's when we hear the door being opened. He closes the door behind him and stops when he see's Nikolas and I. His eyes gleam red and his hair looks sweaty and messy. His breathing is heavy and he almost looks angry.
"Jesus Luca we're you in a fight?" Nikolas shouts sounding frustrated and that's when I notice his bruised up knuckles.
His knuckles are covered in blood, someone's blood and by the look on his face he doesn't seem to care. His once white shirt has a few dirt marks on it and his black jeans have a few brown marks.
"What happened?" Nikolas says walking towards his brother as he runs his hand through his hair.
"Nothing.." He says dismissively as he walks past his brother and towards the hallway.
I watch him as he disappears into the hallway and my eyes meet with Nikolas who looks frustrated and angry maybe even concerned a bit.
"I thought he was going out for a smoke." I say in a light amused voice.
Nikolas looks at me meekly and aspirated. He let's out a breath and gulps down the rest of his whiskey before he walks away to where his brother disappeared to.
I smirk at him as he disappears into a room and I continue drinking my drink in complete silence. I swallow it all in one gulp and hit the empty glass on the table. I feel warm now, not only on the outside but also in the inside. I feel less stressed and I'm not thinking about what used to be anymore. My chest is on fire but I like it.. I like the feeling.
I walk towards the small couch opposite Becky, throw myself on to the couch and rest my legs on the glass table in the middle. I shut my eyelids as I feel myself relax and slowly start to float away.
●●●●●●●
Simon is dead..
My son is dead..
I watch as the blood oozes onto the floor in a large puddle around him. His lifeless eyes are starring back at me with such emptiness. He's once beating heart is no longer there, his chest is no longer moving and my son...my son is dead...he's gone.
Numbness consumes my body from head to toe, I don't feel anything. It isn't real...this isn't real. I feel as if something is sucking all the life and air out of me, replacing it with nothing but a dark hole.
"Get him out of here." Robert says to the man who shot Simon.
I raise my face and look at the person who took my son's last breathe. He looks Mexican or Italian, between the two. He has a black moustache and black long hair which he tied up to a small bun. He has a tattoo of two tear droplets on his face just beneath his eyes, making him look as if he's crying. He grabs Simon's arm and lifts him onto his shoulders effortlessly and I watch for the last time as my son is taken away from me forever.
He is still in his Sunday wear, I remember we had come from church that day, even though he didn't want to go. He'd told Charlotte he'd rather stay at home and watch TV all day. I never usually listen to what the Reverend says but I remember him clearly that day. He was a different one, I remember him saying he was from another country.
He had said..
"When you pass through deep waters, the Lord will be with you and your troubles will not overwhelm you.."
That's what he had said. As I look at my son's retrieving body I think of what that Reverend said. What he said...that's what he said. Simon is dead.. Simon is dead and that's what the Reverend said.
Your troubles will not overwhelm you..
That's what he said..
Something wet falls down my face as that guy closes the door behind him, disappearing with Simon.. forever..
When you pass through deep waters...
And that's what the Reverend said..
●●●●●●●●
I'm slowly brought back to reality when I hear someone's quiet sobs. I slowly separate my eyes to be met by blurriness and darkness. My body feels like it's been beaten down and I can't feel my legs. My sleepy eyes start to make out a figure sitting on the couch. I fell asleep on the couch. I quickly sit up in suprise and run a hand from my hair.
I hear someone's heavy breathing in front of me and I look up to be met by Becky. My body goes rigid and I put up a tall wall between us, I don't know if of trust her anymore. By the black makeup running down her face I can tell she's been crying but stopped as soon as I woke up. Her elbows are rested on her knees and her face is in her hands. She quickly wipes her tears away and the makeup smeared on her face making it worse.
"Taylor.." Her voice doesn't have that sweet soothing sound it used to have. It just sounds dry and dead.
I don't respond, I just watch her as she runs her small hands down her arms in a taunting manner. She suddenly smiles, at least it looks like one but doesn't show her teeth.
"You look so grown up. How long has it been?" I can see the familiarity deep down those eyes, I can see the old Becky hiding somewhere there.
She let's out a breath and scratches her left arm. She notices my eyes move to her left arm and I notice her cringe but plays it off cooly by dropping her hand and trying to straighten her hair.
She looks crazy. Her skin isn't what it used to be, her lips almost look black and there are heavy bags around her eyes. She's no longer that beautiful curvy Becky she used to be. Her arms and legs look skinny you can almost see her bones.
"Nice house you have." She says looking around and inspecting every part of the small living room.
"I called Marco Becky.. I told him you're here. He's coming to get you."
The smile on her face slowly disappears and is replaced by a scowl. Fear replaces her eyes and complete horror is visible on her face. She looks terrified, knowing what Marco is capable of, I would be to. My words seem to be sinking in and she seems to be processing this. Her hands are frozen and her whole body is tense and rigid.
"I have to go... I-I have to go.." She says her voice filled with panic and her eyes wild with fear. Her hands are everywhere and she's frantic now, her face is twitching, her breathing is frantic and she's scratching like crazy. She starts to draw blood on her arms from her constant scratching and she doesn't seem to notice this.
"Becky calm down.." I say in a calm tone but inside my insides are churning.
This isn't Becky.. This is someone else and I'm not sure how Marco is going to feel when he see's her.
I called him as soon as we enterd the car. I asked Nikolas not to tell Luca, well more like forced him since Marco isn't in Luca's good books. He dropped everything as soon as I told him. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to call him but I had to, only he knew how to handle her and right now she needs him the most.
"I can't... I-I can't... He can't find me. I have to go.." She says standing up.
"He's coming Becky and he'll be here any second.." I grip her shoulders tightly and force her to look at me. She calms down a bit but her body is still a bit jittery. She hears the finality in my voice and knows that there's no running away now.
"S-s-he said she'll kill him Taylor.. She said she'll kill him if I didn't do it." She says frantically as her eyes search for mine. She's panting now and I think she's having some sort of panic attack.
Confusion spreads throughout my face. What is she talking about. Who threatened to kill who?
"Becky calm down I don't know who you're talking about.." I say rubbing my hand against her back. Her eyes are teary and her forhead is sweaty.
"She.. She said if I don't do it she'll kill him and I'll follow after him.. I had to do it Taylor.. I-I couldn't let her kill him. Taylor I had to do it. You understand right... water.. water.. water she's water Taylor, I'm telling you she's water.."
She's shaking now, her whole body is on fire and arms are bleeding profusely. Her wild eyes move everywhere besides me. She's having a panic attack.
"Water.. water... She's crazy Taylor, she'll do it.." She says sobbing as she runs her hands down her arms.
"Look at what she turned me into. Look at me." She says crying and stars becoming angry as she looks at the blood oozing down her arms.
She releases a loud scream or cry for help and she's full out sobbing now. She screams again, louder this time, she's screaming for help and her whole body falls to the ground. She's hitting me and screaming for me to let her go but I don't. She twists and turns, punching and kicking for me to let her go but I don't. I've never seen her this crazed before.
Soon the lights are on and two figures are standing near the hallway. Luca looks confused as Nikolas and I watch them as they assess what's happening.
"She's having a panic attack. I need something to calm her down." I say looking at them both in a frantic voice.
Nikolas stands frozen, unmoving and looks dumbfounded for a second. Luca acts quickly by walking back to his room and that's when I hear someone's phone start to ring. He comes back a few minutes later with a needle in his hand. He walks towards us, bends down on his knees and grips her shoulders, trying to steady her.
"What's in it?" I ask him as he tries to grip Becky's face.
"It's a drug. It'll make her numb for a couple of hours." He says eyeing me carefully. His stare is hard and his eyebrows are creased in concentration.
"It's not going to hurt her Mckenzie relax." His words are slow and smooth as if he's trying to calm me down. He notices the worry etched on my face because he grips my face and forces me to look him in the eyes.
"I'm not going to hurt her.. I know you care about her." I cringe slightly when he says that and he notices to cause he frowns a little. I wouldn't care if Becky died right now, I'm only doing this cause I owe it to Marco.
I'm a bit hesitate but I give him the go a head with a small nod of my head. His hand let's go of my face and he averts his eyes to Becky.
"Hold her up straight." He says grabbing the needle from the ground.
I ignore Becky's ear piercing cries as she twists and turns in my arms.
"Water.. She's water Taylor.. She'll kill him and then I'll follow next... water she's.. nooooo!" She screams in pain as Luca injects her with the drug.
"Shhh Calm down Becks it's going to be okay.." I say brushing her her away from her sweaty face. She's panting hard and bleeding profusely. Her body reacts quickly to the drug as her head tilts loosely to the side.
Luca pulls out the needle and I watch as Becky's body start to become weak and her cries less.
Luca lifts her up and carries her towards one of the rooms. I follow behind him and watch as he opens the door of the room. He walks towards the bed and puts her on it. She's quiet now. Her screams and cries are only just a distant memory. Her eyes are red and her body looks like it's in pain.
I stand above her, leaning on the wall and cross my arms as I look at her. Her eyes are still open but she looks like she's about to sleep any moment. There's a chair at the far end of the room which I drag and place a few feet away from her bed. I lean back on the chair and cross my arms.
"You know she never used to be like this." I say my voice sounding distant and tired.
Luca moves from the bed and stands behind me. I hear him release a long breath and I know he must be as tired as I am.
"Who is she?" He walks around me and stands in front of me.
I take in a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to avoid his prying eyes. I hear him drag the small table beside the bed, place it in front of me and sit on it.
"She's Marco's fiancé." He's quiet for a few seconds but I relive in those few moments.
"Why do you care about her?"
I shift uncomfortably and open my eyes to look at him more clearly. His eyes look more sharp and clear in the dark. His eyes search mine and I see him try to look beneath the tall wall between us but I don't let him in.
"She's the only person that gives a shit about me. Her and Marco."
His facial features change slightly at the mention of Marco's name but he quickly hides it.
"I know you hate him but if I were to take a bullet for him, I'd take it willingly cause I know he would too." I look him in the eyes and I see a spark of something in there but I don't know what.
Silence fills the room for the second time and by the look in his eyes, I know he's trying to assess me, weigh all my strengths and weaknesses, how he'll probably ruin me, whether emotionally or physically.
"He's coming isn't he?" With the look he's giving me I know he knows.
I simply nod my head and wait for the beast within him to come out.. but he never does.
"So he's family?" He askes carefully in a calm tone.
"No. Just a close friend."
"How'd you guys meet?" He says leaning forward towards me and he places his hands on my knees.
I look at him carefully, trying to see what's happening inside that head of his. I give him a thoughtful stare and look at his hands which are on my knees.
"You sure ask a lot of questions for a secretive guy." I say leaning forward snd placing my hands around his wrists. I slowly remove his hands from my knees and place them on his.
He cracks a small smile that's hardly visible to the eye but I notice it.
"Fine... I'll let you ask me one question and I'll answer it but before I do, answer mine." He says in a sinister tone his eyes gleaming with something.
"Two questions and I'll answer you." I say leaning back on the chair again and crossing my arms.
"Deal.."
"Rob did business with Marco, that's how we met. Most of my time growing up I spent with him around. He once invited us to his house for dinner and that's how I met Becky, she was a doll, his doll."
I remember that big house and sitting on that dining table with the large chandeliers hanging above us. Everyone was smiling and laughing as small talk was being past around. After dinner Rob and Marco disappeared to talk about something. It was a basement I remember or maybe a place where people were tortured but what I saw next made my blood run cold.
"Marco had this basement in his house where he and Rob went to that night. That's where I saw her. There were a few girls in shackles there, they were prostitutes. Becky...Becky was one of them."
I stare at him with a thoughtful gaze and I notice how he's listening to every word I'm saying as if it's my last.
I let out a well needed breathe before continuing.
"At first he treated her like shit. But as time went by he got used to her and he started caring for her. He fell in love with her and in a fucked up way she loved him back. He gave her a ring and asked her to marry him but it was all happening too fast. The relationship was toxic and violent, she eventually wanted to leave but he wouldn't let her."
I lean forward and place my elbows on my knees in an exhausted manner. I run a hand through my hair and look down trying to avoid his intense gaze.
"Rob saw how much I'd grown close to them and the age of seventeen I wasn't allowed to see them again. I didn't know what had happened until I visited Marco a few months ago. He told me he had killed her."
Rob had known how much I liked them, knew how much I'd grown close to them and as I got older he didn't seem to like it. I stopped seeing them at the age of seventeen and everything just started becoming dark from then on.
My body feels lighter and I feel like a heavy burden has been lifted off me. My shoulders seem to relax and I seem to be coming down from whatever place I was. I crane my neck before leaning on the chair again and meeting Luca's gaze again.
"Anymore questions?"
"Where are your parents?"
His question was unexpected and takes me by surprise. I hide it as quickly as it came and he notices the way my breathing has changed. I don't answer him, I just remain quiet and listen to the steady beat of my heart. I think I'm angry or maybe anxious but I feel some type of way. I avert my eyes to meet his but I don't answer him.
"The tattoos... the tattoos on your chest. What do they mean?" I ask him my voice just a whisper. I remember those weird symbols written on his chest.
He looks at me for a second and I expect him to ask me why I didn't answer his question but he doesn't. Instead he leans back the chair, grips the bottom of his shirt and takes it off, leaving him bare on top.
I look at the tattoos on his chest, the weird symbols and drawings. I raise my hand and touch one. It's a circle with a skull in the middle and a few arrows pointing outwards. The outlines are shaded making it stand out.
"What's this one?" I ask as I look at it intently and brush my fingers on it.
"It means chaos. " The skeleton gives it that dark twisted type of feel.
"Since everything changes there is no right or wrong anymore. There are many different directions of chaos and ways we can follow it."
I look at him for a moment and move my eyes back to his chest. I trace my fingers onto the second tattoo along his chest.
"And this one?"
A tattoo of small bats flying into some sort of cave. There are five bats in total that are shaded black and they're all entering this cave.
"In the East it represented the demons and evil spirits that live within us."
I drop my hand from his chest but my eyes never leave the tattoo. Each and every art on his body has a story. His whole body is telling a story, one that I want to know.
"What about the one on your back?"
His jaw twitches and I see the war going on in his eyes but he finally stands up and turns around that his back is facing me. It's the second time I've seen it and it always takes my breath away. The beauty and the meaning behind it is too heavy for anyone to handle. The small artworks used to put it together and the size of it makes it unique.
"What's the story behind this one?"
I slowly raise my hand to touch it and start to trace the small artworks along it. I hear him suck in a breath at the touch of my hand on his back. I suck in every detail of this moment as if it's the last time I'll see it.
"The angel.. it's trapped deep inside me and lives in the darkest part of my mind. Symbol of good and evil spirits in religions all around the world. A Biblical angel and occult angel from the story in the bible called "A Twist of Faith".
Time slows down and it feels like we're the only two beings on this planet. His words echo inside my head as they keep on replaying and replaying.
"So you're not an atheist?"
He turns around and gives me a weird look. His eyes look empty and there's nothing in there. His hair is messy and he looks tired from waking up in the middle of the night.
"I believe that there's a God out there who created heaven and earth, the same one that created you and I."
"I believe that there are angels living amongst us, some disguised as our worst nightmares. Some broken more than others." He says as he places his hand on my waist.
" I believe you're one of them Taylor McKenzie."
My body melts into his touch and I feel the temperature in the room rise. My words are stuck in my throat and by the intense gaze he's giving me he knows it. I place my hands on his waist and watch as he's body glistens in the darkness.
"One more question.." His lips meet my collarbone and I feel him breathe in the scent of hair.
"No.. no more questions.." He says and he effortlessly picks me up and wraps my legs around him.
I feel my insides churn and turn as an old flame is lit. His lips meet mine and this time I don't stop him. He bits onto my bottom lip and I respond by letting out a breathy moan. My back hits the wall and I feel him rub himself against me. He presses my hand against his crotch, urging me to touch him as he dips his head into the crook of my neck. Luca starts moving against my hand and groans when I start moving my hand. His eyes meet mine and in that moment I see through him. His dark eyes are a tunnel to his soul and all the dark creatures living there and I want to free them all.
"Tell me how much you hate me Taylor.." He whispers in my ear in a sultry voice as he bits my earlobe.
His touch ignites a burning sensation that my body has gotten used to and is addicted to. He runs his tongue across my lips and bits onto my bottom lip as I run my hands down his back tracing his tattoo. His dark twisted demonour mixed with his tattoos is enough to make any woman get down on their knees.
"Say it Taylor.." He says with a sense of urgency as his eyes meet mine. He puts his hand on my throat as he forces me to look him in the eye and say it.
"I-I hate you.." I say in a low voice that I hardly recognise.
As soon as I say this his eyes become crazed and I smile as I see the monster from within him come out.