by S. S. Sahoo
“I am amused to see you like this when you yourself know that you are on the brink of dying. I must say you are utterly brave to put on an expression like that before me” I said which made him chuckle.
“Believe me pal, my profession taught me that,” he said and blew a punch towards me.
I didn’t even get time to register what he was going to do and the very next second I felt solid punches on my face.
It took me a second to regain my position and I punched back before bringing my hands up to defend myself. He lunged, swinging but missing. But I didn’t miss when I punched directly on his guts which made him cough out blood. He knelt down on his knees and coughed blood.
He looked in no position to stand up. I gestured my men to do their work and they did. They got hold of him and made him sit back on the chair.
“How could you not feel mercy killing a pregnant woman before her own family, before her own brother?” I cried remembering the day how brutally he killed my pregnant sister.
“I was just doing my work” he coughed.
“But she was pregnant!” I yelled and kicked him right in his face.
“You are not supposed to hit a woman especially a pregnant woman” I yelled and fisted my hair in frustration.
“I too have a family. Whatever I did wasn’t personal” he said and groaned in pain.
“But it is bloody personal to me” I snapped.
“You bastard deserve to die. You deserve to rot in hell because of you I couldn’t sleep at night because of the nightmares of my sister screaming for help, which made me feel how worthless I was. Because of you not only did I lose my sister but also my only true friend that I ever had. And I have been dreading and waiting for the day when I could lay my hand on you. And now when I have got you. Trust me! You are going to die” I snarled as I slammed my hand next to him on the armrest making direct contact with his eyes.
“But don’t worry I won’t end your life that easily. I will make sure that each and every I torture you to the extent when you are going to beg me just to kill you” I promised.
“Killing your sister was the most-” he coughed “the worst thing I ever did” he took a long and deep breath before speaking “Trust! I too have nightmares about killing that innocent lady who was to bring a new life to this world. I despise myself for killing her. But I was forced to do that” he said and which made me laugh sarcastically.
“My wife was held captive and he threatened me that if I didn’t kill your sister, then he would finish my wife. I had no choice. Believe me!” tears trickled down his cheeks as he lowered his head.
“I already know that. Feel happy that you are still alive only because of that but it doesn’t mean that you are less sinful than Avery’s husband” on this, his head shot upwards towards my direction.
“Yes! I know. It was that Nicholas who hired you to kill my sister isn’t it?” I snarled and he nodded.
“Pitiful for a man. Not only did he kill his own wife but his own child. That disgusting piece of shit” I raked a hand through my hair and rubbed my face.
“Three years. It took me three years to trace his bloody ass down. I thought finally I got my revenge and killed him with my own hands stripping his true love right before his own eyes but I was wrong” I looked at my hands.
“That bastard didn’t die and-”
“You are wrong” Willi intervened panting harder.
“What?”
“You are wrong. That man never loved anyone in his life. The only thing he loved is only money and power. He was going to repeat the same thing which he did with your sister” he said which made me clench my fist in anger. My blood boiled hearing that.
“And before he could use me for the same thing again. I got myself caught where I wanted” he said with a sly smile which made me raise an eyebrow.
“What?” I asked.
“You heard it right. I’m going to help you get your revenge. I’m with you” he said which made me laugh. A good hysterical laugh.
“Who do you think I am? Do you find me stupid to believe this shit?” I asked crossing my hand over my chest.
“And do you think that anybody could capture me that easily?” He looked towards Max and Max looked at me confused.
“The truth is he didn’t capture me and no one ever could. I let myself captured by him. It was mine plan from the beginning to reach you. And the only way to reach you was to let myself captured by that sorry ass of that punk” he said smirking at Max.
“Why yo-” Max took a step enraged only to be held back by Marc.
“Look I am the only one who can help you to reach Nicholas. Trust me!” He said and I gave out a laugh.
“Trust you? and why is that?” I asked.
“Because I too want revenge,” he said which made me raise an eyebrow.
“Because he killed my wife” he finished.
I knew I was in no condition to return home. My shirt was completely stained with blood and my face had cuts and bruises. Walking like that into my house was risky because then mom would see me in that condition and she would soon find out the reason.
So I sneaked in. But never had I ever imagined to face Juliette in that condition. As soon as she saw me her face held that frightened expression. I was mentally hoping her to be in a deep sleep for she was still unwell.
She went to sleep on the couch. For her not in a condition to lie down on such an uncomfortable couch would have been torturous. So I made her sleep on the bed while I took the other side of the bed. It was my bed after all.
I wasn’t in a position either to sleep on that uncomfortable couch. Ignoring her, I switched the lights off and slept.
But it was being hard for me to sleep when the only thoughts were buzzing in my mind on how to get my hands on him. That bastard Nicholas Greer.
18
“I want to talk to my parents,” I said gathering up all my courage. I put all my emotions into my eyes hoping that he would give up and at least let me talk to my parents.
My shoulder sagged in defeat when I looked at myself in the mirror. I have been practicing for an hour about how to ask Zachary to allow me to talk to my parents again.
It’s been a week since I have been here, all alone in this big house roaming inside the house like a spirit. Mom and dad have left to some island to meet Zachary’s grandfather. Zachary merely showed himself before me. The glimpse I get of him is when I wake up, he leaves and when I sleep he comes and sleeps on his side of the bed.
He glanced up at me and ignored me.
“Can’t you hear me?” I asked.
“No I can’t” he replied.
“Wow!”
“I want to talk to my parents,” I said and stood before him blocking his view from the TV.
“Move out of the way” he scoffed and glared and glared at me.
“Not until you give me your phone,” I said adamantly.
“I am telling you for the last time. Move out of the way” he said slowly enunciating each word but I rolled my eye.
“Give me your phone,” I said and crossed my arms across my chest.
The next moment he took sat up from his lying position and opened the drawer of the nightstand. For a moment, I thought I won and he was now going to give me his phone but then my hopes were crashed down or should I say shot down when he took his gun out from the drawer and kept it before him.
“What are you doing?” I asked frightened.
“I warned yo-”
“Do you thing I am afraid of you?” I asked as I took few steps backward.
His eyes were fixed on my moves.
“I am not s-scared,” I said stubbornly but could feel my knees shaking with terror before my commencement speech, but I put on a brave front and stepped out onto the stage to deliver it.
“I want to talk to my parents. Just give me your phone” and tried to put on a brave front.
“You are annoying m-” he held his gun but I cut him off.
“Fine!
Don’t give me your gun... Uh, I mean your phone. Now I won’t take your phone even if you give that to me by yourself” I said and exited the room. Practically ran out of the room.
Outside the room, I released out air and wiped the sweat away from my forehead.
“You are annoying me” I mimicked his voice.
“What does he think of himself? Loser!” I said and scoffed at him.
“So violent” I sighed and shook my head.
“But I won’t give up,” I thought and wandered around thinking about the ways to get his phone or some source where I could contact my parents.
An idea formed in my mind and a crooked smile immediately formed on my lips. I went into the room only to find him sleeping.
“Perfect,” I thought.
I saw his phone lying on the bed next to him. The only thing I need to do was to silently sneak up next to him and pick up that box of a phone and go out and call dad.
“So simple” I scoffed at the thought.
“Okay that was a bad idea” I muttered as I tried to wiggle my hands out of his grip.
“Do you want to die?” he said through gritted teeth.
“Let me go,” I said as I tried to wiggle my hands out from him but failing miserably.
Technically it was a bad idea. Very bad idea. But I found out a new thing. He is a light sleeper. When I tried to sneak up next to him and I was only mere inches away from the phone he got up and held both of my hands in his glaring at me.
“Let go,” I said and pulled my hands.
“Well, it was you in the first place who thought sneaking up while I’m sleeping and taking my phone is a good idea. So what happened now?” he asked and held my hands more tightly.
“Ow! You are hurting me” I cried and was astonished when he let go of my hands immediately.
“Just go away,” he said and took the phone and slid it into his pant pockets. I rubbed my hands where it hurts and without knowing I felt my cheeks getting wet.
“Now what?” He muttered.
“It’s been so long since I have talked to my parents. Especially dad. I don’t even know why my only best friend acted as if I was a stranger and she didn’t know me. Do you even know what I’m feeling? I have been lonely wandering around in this big house alone. You don’t even allow me out of the house. What am I? Rapunzel?” I cried and wiped my tears using my sleeves.
“Except I don’t have long hair like that” I muttered to myself.
“It would have been hard to maintain such long hair. I mean you have to trim it, shampoo it, conditioner it and what not. Gosh! I can’t even think of the amount of hairfal-” I stopped in the middle when I saw him giving me an incredulous look.
“What?” I asked.
“I think you need a psychiatrist,” he said which made me wonder “But why?”
“What are we doing here?” I asked irritated.
“You only told me that you were ‘lonely’ and ‘alone’ and you wanted to go out of the house” he air quoted the words lonely and alone.
“But I didn’t mean by going to a furniture shop,” I said looking around to see people walking around, chattering and window shopping.
“What can I possibly do here?” I asked looking around.
He shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pocket.
“Choose some furniture for the new house,” he said and looked to the other side.
“New house?” I asked surprised.
“We need furniture for our new house. Go and select whatever you want” he said and took his phone out.
“But why are you getting a new house, I mean isn’t that your house?” I asked confused.
“That’s my parent’s house. I can’t stay there forever. Go and select whatever you want or like and stop asking questions go me. Do you understand?”
“Jeez! Bipolar much. What’s wrong with him?” I thought.
“Don’t try to do anything funny. My men are nearby. Do anything stupid and I will throw you in that house forever” he said and went away somewhere.
“What is your problem? C’mon! I can’t understand anything you ever say or do” I whisper yelled at him and I knew he heard me because he looked over his shoulder towards my way and narrowed his eyes at me.
Nevertheless, I still didn’t get why we... he need a new house. We are I mean I am fine living with his parents. I looked around and saw a recliner. It was a black made with leather recliner chair which had a reclining back with an integral footrest.
I always wanted a recliner chair.
I recalled how I used to tell Emmett about all the furniture that I would buy once we get married and move to our own house.
I smiled a little remembering those days.
“Buna ziua Doamna,” said a saleswoman which I believed was the Romanian language. Clueless to what she said I just gave her a stoic expression and tilted my head towards a side.
“Cu ce vă pot ajuta?” she said again with a polite smile.
“Uh, I’m sorry I don’t understand what you are saying. English please?” I asked and she nodded understanding.
“Oh! I mean how may I help you Ma’am?” she asked and I looked at the recliner.
“What is it’s price?” I asked and she looked at the recliner and then used her tab.
“It’s 90,000 Romanian Leu,” she said and I bit down on my lips confused.
“Umm Twenty thousand and seven hundred and sixty US Dollar,” she said and I nodded.
“Oh! I see” I said.
I talked to her more about the recliner and finally, I booked the chair.
“I wanted to see some bookshelves for my house. Where can I?” I asked.
“It’s on the fourth floor,” she said and I looked around and back at her.
“You can take the lift. Take a left from there” she pointed her finger towards a direction and I nodded smiling at her.
“Thank You,” I said and went towards the direction.
I found the lift and went into it and clicked the button four. The glass lift made a sound. I could see the outside clearly because of the glass. Then it took me up to the fourth floor.
I walked out of the lift and looked back at the lift because the door slid open and then closed again. It slid open again and closed once more before moving downwards.
I shrugged at it and went into the shop.
There were many shelves with various designs and after looking around, I found the perfect desired one. It was modern and white with curvy edges.
“Please finalize this one,” I told the salesman and he nodded.
I walked out of the shop and went towards the lift. I waited for the lift and oddly it took ten minutes to reach the floor.
I walked into the lift and clicked on the ground floor. The door closed but stopped midway. Then it slid open again and when I tapped on the close button, it slid close.