Chapter Fourteen
I trace the outline of the drop of blood that falls in what would be air from the man's hands.
It took me three days to finish this painting.
Three days since I made a deal with a beast.
But he's going to bring Vincent to me.
He will always be my first choice.
I change the song in my headphones and I take a picture of the painting.
The strong, veiny hands that belong to my husband. I didn't want to paint them, but the moment he left the room to speak with his father, I couldn't stop my fingers from outlining.
The black canvas shows the cigarette from the right hand being thrust into the palm of the left until blood flows from the open wound.
I don't know why I always make normal things dark. No matter what I paint, I always add blood.
And if it's not blood, it's a violent scene or an indecent one.
I'm that fucked up.
I send the picture with a heavy hold on my chest.
Venus knows all my paintings. Regardless of
whether they were sold or not, she always praises my paintings.
My only income that I can say is entirely mine are the paintings. Venus sold one two years ago and since then people have been waiting and begging for more.
But they don't know the dark side I create.
I wait for about five minutes but she's not answering, so I call her.
I'm desperate like that.
"Sorella? Is that you?" Tears are swelling my eyes when I hear the little voice.
Don't let them out, Althea.
"Ciao, my brave miracle." I say with a smile. It's been four days since I last saw him, but my dead heart is calling for him. "Why are you answering Venus's phone?" When the needed question was: Are you okay? Did something happened?
Hanibal would never harm his only heir, but he's very unpredictable.
"I saw your name on the screen. Am I not allowed to talk with my sister? Is it because your husband is torturing you?" I let out a small laugh at his questions.
Oh, Vincent, if only you knew.
"Easy, piccola tigre."
"You're already taking his side." He shouts and I can see his little foot taping the floor.
"I'm not taking anyone side, tigre." I say with an innocent tone.
"But if you need to, you would take mine, right?" My hands starts to tremble.
Just a few dates in which I have to be the perfect wife and then I'll have my little brother in my arms.
I can handle that.
"What are you doing, you little monster?" Venus's playful voice makes Vincent laugh.
Even though her voice is soft, I can feel the tension in it.
"Let me talk with your sister."
"Say please." My smile is bigger.
"I'll let you starve." These two are fighting worse than angels and demons.
"I miss you, Thea." I hear Vincent whisper.
Be still my beating heart.
"I miss you too, Vin. I-" I let out a sigh, choosing my words carefully. "A day less and we'll meet again."
And I'll do my best to make it happen.
"Come faster. Ti amo." I close my eyes and I feel the oxygen leaving my lungs.
Your heart is safe with me.
"Althea?" I hear Venus's voice.
"I'm here." I say with a heavy voice.
It feels like everything is useless. Like I can't do something right...I don't deserve to do something right.
I've always been like this. Someone's doll.
I was Hanibal's doll after Mom collapsed. After Keres left too, everything got worse.
And now, I'm Keaton's only chance to get his rightful throne.
And all I ask for is Vincent.
"Is he giving you a headache?" Venus asks.
And I know in that moment that I won't tell her about my deal with him. It's the first time I'm lying to her, but it's for the best.
"Of course he's giving me one." I say with a smile, trying to trick her.
"Mhm," Venus doesn't take my answer as a truthful one. She's too smart for that. " We need to talk." My
muscles immediately tense.
And like she can feel the tension, she adds quickly: "Vincent is fine." I let out a sigh.
"Have you talked with your husband about Keres?" I turn my palms into fists.
"No." An image of me screaming at him at the hotel possesses my mind.
I try to avoid this subject when I'm talking with him. I always bring up the fact that is his fault she died, and he always reminds me that I left her.
It's a never ending cycle.
"Have you been at her grave?" I feel my nails penetrate my skin.
Of course I haven't. Just the thought that she's there, buried under all that dirt makes me angry.
I haven't seen her since almost three years ago when I decided to bury my last remaining piece of heart.
"I can't go there." I choose to say.
"Good, because you deserve to say goodbye."
"What are you talking about?" I say confused.
Venus sighs and I'm more and more impatient.
"Someone stole her body."
And my body stops.
I'm frozen.
Did she just say that someone stole her body?
I try to speak, but my brain is empty.
"Somebody stole her body before the funeral. The security cameras didn't catch the person, but they believe it's someone from inside." Venus is still talking but I'm stuck in a trance.
I feel my blood starting to boil.
He knew.
Keaton knew all along and he didn't even bother to tell me.
Why would he, though?
He thinks I'm a heartless sister.
"Is it the person who killed her?" I say with a low voice.
"They still haven't found him, but why would he kill her and then steal her body?" Venus asks and I can hear some papers being ripped.
"Maybe she wasn't the target." I say and everything makes sense now.
"He wanted Keaton dead." Venus says and then silence is settled; it's a big possibility that he still wants my husband dead.
Oh, dear husband, count your days.
"Hunt him, Venus." I say without a second thought. "Bring me the man who killed her."
I feel a tingling sensation in my fingers.
My hands start shaking worse.
I need to have his blood printed on my skin to calm me down.
I need him dead.
"Anything for you, sister." I can feel the smirk on her face. "I need to get my polaroid ready." At that, I smile too.
"Keep me updated." I say quickly. "I need to speak with my husband."
Venus laughs.
"Give him hell." And with that she ends the call.
I put my headphones on the table and with big steps I go to Keaton's office.
In front of the door are two bodyguards that I recognize from the wedding. They bow their head in respect, but I can't think straight.
I don't bother to knock and I go into his office.
Keaton is behind his desk and I see Makhim in front
of him.
They stop talking and move their eyes on me. Keaton can see the anger in my eyes but he doesn't say anything.
"I need to talk with you." I say to him through my teeth.
"I am busy right now, Althea. And learn how to knock next time." This time, he is the one with his claws out.
He thinks if the Bratva leader is here, I will behave?
Good try.
"I'm not asking, Keaton." Makhim looks at us with a bored expression.
"I can wait." Says the Russian leader.
"So can she." Keaton says and takes a sip of alcohol.
"I might start talking, husband." I warn him.
With a growl, he moves out of his chair and comes straight to me.
He throws me over his shoulder and a gasp leaves my mouth. Not this again.
"Let me go." I say trying to free myself from his wrath. I feel his hand near my ass and my breathing stops.
I hit his back with my fists and suddenly he moves me until my legs are wrapped around his torso and I can feel his hard stomach between my legs.
"Squirm again and I'll make your ass red." His low voice makes me stop.
I try to not think of the pulse that's happening between my legs. It's a weird feeling, like I need to touch that spot. I close my eyes and I try to calm my breathing.
I hear the slam of a door and then I feel how Keaton throws me on the bed.
I open my eyes and see that he brought us to our
room. A room in which I don't sleep.
"There, I put you down." I look up at Keaton and I see a prominent vein on his neck.
"Thanks, I'm moved to tears." I say and I straighten myself.
His eyes are hard and his palms are turned into white fists.
I move closer to him and I finally whisper.
"Not only you let her die, but you also let him take her body." His eyes are wide and then I feel his hand grab my neck.
"I dare you to say something else." He says deadly.
I smirk and welcome the challenge.
"You failed twice." His hand squeezes my neck harder. Little stars appear in front of me, but I don't give him the satisfaction of seeing me weak.
"That's all you can do, ha? You blame me for something not even you could've prevent. You run your mouth like you are her savior." Keaton gets closer to my face until we're inches apart. "You abandoned her. You don't have a right to even speak about her."
"You think you know everything." I try to say even though my air supplies are limited. "You think you know me." I say again. "You are the first to judge me, the first to remind me what I deserve." With a big gasp I let the words out. "But you don't know that I was born to be everyone's doll."
Keaton's eyes are staring at me and then his hand leaves my neck.
I take a big breath and I massage my neck like it's helping.
It doesn't hurt, but it should.
"You didn't even come to her funeral. Why would I have told you that someone stole her body?" I don't have
energy left in me to continue this useless conversation.
"It doesn't matter." I say and I move towards the door.
"If you claim you love her so much, why weren't you at her funeral, Althea?"
"I said, it doesn't fucking matter." I growl at him.
"I'm asking you one more time. Why weren't you-"
"Because I found out that she died on the day of her funeral!" I snap at him. Dio Mio, he can very obstinate. "Hanibal told me she died after he came from her funeral." I can feel my chest tighten.
Keaton looks at me and doesn't say anything.
"When she died, I was home, thinking if she's excited about the wedding." And I left.
I'm already in the garage when the clock strikes midnight.
I look confused at the thousands of car keys hanging on the wall.
Why does he need so many cars? I grab the green keys and press the opening button, trying to figure out which car I got.
A strong light from the back of the garage illuminated the whole room. I approach it with small steps and my breath is taken away by the gorgeous car in front of me.
A beautiful white Ford Mustang Shelby stares back at me.
I move toward the door, but my foot runs into
something hard. The noise makes me cringe and I hope nobody heard that.
I look closely and I see a box full of car tools.
Damn him and his box.
I enter the car and I start the engine, the sound making me smile.
At least he has nice cars.
I exit the garage and I drive through the forest.
I need to start doing things on my own, and if before I didn’t like it because these ways made me the center of attention, now I’m ready to face them.
It's time to visit her.