Chapter 26

(26)🏴

Mom?

The image of a woman that seemingly did not leave my head had pinned me to the state of a statue. A woman who looked just like her from behind stood firmly a few steps away from me. I was in a very very dark place.

"Mom?" I called out.

She turned around. Her hands were tied with a handcuff and her tears were blood. She was quivering.

"Look what you did," she mumbled and motioned her head at a weird angle.

Dad and my little sister were laying lifeless. They looked so pale. I rushed over to them and observed that they both got shots in their hearts. Bullet wounds.

I snapped back my head at my mom as I heard a gunshot go again. The image of her collapsed and I saw Damien was holding the gun.

I screamed at the top of my lungs as my whole world was collapsing. My family. I was supposed to protect them. It was because of me.

It was because of me...

___________________________________________

The headache now I was feeling was just like being hit by a brick. Damn. Why was I always had to wake up with a terrible pain somewhere on my body every damn time? 'Was it my fault? He wouldn't hurt me if I obeyed him.'

I shot up awake and took a look around me. What? It looked like I was in a motorhome.

I shuffled around a bit and checked the place. Everything here was clean and neat. I mentally noted that I have to go back to Damien before he went crazy and most likely trying to keep his oath to 'make-me-regret'. I hoped to never get on that side of him.

My bare feet touched the dry grass as I stepped down through the open window. As almost I tried to step my fourth step, a voice rumbled out of nowhere " I thought you trusted me,"

I snapped back at him and narrowed my eyes at his figure sitting few feets away from me. How did I not notice him??? It was the guy who saved me, Mateo Devin. But his stare made me feel uneasy...a lot.

"Going somewhere?" he said with folded hands.

"What about my parents? Are you saying that I should hide somewhere else after putting them into the mouth of the beast?!" I snapped angrily.

"I did try to save your parents. But Damien is no fool either. He had secretly set up plans to keep your parents in his grasp." he said calmly as if it was a sort of business.

"I'm not sitting here and letting that bastard torture, my parents, for my sake," I seethed.

"So what? Are you planning on hitting him and begging him to let your parents go?" He mocked.

"I. Didn't. Ask. Any. Of. You. To. Save. Me. Or. Anything. Like. That!" I snapped back angrily.

"Do you think I stayed stuck with him for over a year for no fucking reason?! He will fucking kill them!!!" I cried as I couldn't control it anymore.

I could imagine how Damien was holding a gun ready to take someone's life without hesitation. I already saw what he did to one of his gang.

"He won't kill them if he still wants you. Don't worry," he stated.

"Don't worry?! Don't worry!? You..." I pointed my finger at him," better shut your mouth and let me call to him," I yelled.

At the thought of calling him, I thought about the phone. Yes, somewhere on this truck will have a phone. I tried to walk past and get on the truck but that Mateo guy walked up and crossed his arm over the door sealing the entrance.

"He can track you, Vivan," he said while furrowing his face.

"You know what? I don't give a shit," I tried to push his hand away but I couldn't touch him.

I was scared to touch him. It felt so wrong... That sense of loyalty suffocated me until I further backed...I don't understand why it felt wrong to touch anything...I closed my eyes and let the endless tears fall again.

I hated myself more for being such pathetic.

Damien ruined me in just one fucking year.

I raised my hands to push his hand again but I was frozen. My muscles were tensed.

"Vivan, Calm down-" he started.

"Please, let me call and convince him not to kill my family. I- I- don't even know they're still alive or not," I sobbed into my palms.

"I won't let that happen. It was not only about you. But for everyone's safety. Damien was nothing but a lunatic." he sighed. "But don't worry. I will kill him myself," his voice monotone.

I was confused. Did he want to kill Damien? Then what I was doing here?

"Why did you bring me here? " I said.

"I'll keep you safe here, and I will try my best to locate your parents. In order to keep low, we must avoid anything that will give away our location. Is that clear?" he stated.

Safe? I didn't understand that word. I felt that anxiety eating me alive. Safety wasn't the term I had grown out over the years. I didn't feel anything but that false sense of assurance by being on Damien's good side, the assurance he wouldn't hurt me at that moment, the assurance that would vanish the moment I did something disapproving.

This Mateo got to be kidding me. I leaned near him and crouched his part making him groan and fell holding onto that. I rushed inside the truck and locked the door before he could get inside.

I was shaking like a leaf as I tried to find a phone. Finally, I found and started typing the number as I heartily remembered Damien's number. But my shaky hands were not helping me at all. The thought of him torturing my parents had me tears springing.

"Hey, hey, put the damn phone down. I will tell you why you're here," I heard Mateo guy yelling and pounding on the door.

My hands were shaking and I was typing the wrong numbers. Finally, I typed the right one and was about to call when the phone was snatched from me.

Mateo had opened the door with an extra key and dragged me out. I struggled against his grip and screamed my head off. I was blindly frailing kicks. I felt that suffocation of the vile unwanted touch on my body. I wanted to give up, just take it, and let anything happen, but I couldn't stop that nauseating chills of loyalty towards...HIM?

I couldn't make sense why would it feel so tormenting yet, so relieving?

When I calmed myself down, I was already seated on a chair and Mateo's back was facing me.

"You looked so much like her. And I can't watch you being tortured by that fucker. I won't let such a thing happen to you again," He mumbled.

"Again? Her? Who? What the hell are you talking about?" I said.

He sighed and looked at me sideways rather annoyed. I kept on staring at his side face until he sighed deeply and started speaking.

"My little sister, Gabrielle..." The silence fell upon and I shifted uncomfortably.

"She was a really sweet girl. " He sighed. "You have her features." He said while observing my face.

" She was just a young girl who believe, trust and fall in love so quickly. She didn't know any better. She became friends with that fucker and soon into a relationship. I tried to keep her away from that fucker as he started acting over-possessive," his voice started to come out as a mumble.

"I tried... I tried everything I could. But you know. Martin's family was filthy rich, we were nothing compared to them. And she was being tortured by that fucking sadist. I couldn't afford anything about that. I was barely nineteen," he sighed. I was listening to him carefully.

"And he- he did force her to marry him at that very young age and took her somewhere else," he was now sniffing.

"When I saw her again at the hospital she was dying. She said as her last words holding my hand in her little hands, 'Don't sacrifice your life for revenge,' "

I could see his tears... trailing...never ending.

" And that fucker didn't even let me see her when she died," he wiped off his tears. " I waited for ten years. I was preparing. I won't let Gabrielle's words fade," he sighed,

" My sister, Gabrielle had Xenophobia. Pretty much what was happening to you right now. But her phobia was born with her. And that fucker used that against her not to leave him, " He mumbled.

I started to realize why Damien locked me inside a room for over a year. He was trying to mould me like that Gabrielle girl. So he tortured me and did all those things because I reminded Gabrielle off????!!!!

Unbelievable!!!

"But what about my parents?" I shattered.

" Trust me. He won't kill them because he wants you. And he believes you will love him back," Mateo stated.

Love?

----------------------------------------------------------

For some reason, at that moment, the warranting pity overwhelmed the realisation... too inebriated to see past her own callowness.