Roses & Thorns

by Bry Ann

  He takes his jacket off at one point, throws it over a chair and makes his way back to me. We dance until we are both sweaty and tired. Then he drags me off the dance floor. I take a seat and try and breath. I'm damn well near a panic attack remembering what I just did with him. I watch him as he takes a sip of water, without a care in the world. Calm as can be while I am a whirlwind of emotions.

  “So I have bad news.”

  My head snaps up.

  “I’ll give you a heads up,” he takes another sip of whatever he’s drinking, “if you scream. You will regret it. Maria’s here. Is she not?”

  I instantly freeze. He steps forward slightly and lifts his pant leg revealing a knife strapped to his ankle. I blink several times. I think it’s too horrible for my mind to process.

  “We have somewhere we have to be so I'm going to need you to follow me out. Maria knows you are going home with me.”

  “I'm not going home with you!” I shriek.

  “No, you’re not.”

  I'm frozen to my seat. “Where?”

  “Don’t make a scene.”

  He extends his hand. I glance over at Maria. She’s grinding up against one guy, while another holds her hips and grinds against her backside. She’s so good at this. So good at being kind and fun. Not a life I could ever let be touched by my curse for darkness and crime. I don’t know what I ever did to attract this.

  I don’t take his hand, but I stand. I have a stupid plan, but at least I have something of a plan. He pushes me in front of him and follows right behind me.

  “Through the front door,” he whispers in my ear.

  I'm shaking. His hand is on my lower back. To anyone else, it would look like a couple exiting after a long night. We are both sweaty, a little disheveled and dressed to the nines. It’s all an illusion. I'm being taken by a man, in the mafia no less. What does he even want with me? God, haven’t I suffered enough under the hand of a criminal?

  The second we are out of the club on the empty street, I run. I run as fast as my legs will carry me. I don’t hear footsteps behind me and that makes me look back for a second. He’s not there. That makes my heart pound faster. Where is he? He wouldn’t quit. I keep running. I feel dizzy. I haven’t eaten enough to run like this… for my life. But I keep pushing. I reach the beginning of a crosswalk when a black car with a blue hue and tinted windows cuts me off. I skid on the heel of my boots. Sven rolls down the window.

  “Get in before you pass out. Did you really think I’d chase you?”

  I walk backwards, shaking my head as stars fill my gaze. Stupid body! Why now?

  “Get. in. If I have to get out and carry you in here I will be sure Maria dies the most painful death imaginable. Now get in the fucking car.”

  Maybe I'm an idiot for getting in. There is probably another way out of this, but I don’t know it and I'm scared picking the wrong choice will get my friend killed. So I climb in the car.

  “Good choice.”

  His eyes are dark as night. He’s back in his element. Something has changed with him. The dark, criminal vibe almost drowns the car. No more businessman or playboy trying to get in my pants. This man is in the mafia. And he’s holding me captive.

  He pulls out a pair of handcuffs and handcuffs me to the door.

  “There are kid locks too, just so you know. Can never be too careful.”

  He traces a finger over my jaw. I'm too scared to move.

  “I believe you are smart enough to escape without them. You should really take it as a compliment.”

  “By the way. Get comfortable. It’s going to be a long drive.”

  The fear I’d been buried under comes to boiling to the surface. I tuck my feet up to my chest as my left-hand lays limply in its cuff. He left my right hand free. I guess so I could “be comfortable”. I hide my face in my knees and cry. Once in a while, I feel Sven look at me, but he doesn’t say anything. I cry on my knees for what feels like hours. What did I do wrong? I tried everything I could to make up for the evil of my father. Am I paying for his sins? If I am, then, well, I can accept that. If this is the atonement for the pain he caused then so be it, but if it’s not… what did I do?

  I cry so long. I don’t even remember when or why I fell asleep, but I do. I think that’s a small mercy. The terror was possessing me more every passing moment. Sleep gave me a reprieve. I finally start to stir when I feel the car slow down. Everything feels stiff. I slowly lift my neck. It hurts like hell, like when you sleep on it wrong, except times ten. The muscles in my legs are tight as I start to unravel. I feel really dizzy. I need to eat something. I feel nauseous. My blood sugar is low. I go to wipe the sleep and makeup from my eyes when my hand sticks to the door.

  The handcuff.

  I squeal and start to squirm.

  “Help! Help! Help me!”

  I scream as loud as I can. My door opens slightly, momentarily shutting me up as I am pulled sideways. I squeal. Sven is wearing large dark sunglasses that hide half his face. He looks at me like I'm pathetic. I probably am. He’s so put together and calm. I have makeup all over my face, a disheveled outfit and I can barely see straight from dizziness and fear.

  He pulls a key from his pocket and unlocks the handcuffs. I try to scramble away but he grabs my arm.

  He crouches down and leans in towards me. “You’re in my terrain now Rose. I’d behave.”

  “Were we ever not in your terrain?”

  That earns a smirk from him. “Get out.”

  I step out of the car and immediately tumble forward. He catches me with a growl.

  “When did you eat last?”

  Anger dances in his eyes. “Um… I…”

  “Your lack of knowing answers the question well enough. Gotta introduce you to the boss first, then I’ll feed you. You’re no good to me if you pass out, so stay awake for the next hour.”

  I don’t hear anything he said except…

  “Boss?” I shriek. “Like Mafia crime boss. No!”

  I tug at him. He rolls his eyes and throws the cuffs on my arms, using the link between them to drag me along with one finger.

  “Sven please. What am I doing here? Sven!”

  I stumble a couple times. He doesn’t even seem phased by my begging. Or shaking. Or crying. Or screaming. He just keeps dragging me along solely by his index finger.

  We reach a set of double doors. Then he stops and turns to me. He removes his sunglasses and tucks them into his pocket before addressing me. I'm shaking so bad I can’t even think of escape. My mind is mush of pure terror.

  “Sven please,” I whisper, as tears fall down my face.

  He doesn’t say anything. He adjusts my shirt, wipes the makeup from under my eyes, not even bothering with the tears he knows will only keep falling, and then gives me a once over.

  “We’ll get you cleaned up later. I like to be early.”

  “We won’t do anything,” I whisper. My desire to rebel is mixing with my bone-deep fear. How did I even get here?

  He laughs. “I’d behave in there little Rose. He’s just as ruthless as me but doesn’t like you. I wouldn’t play with fire when you are very clearly nothing but a match.”

  “You don’t like me.”

  He laughs again, but harder. “Of course I do. Why else would you be here? If you’re here I either like you or hate you.”

  “Aren’t I lucky.”

  He frowns. “Shut the hell up now.”

  Then he throws the door open. If I thought I was scared before, now I feel like my hearts going to pound out of my chest. Or possibly give out. Both would be preferable to this. The room is dark, like a dungeon or something. The floors are stone with a drain. I know exactly what that’s for. I can’t take my eyes off it. There are other men in the room. All dressed nice, like Sven. My extra layer of terror comes from the man in the front of the room sitting like a king in his throne. He’s young. Much younger than I would expect from someone in his position. He’s got dark eyes, facial hair and an aura ab
out him that screams ‘POWER’. Honestly, he reminds me of Sven’s older brother, even though it’s clear he’s not.

  Sven greets him respectfully, yet there’s the air of equality surrounding them. I walk backward. Not really too escape, I just want as far from them as possible. Both men turn to me. I feel my head start to pound. The man’s eyes rake over me.

  “So you’re the girl Sven has been preoccupied with.”

  I stare at him, wide-eyed. Mute. Sven laughs.

  “Wow. She’s quiet.”

  I can’t stop staring at the man in the chair. The man in the chair doesn’t smile. Does anything make him happy?

  “Please don’t hurt me,” I whisper.

  That gets no reaction from either of them. I whimper. I want to wrap my hands around my waist, but I can’t with the handcuffs.

  “Rose, is it? I’ll warn you now. I expect you to answer me.”

  “Yes,” I whisper.

  “Rose Marketta.”

  At that my head snaps up so quickly I stumble forward as dizziness slams into me.

  “No!” I gasp. “Rose Bellemore.”

  He smirks. So does Sven, but Sven’s is much darker.

  “Oh don’t lie now. I hate liars. Your dad… the famous Aaron Marketta. Interesting, because I know you’ve dedicated your life to helping people.”

  “No.” I shake my head. I can’t even stop myself this time. I crash to the ground. I lift my hands, trying to cover my ears but the cuffs won’t let me. “Stop. Please stop. Sven, please.”

  He does nothing. Nothing to stop this.

  “Aaron Marketta. Notorious serial killer. Forty people are known to be killed by him, but there is believed to be many others.”

  “STOP! Please stop! No,” I sob, “Please.”

  “He cut off all their limbs before carving a word into their stomach, robbing them blind and dumping their body in the nearest body of water. He was said to be at work for at least twenty years.”

  I just need air. I need air. He keeps talking, but the memories I keep buried deep come floating to the surface.

  “Dad,” I laugh, “I have to date at some time. I can’t stay locked in here forever.”

  “Why not?”

  I laugh harder. “Because. That’s no way to live. Besides I like this boy.”

  “You’re too pretty, and the world's too dangerous.”

  “Dad,” I give him a sad look, “I'm strong, remember. Your warrior princess.”

  I wink. We are jokingly bantering when the doorbell rings. I furrow my eyebrows.

  “I’ll grab it.”

  “Thanks, my precious flower.”

  Such a dorky nickname, but he gave it to me and he’s my only family. My dad. My hero. So I put up with it. Secretly love it even. I mean my name is Rose. It kind of makes sense, right?

  I walk to the door, smiling. I immediately gasp when I see who’s at the door. So many police. A haze of blue uniforms and lights.

  “Officer?” I squeak.

  “Hey, sweetheart. Is your dad home?”

  He’s saying nice things, but his voice is stern.

  “Daaaadddd….” I yell.

  I spin around and see he’s already there. Looking like I’ve never seen him. He looks mean. I don’t understand.

  “Dad?” I say confused.

  He looks deadly even. He reaches down to his ankle and whips out a gun.

  “DAD!” I scream as I shot whirls past my head toward the officer.

  “SHOTS FIRED! SHOTS FIRED!” someone’s yelling.

  I scream and fall to the ground right on the spot and tuck myself into a ball, rocking back and forth.

  “I'm gonna get you out of here. Okay, sweetheart?”

  A man in blue grabs my arm and begins to untuck me. He carries me out of the house and sticks me in the backseat of the police car.

  “What’s happening? Where’s my dad?” I cry. “Why is he shooting? Please don’t kill him. I don’t know why he’s doing this. He’s never done anything… Oh my gosh.”

  “Shhh… we’ll get this figured out. Okay, sweetie? Let us worry about your dad right now. Can I ask you a few questions?”

  NOOO!

  “You know what. Let's wait a little while, okay?”

  After that everything fell apart. I saw the victims faces. Their families. I learned what my father was. I fell apart and then slowly rebuilt myself, promising to fix as many lives as possible to try to make up for all the lives my dad ruined.

  “You don’t look like him. You also, clearly, aren’t a serial killer so you have both of those things going for you.”

  That was the Mafia boss. Sven would never have said that. I hate him so much. Sven walks over to me and circles me.

  “You know. When I found this out, you made a lot more sense.”

  I close my eyes. This isn’t real. This isn’t real. It can’t be.

  “I see why you want her Sven, but now we need to talk. Keep her here or put her somewhere, but make sure she keeps her mouth fucking shut. We have a lot to discuss.

  “She stays. She won’t hear a word we’re saying anyway.”

  He taps my head like a puppy and then walks off to stand by his boss.

  Sven is right. Like always. Because my mind is gone.

  Chapter 12:

  Sven:

  I glance at Rose one last time. She’s quivering on the floor. Long gone. We could be literally planning her murder and she’d be too lost in pain and shock to know. Not that I plan on killing her. Ever. I think. Plans always change, but I really can’t imagine that happening. I shrug and walk closer to Boss. His face is stern. He pulls a chair forward with his foot and gestures for me to sit.

  “We have a lot to discuss.”

  “Then let’s discuss it.”

  “Marcelo’s dead.”

  Wait. What.

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s not breathing.”

  “Alright.”

  Fucking how? But I can’t question boss. I had plans for Marcelo!

  “I want you to replace him.” I don’t know what the hell to say. “Can I trust you?”

  Boss cocks an eyebrow as he waits for my answer.

  “Yes.”

  Until I plan to kill you.

  “So you accept I assume?”

  “Yes, obviously.”

  Not that I’d have a choice either way. Boss picked me and refusing him would mean death. Luckily, I’d been vying for this position.

  “Good, then there are lots of things to go over.”

  Boss pulls something out of his pocket. It shines in the light. The hard drive. I take a quick glance at Rose. She’s staring at a spot on the floor. Tears frozen on her face.

  “I can’t say I haven’t been curious to know what’s on that. And what you plan to do with it.”

  He smirks. “In due time. You need to meet someone first. Since you were no one, you haven’t met her yet. You are somebody now. Before I proceed, well, actually this will all make more sense if you meet her first. “

  I cock an eyebrow. “Her?”

  He smiles. It’s so dark I smile too. A prisoner. I know immediately. He picks up his phone and doesn’t even hold it to his ear before he starts barking off orders.

  “Bring Lacey in here now! No handcuffs.”

  Then he slams the phone shut.

  “No handcuffs?”

  He glares at me. He hates being questioned with a passion. The same way I do.

  “She doesn’t need them. She won’t do anything.”

  We all wait a few minutes. I glance at Rose. She seems to be coming back into herself. Somehow her skimpy clothes have stayed intact, and her makeup isn’t a complete disaster. She’s just perfect no matter what I guess. Well, perfect except for the bones sticking out of her body. Some boys like a girl all starved like this. Not me. Fucking men want women to look like, well, women. I need to get her fed before she faints. Her arms are shaking badly. I know her blood sugar is low, but boss has shit to say and
after being gone for a week I can’t tell him I’ll be back after I feed Rose. I'm underboss now. That still hasn’t sunk in. Plan A, well, it went way smoother than anticipated. Smoother doesn’t always mean better. I'm pissed as fuck I missed the fun of it, but Rose is here. She’ll help me cope, I'm sure. Until such a time I can take down Boss. Find his weakness.

  Then the doors are thrown up and a girl gets shoved forward. She falls to the floor in front of the steps that lead to where Boss and I are seated. For some reason when I see her I think of the color grey. Her hair is dirty blonde, nearly brown. Her skin clearly hasn’t seen the sun in a while. Her eyes are grey and sad. So sad. It surrounds her like a bubble. I glance at boss. What could he possibly get by keeping her prisoner. Why is she still alive? How did she even get here?

  I glance at Rose. No, it’s not the same.

  I have to bite my tongue to stop the questions and wipe my face clean of emotions or I know he’ll see the questions in my eyes. I can’t give him a reason to kill me... before he gives me the way to kill him.

  But he’s my equal in every way, and for once, this isn’t going to be easy. Like all good things, it will take time.

  The girl looks at Boss, full of questions in her eyes, then me. She immediately cowers and starts to shake, but it’s subtle. Unlike Rose, she tries to hide it. Interesting she reacts that way to me more than Boss. She scans the room, more to avoid my gaze than anything else. When she lays eyes on Rose her eyes go wide. Rose looks more impassive and sad than anything else. It’s clear she feels sorry for the girl in grey but doesn’t hold the same deep compassion the girl on the floor holds. Rose is too scared for herself right now.

  That’s my girl.

  She looks at the Boss, and much to my surprise, there is anger there. It’s subtle, but it’s there. Boss looks like the devil himself as he watches this girl. The happiest fucking devil alive.

  “Come here, Lacey.”

  I watch her debate it. Any sign of happiness vanishes from Bosses face.

  “Come here Lacey!” he snaps. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

  On shaking limbs, she stands and starts to approach him. Rose watches her in awe and horror, then glares at me. There’s so much hatred there. I smirk and wink at her. We’ll have fun later.