by S. S. Sahoo
“Zachary was really mad at me this morning,” she said which made me cough.
“Worried? Z-Zachary?” I asked with wide eye disbelieving what she just said.
“Yes, he was. Why are you giving me this disbelieving look? Zachary scolded me this morning for not noticing your behavior and when I said I did notice it, all hell broke loose on me” she sighed as she kept her hands on her waist.
“Why would he do that?” I thought.
“Anyways. My son can be scary at some times. If I don’t take care of you now then probably I will be deaf hearing all his tantrums. He reminds me so much of my mother” she shook her head probably remembering the time she spent with her mother.
“Today you are not going anywhere. I am in charge to take care of you. You are going to rest here the whole day. Allow your mother-in-law to take care of you today dear” she said which made me chuckle.
“Okay! Just sleep a little long before I bring you your food and medicines okay?” She asked as she tucked me back into the sheets.
“Okay!” I said and closed my eyes.
She reminded me so much of my own mother, but in a different way. She is more caring than my own mother. I thought before I fell back into sleep.
The next time I woke up, I had to eat all those boiled foods that she made, which was a torture for me being a picky eater. And I had to take all those tablets in order to get well soon. I went into the bathroom and changed into something more comfortable. I wore my pajamas and after washing my face and finishing up with bathroom business, I went back into the room and lied down on the bed.
It had been a whole day and surprisingly there was no sight of Zachary. I wonder what he was doing. Talking about Zachary, I recalled him saying ‘go back to the room and sleep. I will come in five minutes’.
“Liar!” I scoffed at him.
He doesn’t care about. I am hundred percent sure he never showed up and he was just pulling up an act of being concerned about me before mom, nothing else.
Why would he care about me? A person who can kill a groom before his bride on the wedding day can never be a kind-hearted, caring person. All he has filled up inside him is hatred, trouble, and rage for people.
I looked towards the clock to find its already fifteen minutes to six in the evening. My thoughts went back to the time when Emmett told me that he loved me when he proposed me and when he used to hold me in his arms affectionately when I was hurt or sick.
“You promised me that you would always be there for me when I’m alone or in pain Emmett. So where are you, Emmett? I’m sick and now I’m in a lot of pain. Please come and save me Emmett” I cried silently not able to hold back tears.
“I am in terrible condition and all I want is to see you. Please keep your promise, Emmett. Please!” I begged.
I cried for some minutes or maybe hours still trying to register the fact that he was no more. He was killed before me and now no matter how much I would try I could never reach him. Ever.
The thought that I could never see his face made me cry even more.
“I loved you heartily and I’m still in love with you. What do I do? What do I do?” I sobbed and closed my eyes.
“Please give me a hint on what to do. I’m in a lot of pain and I can’t bear it anymore” I sobbed and wiped the tears out of my face.
The door opened and I knew that it Zachary this time. Because earlier, mom gave me my medicines and went out and dad went out of the country. So the only person who is left would enter without knocking is Zachary. Mentally, I prepared myself for his tantrums. I got up and was ready to snap at him when I found my voice lost in my throat.
There in the entrance stood Zachary covered in blood. His shirt was stained with blood while blood oozed out from his mouth and he had some bruises and cuts on his face.
He glanced my way in a way that warned me not to open my mouth or he would kill me in just a snap of his finger. I closed my mouth shut afraid and looked the other way frightened not liking the view. It wasn’t what I was hoping to ever witness. I never like the sight of blood and looking at him made me nauseous and my condition and body didn’t even help me.
He took long strides and went directly into the bathroom. I looked towards the bathroom when I heard the door slamming shut. He was angry and somehow he holding himself back.
But what was the cause and who did this to him? What happened?
I got up from the bed and paced around the room. Though he didn’t show it but judging from the amount of blood and bruises I saw I knew he was in a lot of pain. I heard the shower running. My heart beat rose when I heard the sounds stop. He was done.
In no time, he got out of the bathroom all cleaned wearing just a towel. I turned around embarrassed and bit down on my lips thinking what to say or do. Somehow I felt nervous. I knew that he walked into the closet to change. So I took the pillow and sheets and went to the couch.
I took his bed for a night and judging by his state, it will not be good for him to sleep on the couch. I can’t let him sleep on the couch for the sake of humanity. I’m not that cold-hearted.
I sat on the couch and was ready to sleep when he came out of the closet.
“What are you doing?” He asked in a neutral tone which I could decipher if he was upset, happy or angry.
“I am sleeping here today,” I said and arranged the pillows.
“Get back into the bed,” he said and snatched the pillow from me.
“No it’s oka-” he cut me off, “I said get back into the bed,” he said in an intimidating tone which almost made me whimper like a child. Nevertheless, I got up and went to the bed. He threw the pillow on my lap and I kept it under my head before getting into a comfortable position.
I was still worried for him to sleep on the couch but all my concern for him went out of the window when he crawled next to me on the bed and covered himself using the duvet.
“W-What are you doing?” I asked but I got no reply.
I watched his back for few minutes thinking that he would get up at any minute and go back to the couch but nothing ever happened as I thought.
Reluctantly, I lied down and turned towards the other side. Mentally, I prepared myself for screaming and even for putting up a fight if he ever put a finger on me. I tensed when he flicked the lights off.
“God” I whispered to myself.
After remaining conscious for about an hour expecting any kind of act from him, I took a sigh of relief. Probably, he was not that kind of guy. But how Ironic, I find the Zachary sleeping next to me and the one who killed my fiance in my wedding looks so different.
Back then, only the way he spoke in that church before shooting made me whimper and scared shitless but the Zachary I’m dealing with today although is not different from that one but still he doesn’t make me hunching down in fear.
As if both of them are a different person with the same personality. Thinking of it I still don’t have any clue upon why Zachary killed Emmett and why he married me when he could have just killed me. What did Emmett do to him for all this enmity?
“Emmett, what were you hiding from me?” I whispered before I slipped into a deep slumber with the medicines reacting in my body.
17
Zachary
The vibrating of my phone in my pocket woke me up from my light sleep. I sat straight from my leaning position and took the phone out of my jacket.
The clock read half past three in the morning. I looked towards Juliette to find her sleeping still in her position. I picked the phone seeing the caller ID that it was Max.
“What is it?” I said and rubbed my eyes trying to get rid of drowsiness.
“Boss! I have a bad news” he said and immediately he gained my whole attention only in that one sentence.
“And it is?” I asked
“The person whom we held captive has been killed,” he said which made me stand in disbelieve.
“What?” I snapped.
Juliette groaned and stirred in her sleep. Silently, I
walked towards the bathroom and closed the door behind me.
“What did you say?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“You mean to say under all those securities someone managed to sneak in and kill hi- what was his name? Yeah! Freddy if I’m correct! Someone sneaked in and killed the only person who could have given us information?” I raked a hair through my hair and slammed my hand on the wall.
“But I also have good news,” he said and leaned my head close to the wall feeling frustrated.
“It better be good or prepare yourself yo die” I spat.
“Boss Freddy got killed but we couldn’t let the person who killed him escape out of our territory. He is in our captivity” he said and somehow I felt relief.
“And you won’t believe who has been caught,” he said with excitement evident in his tone.
“Willi Simmel,” he said and an evil smile slowing made up on my face hearing that.
“Say that again!” I said wanting to confirm it that what I heard was true.
“Willi Simmel is under our captivity boss!” He said and I laughed a victorious laugh.
“Bring that bastard to me. We have a lot to catch up with” I said and heard him chuckling.
“Already in our way boss. We will be reaching there by one” he said and we hung up.
I looked at myself in the mirror. The images of what happened three years ago came back flooding into my mind. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaws in anger.
“You better prepare yourself, Willi,” I said and nodded mentally preparing the ways to greet him.
I went back into the room and gathered all my things up including my revolver. I took my jacket and glanced towards Juliette’s sleeping form.
It’s been nine hours since I have been waiting patiently for them to reach here. Nine torturing hours, to be precise. I have been craving to kill and all I could do is only to torture all those previous punks who were captivated by us.
“They are here,” Jeffery told me which got me immediately on my feet. I took desperate long strides to get to the basement where they were. It was the urgency to see that bastard kneeling before me begging for forgiveness. It was the urgency to see fear in his black orbs for me that got me walking faster towards the basement.
“Boss” Max bowed his head when he saw me.
“Well well look who do we have here,” I said chuckling seeing his bloodied body tied up on a chair.
He glanced up at me and spat on me.
“It looks like Max didn’t greet you well,” I said as I got rid of the jacket on which he spat.
“Disgusting punk!” Max yelled and kicked Willi right on his chest which made him lose his balance and he tumbled backward with the chair causing him to whimper in pain.
“Oh! that sound. It’s like music to my ears” I said and signaled Marc.
Marc nodded and came forward and kicked Willi right on his face which made him even more whining and groaning in pain.
Jeffery made Willi back from his sitting position and intentionally stood on his foot which seemed as if was shot.
Willi screamed in agony thrashing with the chair wanting to be set free. I laughed at his expressions. It was what I was waiting very patiently to see from three years.
Three bloody years after I have finally got him where I wanted him after what he did
“Oops! Forgive me. It looks like I’ve trodden on his foot which was shot by Max. I’m sorry. I swear it was-” Jeffery paused before he stomped again on that already bloodied feet which made Willi scream as if his life was being pulled out of his body “an accident” he finished with a smirk.
“I forgot to ask. How are you, Willi?” I asked as if we were best friends meeting after a long time.
“You seem extremely fine to my eyes though” I chuckled seeing him trying to stop himself from screaming anymore.
“Huh!” he coughed and shook his head smirking at me.
“You think yourself a man?” he snapped which made me raise an eyebrow.
“Untie me and I will show you your position” he rolled his shoulder back and shook his head.
“Shut u-” Max intervened but was cut off by me.
“Untie this punk” I commanded.
“But Boss-”
“Untie him,” I said and reluctantly Max nodded and untied him from the chair.
“Now what were you saying?” I said as I rolled my sleeves up and watched as he ripped his blood stained shirt away from his muscular body displaying the wolf tattoo on his half of his ribcage.
He rolled his shoulder and shook his head.
Without replying he lunged forward towards me. He attacked with a big right overhand punch which was directed towards my chin but I managed to dodge it on time and flew a punch right on his rib cage.
He stumbled backward but gains his balance and lunged again towards me and drove his shoulder into my side pushing me backward which made me stumble this time only to be saved by the chair.
Jeffery came forward and took the chair out of the range.
“Everyone back!” I snapped.
Everyone took few steps back giving me and Willi enough space to fight. Willi had managed to wake my rage for him that has been building inside me since I saw him killing my own sister before my eyes.
“I’m going to kill you” I snarled and kicked him on his chest and swiftly drove my shoulder into his chest pushing him backward and slammed him against the wall where I landed one by one swift and solid punches on his guts.
His face had an expression as if he was being burnt alive. But it didn’t stop me because the screaming of my sister and how the soul was ripped out of her body before my own eyes came like a Tsunami into my consciousness that it made me wild, raging like a wild animal, thirsty for blood, craving to hunt.
I clawed his throat and strangled compressing his neck trying to block the air.
He clawed my hand and tried to remove it from his neck.
“L-Let g-go” he coughed.
“Isn’t it what Avery once asked you, precisely begged you?” I clenched harder which made him thrashing against my hold.
A tear rolled down my cheek recalling how her eyes begged me to save her but I couldn’t because I was tied down few feet away from her but I was thrashing around in urgency to set myself free so that I could reach her. I strangled his neck to a position where his veins popped out from his cheek and forehead and his skin turned red with his eyes popping out and tear started squirting out of his eyes.
A hard punch to my stomach made me release him and he fell on his knees before me coughing and gasping for air.
“Funny right? Have you ever imagined that there will come a day where you will in the same position where my sister was?” I asked and kicked in his guts.
He slammed against the wall groaning but stood up in swiftly blocking my kick with a hand.
Using an elbow strike he struck me hard on my face which made me stumble backward. I could feel a cut on my face with blood oozing out.
“Look at you crying like a baby” he teased me and smirked at me.