12. Vince
Vince
Gripping the man’s head back, holding the pliers. I was mid extraction when my phone started ringing. Only my sister’s ringtone would stop me.
“Your lucky day,” ripping his tooth out quick, “The next one is slower, hear me? Maybe rethink the go fuck myself comment and answer my question.”
Wiping the blood off my hand onto my shirt, before answering.
“Sofia, are you okay?”
“I.. I need the invisible people,” her words muffled from sobbing.
Pure white panic rushed through me.
“What happened? Are you hurt?”
The bastard decided now was a great time to start screaming. I squeezed his throat for silence.
“No. I…” she stopped, her crying louder. “I’m so stupid.”
Deep breaths. Closing my eyes. No shouting, calm voice. “What happened Sofia?”
“I was with this guy, and um, we, were at the gas station and…” her crying got louder, “and I didn’t know all the pumps did different things and…
I thought I could help..” more sobbing, “I put the wrong fuel in, or something and I ruined his car. And we got into a fight, so I started walking, and now...” she sniffled, “I’m lost, Vin, I’m lost, and hungry. ”
Deep breaths. Stay calm. “But you’re okay. He didn’t hurt you?”
“No, I’m just lost, and my feet hurt.”
She’s okay. “Alright, stop walking. I’ll tell them to get you.”
Letting the bastard go, calling her security team. “Pick her up, take her home. Stay at her door until I get there. Don’t let that fucker from earlier near her for the rest of the night.”
Ending the call. Great. I’ve strangled him. Moving his head. That or I broke his neck. Fuck, this day was never going to end.
“Clean this up, pick up his wanker of a partner. And..” I looked at the soldiers, trying to think of his name.
“The other one that works the counter.” Typing a message to our pilot.
“Put them in the basement in separate rooms at the cellar. I’ll deal with them when I get back.
If I’m longer than two days, bread, water, nothing else. Understand?”
They nodded. So much for this being an early night.
“Anyone she saw tonight rest them for two months, then change them to Cecilia’s security team.” Finishing a message to Nikolai. I looked at the man that was still in my way.
He almost looked like he wanted to say something before stepping to the side. Smart move. Because my tolerance was at zero.
Opening her front door, then closing it.
I walked down the hall, running my hands over my face. Trying to wake myself up.
The lack of sleep was starting to add up.
Sofia was sitting on the couch, glaring at her phone. No surprise she wasn’t asleep. Just like when she was a kid, she couldn’t sleep when she was upset.
“I find throwing it helps.” Leaning against the doorframe. “Sometimes smashing it too.”
She looked up.
It was a nice change to not see fear in someone’s eyes when they looked at me.
“You didn’t have to come.”
I shrugged, sitting across from her. “So big night?” I patted my pants, looking for my cigarettes.
Her bottom lip started trembling. “I’ve failed everything, Vin, everything. I’m just a stupid girl. I can’t even pass a class.”
Something else was wrong. I tapped my lighter on my cigarette packet. “You’re not here to pass classes.”
“It is college, Vin. It’s the point.” She pulled at her sleeves.
“Not for you.”
Biting her bottom lip, she stared at the floor.
“All we want is for you to experience life, not survive it, like us.” I lit a cigarette, “Pass, fail, party on yachts like Cecilia.” Nudging her knee, so she would look up.
“All you’re here to do is have fun. Fuck it.
If you aren’t enjoying it, come home, or travel overseas.
Whatever you want, pea. Nik and I don’t care about grades. ”
And she knows that. If she doesn’t, we might have bigger problems.
“You’re the best brother, you know that.”
My chest tightened. No. I was the reason she didn’t have a father.
She finally looked at me. “I failed my driver’s license.”
“Well, take it again.”
“I did. I’ve failed four times. Four times.”
So, this is what the real problem was. Parenting was a mind game.
“Well, you won’t fail a fifth.”
“I can’t do it. I can’t handle failing again.”
“If you do. Which you won’t. I’ve failed you. This one is on me, alright?”
How had this slipped through the cracks? I swore Nikolai had this covered.
Crossing her legs, she still didn’t look sure. “Maybe I don’t need a license. I’ll just use a driver.”
I pointed my cigarette at her, “Like fuck you will. My job is to make sure you are as independent as possible. You’re getting your license.”
“What if you have a heart attack?”
I paused. Right, I had forgotten Nik had his second heart attack after taking her on a lesson. So this was our fault.
“That won’t happen, pea. Nik’s heart attack and you learning to drive wasn’t connected.”
It might have had something to do with the rage he refuses to express.
“But how do you know that? Huh? Our whole family is dependent on you. We can’t risk you or Nik dying just so I can drive.”
The stories she tells herself.
“Trust me, if anyone is giving Nik a third heart attack, it is me,” I winked, “And I’m healthy, no heart problems. Nothing to worry about.”
“Are you sure about that?” she wiped her eyes. “you don’t look healthy.” Her concern made me uneasy.
“I just can’t sleep lately. It’s nothing.” I shrugged.
“Because of Maddy?”
Running my hand over my head. Deep down, I knew it was about everything changing.
“I always thought you two would end up together.” Sofia moved to the couch to sit beside me. “It is sort of hard to think she’s just gone.”
“She’s not dead Sofia. She’s getting married.” My stomach twisted, just saying death and Madeline in the same sentence.
“Sure, but she will eventually be gone. She will get busy with her in-laws, probably working with Noah expanding their business together and then maybe kids.”
I stared at her. I had forgotten how much Madeline had impacted their lives as well.
We got lucky she came into my life, at the same time as the girls were teenagers.
I pushed back against the couch. She was right. Madeline would eventually disappear from our lives and mine.
I couldn’t think of one way to get her out of that marriage without Damius finding out. I’d rather her with Noah than whatever sick fucked up plan my grandfather would create to hurt her.
“Alright, bedtime. Big day tomorrow. I want to see if this driving is really heart attack worthy.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Sort of is.”
Nikolai's heart attack being caused by her driving. She gave herself way too much credit.
“Sofia, calm down.”
Stalling the car at a stop sign, she went into an immediate panic.
I also learned my sister struggles with left and right, because I said turn right. To keep her away from the traffic. She turned left. Probably just nerves. Fuck. I hoped it was just nerves.
“I can’t. Can you please just take over?” She went to unclip her seatbelt.
“Listen to me, foot on that break. Start the car,”
The car horns started again.
“I can’t do this!”
Unclipping my seat belt. Getting out of the car. Pointing at the driver. “Do you have a problem?” walking to the back of the car. “Touch that horn one more fucking time. I dare you.”
Walking back to the car. “Alright, let's go again.” Closing the door. “Clutch to the ground,” putting her hand on the shifter, “First gear, alright, you're good both ways. Slowly accelerate.”
We started to move, crossing the road. “You’re doing great pea. Now, indicate and pull over.”
I took a few seconds after the car stopped. I had never needed a cigarette more in my life.
“Now, Sofia, I need you to be honest with me. Why are you insisting on learning a stick? I’m not saying you can’t, but I want to know why you’re focused on it.”
“Bastion said that automatics are not real cars.”
Did he just.
“Nealy, all of Bastion's fleet of cars are automatics. Fuck, he only drives stick when he wants to impress a girl.” How impressive that is, though, I’m not sure. “Is Bas the only reason you want to drive a stick?”
Tapping the stirring wheel, she sighed loudly, before turning to look at me. “I don’t want to be considered not a real driver.”
“I only drive automatics.”
“That’s not true.”
“Well, from today onwards I will.”
Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms.
“Ignore Bas’s one-off comment. What do you want, pea? Either way, I’m teaching you.” Might just be here a lot longer if she insists on learning manual. Fuck. I’ll have to get Nik to handle those guys that were still waiting to be tortured.
The sooner we find out who is lacing our drugs. The easier my schedule will get. Though knowing my brothers, and my luck, something else would happen.
Solve one problem, three more normally followed.
Staring out the side window, she wouldn’t look at me. God, give me patience.
“Okay, fine. Let’s go again.”
Her hand hovered on the ignition. “Will you say something if Bas starts telling me I’m not a real driver?”
“He won’t, but if he does. Yes, I will remind him of the definition of driving.”
The corner of her lips twitched up. “Promise?”
“You liked that silver SUV he has, right?” reaching for my phone to search for a car dealer. “Why don’t we go buy one of them, and you can learn in that. If he says anything, you point out his daily isn’t a real car.”
“Can I keep it?”
“No point to a driver’s license without a car.”
Just like that, she was fine with the idea of driving an automatic.
Staring at my phone. When did I become scared of sending a message? Goddamn it. It’s just dinner. We ate together all the time before. Sending the message to Madeline, I sat back on the couch. Pretending to listen to Sofia's long, detailed explanation of a television show.
I reached for my phone as soon as it lit up. Rereading her reply.
Sorry, I can’t.
Three words. Three fucking words. Seriously? None of those annoying little pictures, just three simple words. Even punctuation.
“Give me a min, pea.” I got up walking out of the room. If he had sent that message, I might just fly back tonight and cut off his thumb.
Putting the phone to my ear as I stepped outside.
“Hey,”
I froze. I did not expect her to answer straightaway. “Hey, um,” I ran my hand over my head, “just checking your, okay?”
Silence. The longest silence I had ever had with her. Each second was painful.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Three words again. She didn’t sound fine.
“My love, are you lying to me?”
More silence. Fuck it. I was flying home. I would make it back before Sofia’s test in the morning.
“Just tired. Um, I have to go. Night.”
She ended the call. Staring at the blank screen for a minute. Why did that hurt? Maybe I had been wrong. I wasn’t losing her. I’d already lost her.