5. Chapter Five
Chapter Five
Aria
I stare at Finn’s hands as he drives me somewhere new. I’m no longer in the backseat but right next to him. I’m not sure which is worse.
Finn’s hands killed a woman tonight. An innocent woman by his admission. A doctor, nonetheless. He killed her without a second thought.
For money.
I knew Finn was a hitman but knowing it versus seeing it is a drastically different thing.
“How can you do that?” I ask.
“Do what?”
“Kill people for money? How does one get their mind to a place where they can accept doing those things to other people?”
“It’s easy. When you grow up in a shitty home, it’s easy to lack empathy. When your dad is an asshole, it’s easy to want to kill him. And when you’ve killed someone, it gets easier to keep killing. You start to see people as no longer people but as a means to an end. Simple.”
“Simple,” I scoff. “That’s not simple. That’s sad. Tragic. It’s horrifying.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion on my life, princess.”
“You kind of did when you came bragging to me about the woman you killed. You wanted to know what I thought. Well, I’m telling you. I think you’re a madman. You’re evil. Pure evil.”
He pulls off the road and turns his intense eyes onto me. We’re far from New York now, in the middle of nowhere. I never saw the point of leaving the city. Nowhere is as good as New York. Being in bumfuck nowhere is just depressing.
Finn could kill me out here and no one would know it.
“Let’s get one thing straight, princess.
I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not. I’m a hitman.
It’s what I do. I never claimed to be a good man.
You think you’re so much better than me but your dad is a part of the Mafia.
He’s done bad things. He’s orchestrated the deaths of other people and you know deep down that I’m right.
So sit there on your throne, acting like you have any moral standing over me. You don’t.”
“Just because my dad has done some things doesn’t mean I’ve done them. I figured, you of all people, would not want to be defined by your father. So, yes. I’ve never killed anyone. I’ve never orchestrated the deaths of anyone. So I am better than you.”
I brace myself for his anger but it never comes. Instead, he smiles.
“You are fascinating, princess.”
“How so?”
“You speak to me like no one ever has before. How are you not afraid of me?”
Oh, I’m terrified of Finn. He just doesn’t need to know it.
“I don’t bow down to cowards,” I say instead.
“Mmm.” He starts driving again. “I’m curious, who did you imagine marrying one day?”
I tense. Why do I feel like this conversation will not end well? “Why are you asking? Why does that matter?”
“Curiosity.”
“I imagined marrying a high ranking Mafia man. One who has wealth and status and power. Why?”
“So, you were taught from birth to think of yourself as better than other people.”
“I know I’m better.”
“You’re not better, princess. You just think you are. But I’m going to drag you into the mud right along with me.”
“I will fight tooth and nail to stop you from doing that,” I say.
His smile is dangerous. “But you won’t be able to stop me forever.”
“I just have to stop you long enough until Dante finds me. Until he saves me. And you’re killed and I’ll never have to deal with you again.”
“I think it’s cute how you’re so convinced Dante will save you but where is he? Look out your window, princess. We’re in the middle of nowhere. You really think Dante will be able to find us here? He doesn’t know where you are. You are mine now.”
I shudder. “I am nobody’s. I’m definitely not yours.” But the longer I spend time with Finn, the more I know he’s going to break me down. I can already feel it happening. I’m not as scared of him as I first was.
That’s a problem.
“Where are you taking me anyway?” I ask, looking out my window. We’re in a woodsy area. God, I’ve never been to the woods. Never been camping. Not even glamping.
“To our new home for the next few days. It’s a cabin.” At that very moment, he drives up a long dirt path to a small cabin. It’s an ugly little thing.
“No.”
“No? You can’t stop this from happening, princess. This will be your home. For the time being anyway. If you don’t get out of the car, I’m going to drag you inside.”
That’s the last thing I want so I force myself out of the car and walk with dignity up to the cabin. The inside is actually a lot cleaner than I thought it would be. In fact, it’s more cute than I thought it would be. It’s like something out of a fairytale.
The living room and kitchen are all in one large room and through a doorway at the end of a short hall, I see a bedroom. A new place for Finn to tie me up to, I guess.
He stands right behind me. I hate to admit it but he smells good. Whatever his cologne is, it’s doing strange things to me.
He could touch me if he wanted to but he doesn’t. He just stands there, making his presence known.
It’s only when he steps back, that I can breathe again.
Finn informs me the following day that he’s inviting some friends over.
“Did I hear you right?” I’m on the couch, not tied up to the bed for once. Finn hasn’t left the cabin all night so he didn’t feel the need to keep me tied up in one place, a fact for which I’m grateful.
He also didn’t take my clothes from me, another thing I’m grateful for. This doesn’t win him any brownie points though. He’s still an evil man.
“You did. I have some friends in this area and asked them to join me here for a party. There will be booze. Some drugs. We’ll have fun.”
“And… what about me?”
“You’ll join us for the party.”
“But aren’t you worried about people seeing me?”
He shrugs. “Not these guys. They won’t tell anyone they were here. They know I’ll kill them if they do.”
“You’re so weird. Having a party with your kidnapped victim.”
“Need to have some fun here and there. And a cabin in the woods is the perfect place to do it.”
“I’m not going to debase myself by being at a party with a bunch of drunk rednecks.”
“You won’t have a choice.”
Finn’s friends start arriving once the sun goes down. There are six of them, not counting Finn. The cabin is small and all the extra men just makes it feel smaller.
I stand in a back corner as the men come in and make themselves at home. They’re pigs. Placing their feet on the coffee table. Burping even though they don’t have any beer in them yet. Scratching their butt and balls. I shudder. Why are men so gross?
They all notice me of course. How could they not?
“Why is she hiding in the corner?” Jed asks. He as a scruffy beard that needs a good washing. I think I even see some food still stuck in the hairs. I have to hold back my vomit.
“She’s not shy,” Finn says. “I think she’s just a little scared. Why don’t we make her feel welcome, boys?”
They all shout and cheers to that.
Finn tugs me towards the middle of the room, so I’m on full display for these men. The only thing that could make this moment worse is if Finn were to take my clothes off. I just have to pray he does nothing of the sort.
The six unfamiliar men all look at me like I’m a piece of meat for them to eat. I sneer back at them.
“She’d be pretty if she wasn’t scowling,” Zach says. He’s one to talk. He’s got a large beer belly and a bad comb over.
“Like you’re so good looking?” I snap back, making all the men laugh except for Zach. He flushes and grumbles into his beer.
“Aria is not afraid to speak her mind,” Finn says, squeezing my shoulders. “Be careful what you say to her. She’ll give it right back.”
“So, is she yours?” Carl asks. He’s the skinniest guy in the room. Almost skinnier than I am. All these men look like ragged out drug addicts. How did Finn even become friends with them? It just shows that I don’t know Finn at all.
“She’s not mine,” Finn says. “But she’s also not not mine.”
“What the fuck?” Jed asks, laughing to the man next to him. Silas, I think his name is.
“Just don’t piss me off, boys, and we won’t have any problems.” Finn lets me go. “Now, let’s all enjoy some beers. And Carl brought the good stuff.”
Carl pulls out a baggie of something and a bong.
Oh god. They’re going to get high right in front of me.
I always hated the smell of pot. I think it’s almost worse than cigarette smoke.
There’s no way Finn could have known this about me so it must be a pure coincidence that he’s going to torture me with this.
The men all settle in the living room, laughing and getting high. I almost choke at the smell of the pot. It’s so strong and disgusting.
“You don’t like it, baby?” a man named Kevin asks me. His eyes haven’t left me all night.
“It’s disgusting,” I answer honestly.
“Good,” Finn says, making the other men laugh. “Aria, don’t just stand there in the corner. Come join us.”
“No.”
“Join us.” His tone doesn’t leave any room for discussion.
The moment I reach the couch, Finn tugs me towards him. “Get on your hands and knees. I need a footstool.”
I stare at him aghast. “No.”
“Do it, do it,” the other men chant.
“Fuck you all,” I snarl, but it only makes them laugh harder. They find my pain amusing. This is why Finn invited these men over tonight. To torture me. Put me back in my place.
“You will do as I say, princess.”
“Or?” I challenge.
“Or I just might kill your father. Your choice.”
The energy in the room dims a little. Finn is not playing around. He will kill my dad. He’s killed other men for less.
It takes everything in me to drop to my knees. I vowed I would never kneel for Finn but I don’t know what he’ll do to me in front of all of these men. Finn promised he wouldn’t rape me but these men didn’t make the same promise.
If I just play along, they’ll leave and I’ll be safe again – not that I’m ever safe with Finn.
The second I’m on my hands and knees, Finn places his feet onto my back. The weight of it makes my arms shake.
“She’s docile,” Jed says.