RESILIENCE (Resilient Saga Book 1)

by Marcia DM

  He scoffs and says, “Am I stinking the place up? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

  “If that will make you take a shower, then yeah, that’s what I’m saying.”

  “I’m still not gonna do it.”

  “Are you gonna make me rip that shirt off and make you do it?”

  “I would love to see that happening.” He winks at me after that line.

  How can he be this relaxed after all that happened?

  “Either you put ice on that eye, or you’re not going to see much for the next couple of days.”

  “Touché,” he says. He walks into the bathroom and turns the shower on. “Are you coming or what?”

  “I don’t think so,” I say, even though I really want to join him.

  “You were right, I can barely see. I need some help over here.”

  “Very funny, mister. I think you’ll be alright.”

  After he’s done showering, he walks back to the living room wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

  “Shower is done. Anything else you want me to do?”

  “Yes. Come here and sit down. Let me take a closer look at that eye.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He sits down and I put the bag of beans back on his eye. “Hold that there.” He lets out a moan both of pleasure and pain. That moan takes me back to the motel. I start touching his hair, still damp from the shower. My other hand is caressing his wet skin, but this time it’s not sweat. I look at his mouth.

  I wanna kiss him. Badly.

  He feels I’m getting closer and looks back at me.

  I get closer and closer to those lips, slowly and steadily. He closes the gap quickly and kisses me, long and sexy. The bag of beans drops to the ground. He lays back and looks at me; his eyes are trying to tell me something I can’t quite get. He notices that.

  “Sarah… I need to te—”

  RIIING, RIIING.

  Bruno’s cellphone is ringing. Again.

  The screen reads “Carter.” Again.

  He interrupts us. Again.

  Bruno picks up.

  “Do you have like a ‘cock-block’ app on that cell of yours? If you say ‘yes,’ I’ll believe you,” he says while still caressing my back. I can barely hear a voice on the other side, but I don’t need to hear what it says. Bruno’s smirk fades and is replaced by his game face. He stands up and runs to the kitchen without saying a word.

  I’m right behind him.

  CHAPTER 31

  BRUNO

  “Do you have a like a ‘cock-block’ app on that cell of yours? If you say ‘yes,’ I’ll believe you.”

  “Greetings… Professor,” Asad’s voice coming through the speaker feels like a poisonous knife stabbing my eardrum.

  God dammit, Carter.

  I utter no words. I walk away from Sarah, leaving her in the living room. I’m on my way to the kitchen. I open my laptop and start a trace on the call.

  “There’s no need for you to trace this call, I’m going to give you the address… That’s why I called ahead instead of sending you his head,” he says calmly. Just like his father, trying to get under my skin. It didn’t work before, but this time he has leverage on me.

  And it’s working.

  “Where the fuck is Carter and what have you done with him!? I swear to God—”

  “Relax, Professor. He’s with me… let’s say he’s ‘okay,’ for now. Not a very talkative guy, but little by little he will start talking. Somebody once told me ‘everybody breaks, you just have to poke the sticks where it hurts the most.’ Oh, that’s right, it was you who said that.” He chuckles; his weird, childish, twisted tone is getting the best of me. This is not the shy kid I once met; no, I’m clearly dealing with a deranged man. And to make matters worse, he has Carter with him.

  “Just let him go, it’s me you want. You wanna kill me? I’ll give you your chance, just let him be.” I just noticed Sarah’s beside me. She reaches out and grabs my arm. There are some tears running slowly down her face.

  “Oh, come now, Professor. There’s no need to be this dramatic over a simple phone call. I just wanted to have a good tea party. I’ll be more than happy to be your host.”

  “Just name a place and a time, I’ll be there.”

  “Fantastic! Oh… please extend this invitation to your… whore.”

  “NO! She’s not a part of this, neither is Carter. Leave them out of this.”

  “But she is, Professor. She’s ‘everything,’ isn’t she? Tell me I’m wrong.” I don’t know what to say. The silence grows bigger and bigger. “Professor? Are you still with me? Perhaps we need some motivation here.”

  What does he mean?

  “ARRRRGHH!” I can hear Carter screaming in the background.

  “Motherfucker!”

  “Oh, there you are. So energetic, as usual.”

  “Stop it, Asad. just give me the address and a fucking time.”

  “Wonderful attitude. I’ll start getting everything ready for our party. Please, try not to disappoint me; otherwise, our mutual friend here will be very sad, to say the least.”

  “ARRRRGHH!” Carter screams again.

  “Stop it! I’ll go—"

  “That sounded awfully singular, Professor.”

  “We’ll… go.”

  “Perfect. I’ll reach out with the details within the hour. Just the two of you are welcome. If I see as much as a squirrel with you, I’ll slit his throat… on camera.”

  “I got it, just the two of us.”

  “Bye-bye now.” We both hang up.

  “Asshole.” I can feel the fury rising inside. I need to vent. I look back at Sarah; she can clearly see through me. She takes my hand before I can smash my cell against the wall.

  “What happened?”

  “That was Leon. He, uh… he has Carter.” She lets go of my hand and covers her mouth.

  “How did this happen?” I can’t look at her. I’m ashamed that I let this happen.

  “I don’t know, and we don’t have time to discuss this. He wants both of us to go there, and I have to come up with a plan, so he doesn’t notice you’re not there.”

  “What if he finds out?”

  “He said he will kill Carter on camera.”

  “Then, we’re going.” Her words echo through my entire body.

  Did I hear that right? She said, ‘Then we’re going.’ How can she say that so lightly? After all I put her through. I can’t stop fucking things up. I’ve let her down time after time and yet, she’s still here. I promised her protection and I’ve only managed to put her in harm’s way every single time.

  My cell rings with Carter’s custom tone. That’s probably Asad with the meeting details.

  I look back at Sarah. I’m contemplating her beauty, not only on the outside— she has inner beauty as well, kindness and good will. I don’t think she understands how bad this situation is, for me, for her and for Carter. If I take her with me, she dies. It’s that simple. And I won’t be able to stand it. But if I don’t, Carter dies… I… I can’t lose my family again… After what happened to my brother, I swore I’d never lose anybody again…

  “Bruno!” She screams in my face. “Wake the fuck up!”

  “Taking you there is the same as murdering you myself. Do you fucking understand that? Might as well just kill you here and save you the trip. I’ve got a little more than three hours to come up with a plan. So, leave me the fuck alone, Sarah.”

  “No way. I’m not sitting this one out. It’s Carter, for Christ’s sake! They’re going to kill him!” She walks towards me.

  “I said NO!” I yell at her. She looks at me, eyes wide open, eyebrows up, she’s scared of me… again. Seeing her looking at me like that feels like hell.

  I should carve my own heart out.

  “I’m not the one being tortured as we speak. Even if I were, I no longer have anything or anyone to lose. Carter is your blood, your brother; you said it yourself thousands of times. Maybe we can de
al a trade or something. But get it through your skull. I. Am. Going.” She has a calm tone, paused, like someone who’s at peace with anything that may happen to them.

  I hate the words she says. I feel cheated for trying to protect her when she’s clearly trying to die, desperately. I can’t let her do that. In my complete state of madness and with the help of a dose of adrenaline, I walk back to her, grab her chin, and look straight into her eyes to make her understand. She has to!

  “You can’t be this blind! Can’t you see what you mean to me? If you die, I die. It’s that fucking simple. If you care for me at all, please, stop stepping on my heart and let me think for two fucking minutes, just… TWO… FUCKING… MINUTES.”

  She doesn’t say anything but breaks free from my grip. She punishes me with distance. Now I realize I was too harsh, it was too much. I feel empty now, knowing that I drove her away. I didn’t want to push her away, I just need to solve this. Is there a way to save both of them? No. I can’t. There are too many variables at play. Either one of them could die, if not both, and both of them are too important to me. How can I do this alone? If I bring Sarah, she dies. If I don’t bring Sarah, Carter dies. If I bring someone and they notice, Carter dies. Unless…

  “To hell with this,” I say and make way for the gym. I lock myself in it.

  The gym is not just a gym; it houses most of my weapons behind a fake wall of mirrors. To access that hidden corner, a code must be punched in on a keypad that sits under the bench press. If you input the wrong code three times, an intrusion system is triggered, locking down the room. What comes next is not pleasant.

  Once the code is accepted, the mirrors open up like a garage door, allowing entry to the back room where the arsenal is stored in a showroom style, waiting and ready for me. Every time I come here, I take a good minute to contemplate them all hanging on the wall. They are a work of art. This time, I take more than a minute, waiting desperately. Maybe they’ll whisper a solution to this problem because what I’m about to do is something I’d like to avoid.

  I really don’t want to do this, but considering how things are, there’s no way around it. Owing him a favor is… Let’s just say I’d rather owe the devil a favor. But in dire times… I can’t think of anyone else.

  My old swim buddy from the Navy Seals— one tough motherfucker, one of the few men who have my same skillset.

  A man hiding in the shadows to remain unknown. He doesn’t want to be recognized, identified or questioned about anything. If you happen to be unlucky enough to bump into him on the street, I’ve got one piece of free advice: Run, hide and pray that he doesn’t find you.

  I pull my cell out of my pocket and search my contacts for a call sign: RAGE.

  I hit ‘Dial’ and it starts to ring. Rage picks up and we start to talk.

  After the call ends, I realize that sometimes you don’t really need a big plan, just a big pair of balls… and mine are HUGE. With him in play, saving both of them is no longer impossible. Just like I said before, somebody will die, but now it won’t be Sarah or Carter. I’ll trade places with them in a heartbeat. I believe there’s nothing more honorable than dying for one’s family.

  Finally, I emerge from the gym. Sarah’s quietly waiting on the couch. Such an obedient woman. She gets up the moment she notices me and clears her throat. She’s still afraid; I can sense it.

  “Ready?” I say in a low and dark tone. I can’t help it, that’s just how I feel right now.

  I regret nothing. All the things I did to her were a necessary evil. I chose to be the villain, I couldn’t let another guy take my place. I needed to control the situation.

  I believe that having her in my house was the right move. And my feelings for her also feel right. Nothing seems wrong when it comes to protecting Sarah, not even death.

  Not just any death.

  My death.

  “Yes. Is there anything I need to know or do?” Her voice is jumpy. It’s subtle; she’s trying to conceal it, but it’s there, and my attitude is not helping at all.

  “The less you know, the better. I will tell you this much though— I’ve called for backup.”

  “But Bruno, Leon specifically said he’ll kill Carter if he notices someone else.”

  “He won’t.”

  CHAPTER 32

  SARAH

  Bruno’s exotic car comes to a stop in an empty parking lot. The only visible landmark is an old, rusty warehouse in front of us. The place looks abandoned, and so its surroundings. No people are to be seen around here, there are no sounds; not even stray dogs are roaming the area. We’re completely alone, or at least it seems that way. Bruno unclicks his seatbelt, unlocks the doors and lets out a loud sigh. We haven’t really spoken since we had that very unpleasant argument. Something clicked in him, triggered his alter ego to appear. I can see a cold-blooded man in his eyes— the Professor. I know him well. He’s ready for anything or anybody. There’s no sign of Bruno in those eyes, that warm and sweet man is far away from here.

  “We’ll carry on by foot from here. Let’s head for that warehouse there.” He points at it. “If you have a weapon with you, now’s the time to leave it in the car. We’re going to be frisked for weapons.” I shake my head. “Good. It would be stupid of you to try to conceal one, even from me.” His words are like sharp knives that puncture my chest. I never thought I’d feel this way with him again.

  “I told you already, I’m not carrying anything. Feel free to search for yourself, if that’s what you want.”

  “Not necessary, I believe you.” He’s about to say something else but swallows his words before they leave his mouth. He scouts the perimeter from where we are, and his eyes come back to me. “Also, don’t make any sudden moves or try to be a hero. That means stand still, don’t talk unless you’re spoken to, don’t fight… you know the drill.”

  “Got it.”

  “Good. Let’s get going.”

  I unclick my seatbelt and step out of the car. I start walking towards the warehouse, but Bruno grabs my wrist, stopping me. I’m not following what’s happening here. After he grabs me, he crashes my lips against his.

  This feels like a ‘goodbye.’

  His kiss demands my complete and undivided attention; it’s so desperate and needy, it hurts. It pains me to have this unspoken ‘goodbye’ moment. It’s clear enough that he won’t confirm it, but nevertheless it makes me sad. Despite all the things he did to me, I’m happy I met him, happy I had the chance to know about his past and be a part of his present. Knowing his reasons behind his actions was the cornerstone to understanding and answering the millions of questions I had and could never ask. Ultimately, the only answer that really mattered is already happening— a simple, hot and messy kiss.

  Pure love.

  He finally lets go of me and says, “You told me before you don’t have anyone or anything to live for, that nobody cares about or needs you. Well, you’re wrong, God dammit. I need you. So please, no crazy stuff.”

  “Alright.”

  “I know it’s not my place to demand anything from you. But let me handl—” I interrupt him by placing my finger on his lips. I trust him. His words made my eyes tear up. He carefully wipes them off. This is not the time to be fragile. We need to survive this. I need to survive this, and I’d do anything for him.

  He takes my hand and we march toward the warehouse, together.

  We arrive at the door. There are eight choppers parked right outside, but only four bikers at the door. There’s also a flag hanging on it with the inscription ‘Devil’s Head’ and an image of a ripper beheading a devil.

  “Professor…” One of the bikers says— a tall, red-bearded man, with the word ‘fuck’ tattooed to his forehead, and sunglasses hanging from his patch pocket. “Step forward, spread your legs, arms up, nice and easy.”

  Bruno complies. Not that he has a choice: the other three bikers are pointing big guns at us all the time. Redbeard searches Bruno twice. I think he’s surprised he doesn’t fi
nd any weapons in the first frisk, so he does a second one. After finishing with the second search, he looks offended. Bruno cracks a nasty smirk. It’s like a game of cynical expressions Redbeard loses. Pissed off at it, he shoves Bruno to the side and sets his eyes on me. But before he starts walking, Bruno gets in his way.

  “Relax, big shot. I’m not into brunettes,” he says as he looks at me with contempt. Bruno’s nostrils are dilated, and his fast breathing lets out a menacing sound. I touch his arm to calm him and step forward to be frisked. Redbeard searches me, slowly and thoroughly. He even touches my breasts repeatedly while looking at Bruno. Finally, he stops, finds nothing and says, “They’re both clean.”

  Two of the bikers get behind us and Redbeard says, “Hands behind your back”. The bikers behind us kick the back of our knees, taking us down. I look at Bruno and he fires a “Do it” with his eyes. They bind our wrists with ropes and tie us up really tight, scraping my skin— a familiar feeling, but nothing compared to what Bruno used to do. Redbeard steps to the side and the remaining biker opens the door. They forcefully pick us up and make us enter this void of darkness. So far, everything reminds me of where I used to be held. The steps we take echo through the warehouse. I can tell Bruno’s steps apart from the bikers’.

  A painful noise comes from Bruno’s mouth and triggers a shot of adrenaline in my body. I lean to the side desperately trying to find him with my body, to no avail. I can’t see anything. The next thing I hear is the thud of his big body slamming onto the ground; then, silence.

  Bruno’s unconscious and they keep pushing me forward, farther away from him.

  CHAPTER 33

  BRUNO

  Iopen my eyes and see Sarah sitting right beside me, smiling like I’ve never seen her smile before. A smile full of joy, kindness and love. She slowly crawls into my arms and softly caresses them. My arms are all around her. It feels incredible, being able to protect and care for her. Suddenly, an invisible force pulls me away from her. I’m trying to hold on to her, but I can’t— the force is too strong. I’m trying to yell and fight, but my lips are sealed, and my throat feels numb. She doesn’t seem to notice that whatever’s happening is bad. She keeps smiling and reaches out to me, but I can’t hold on to her. A deep cold feeling invades my whole body, sweat drips from my forehead. I close my eyes and wipe some of it with my wrist. When I reopen them, I see Sarah’s face again. She’s now aware, her face is full of horror and has an expression of endless pain. She’s screaming my name, but I can’t hear her. Sweat starts to drip from my whole body, drenching my clothes so much they are heavy, and I can’t move right. The heaviness reaches my head. It feels as if I had a ton of bricks hanging from my neck, pulling me down. I’m fighting it, but the weight is just too much, and I can’t keep my head high, so I lose sight of Sarah. I can’t let that happen. I try to raise my forehead, I put everything I have left in it. Slowly, I start to beat this force. At the same time, a light starts to shine. The more I raise my head, the brighter the light gets. It’s blinding me now and even though I’m looking at where Sarah was, I can’t see anything. The light is so bright, it hurts my eyes. I need to close them.