Chapter Twenty-One
"Why are the buildings so high and sharp? It's weird." I let out a short laugh at Vincent's displeasure. His little frown at the sight of Chicago is adorable.
It's been a couple of days since I took Vincent from my father's wing and I've never felt more normal.
Vincent is adapting quickly to the new change and he finally looks like an almost five-year old. We spent the entire morning decorating his room exactly how he always wanted.
All Marvel.
He's obsessed with everything that means Marvel. And I love the fact that he loves normal kids’ stuff. I need him to be normal, to feel a kid. Loved and safe.
Right now, we are shopping for more Marvel things. We already have two bags full of clothes, some of them being pajamas with Iron Man and Captain America. We walk down the center of the city and he looks around like he's in another universe.
"Every country has something different, bug." I simply answer him. I hold his little hand and lead him through an alley. Two guards are right behind us, looking like they came out from James Bond's movies.
Anubis and Trinity are also with us because they needed a walk.
I left my dear husband with Scarface.
I smirk at the memory of his stunned face when we put the panther in the plane.
"We are not, and I can't stress it enough, taking a fucking panther with us."
"It's not up to you." Vincent says angry.
"It's not? The house you're about to move into, it's mine." Everette looks at him with disbelief.
"I'm not letting my pet in Italy! Althea," Vincent whines at me.
"Pet?! That's a damn wild animal!" Everette looks at me again. "I'm the dessert with the cherry on top in his diet." At that I let out a laugh.
"He's coming." Vincent puts his foot down.
"I can assure you it's fucking not." They start bickering like they're both five years old. Well, one of them is.
I feel my hand tugged left and suddenly I'm into a toy store. I hear Vincent squeak and he's running to all kinds of things. I feel my face stretching and I realize that I'm smiling.
My phone vibrates and with my eyes still on Vincent, I answer the call.
"Althea Moretti." It's still weird that I have his last name.
"Hello, little fox." I hear my husband greet me but something about his voice is different.
"What happened? Did you find him?" I ask quickly. Everette has been busy these days, trying to find Ivan and locate Keres's body.
"No," Even his sigh is tired. "We found his house but it's empty. He left, Althea." My heart stings at that. I
want him dead. I want Ivan to suffer for what he did to my sister.
I look at Vincent and his smile when he found Thor's hammer. Can I keep him this happy? Can I keep him safe?
"I should've done something when he was in the garage." I say and the anger is coming.
"Don't do that." Everette snaps and that makes me shut up. "Don't blame yourself for that. Thank God he didn't hurt you." I raise my eyebrows at his words.
When did we become like this?
Probably after he went down on you.
I shake my head and I try to clear my mind and voice.
"Venus is already at Chicago's borders to look him up. We'll find him." Is he trying to convince himself or me?
"Okay. I'll see you at dinner." Before to hang up I hear him say quickly and almost in a whisper.
"We need to talk tonight." His serious tone makes me nervous.
"About what?" I ask with a gulp in my throat.
"We'll talk tonight, okay?" I nod even though he doesn't see me. The line is dead soon after. A thousand of question are in my head right now.
Does he know?
Is he angry?
Will he understand?
My heart beats fast and my lungs are screaming for a cigar. I tried so hard to keep everything in a shadow and now that it might be out, I'm scared. So damn scared to face the nightmares that are reality.
I try to hide my nerves as Vincent comes next to me with a cart full of toys and a smile that melts my heart.
He's so spoiled.
I'm not sorry though.
I pay for his toys and I'm pretty sure I spent more money today than the ones for the charity dress.
I drag Vincent into the car before he sees something else and he starts to explain his obsession with the latest Marvel movie.
Knowingly, I'm not listening to anything he says because I think about the sketch that stays shamelessly in my art room. Now that Vincent is with me, I don't have time to paint that much, but I managed to sketch the only thing that is stuck in my brain.
Everette between my legs with the cigar ash on my pubic zone. His hungry eyes that look exactly into yours and his mouth that is wide open on my pussy. Because in my imagination I don't wear panties.
I crave his tongue on me, his hands, his everything. He's the first man who ever touched me there and the fear that took ahold of my body is cursed.
The car stops and my mind is back in present time. I realize that Vincent fell asleep on my arm and carefully I take his limp body in my arms. I go in his room and find Scarface on the end of the bed. I put Vincent down and take his shoes off and his clothes while his panther smells him, making sure he's okay.
Hanibal gifted Vincent this panther on his first birthday. He says that his son deserves the world.
Something we both agree on.
Vincent's little snore makes me smile and when I put his pajama on, he hugs Scarface's tail and sleeps like the world will never end.
For the next hour I put the new clothes in his wardrobe, the toys and comics in his mini library, putting some stickers on the walls.
It looks like someone threw up all the Marvel universe in here.
I hear a knock on the door and I turn and face Everette. He looks around the room with curious eyes and then his gaze lands on me. With a last glance at Vincent, I leave his room and look at my husband. He has dark circles under his eyes and his face looks pale.
"Have you had any sleep? You look like a zombie." I ask him directly. His faint smile does something to my heart.
"Ah, the love my wife gives me." I raise one eyebrow at him and he shakes his head. Everette takes my right hand in his and without other words he leads me to his office.
My blood froze in my body. Either he knows, either he likes to play with me.
He closes the door behind me and he goes to his bar to pour a glass of his favorite scotch.
"Don't look so scared, Althea. I just want to ask you something." But he looks angry. Like he wants to put a bullet through someone.
I walk closer to him and I look up to meet his eyes. The most beautiful green I've ever seen. His sigh makes me look at him again. His forehead is full of wrinkles and his hair is a mess.
"Then ask and stop making me nervous." I say in a low voice.
"I'm trying to calm myself, Althea, because I made some connections and if they're true, I'll lose my damn mind." My hands tremble and I can feel my heart beating against my chest.
"Keaton," His other name feels wrong on my lips.
"Days ago, Enrique mentioned something." My heart stops.
No, no, no.
Everette looks at me and he sees my wide eyes and I know he hears how my breathing has slowed. His body begins to tremble and he slams the glass on the table, making me flinch.
"What happened on your twenty-first birthday?" His low voice makes it harder for me to hear, but I did. I hear it like he screamed it.
I back down a little and my inside feels too hot. I'm going to kill that fucker Enrique even if it's the last thing I'll do.
A cold sensation runs through my body and I feel my head throbbing. He doesn't know so he's asking me in the hope that I'll answer him.
He doesn't know.
This is the beginning of chaos, Althea. Tell him.
I can't.
My throat closes up and I can't think. I just feel. And it's worse.
I feel them .
After so long, I feel the cold and disgusting sensations that I've been running since I was eighteen.
"Breathe, Althea." I hear Everette ordering me.
He doesn't know.
You are safe here, figlia mia, amore mio.
"Althea-"
"Nothing." I hear myself talk.
"You expect me to believe that after I saw you react like this?" He's angry. He has all the reasons to be angry.
"I-I'm not," Just say a fucking sentence, Althea. Don't let them take your control again. "I'm not ready to talk about it."
I don't think I'll ever be ready.
"If he fucking hurt you and you're not telling me-"
"I'm not fucking ready to talk about that night, Keaton! Cazzo, respect that. Who do you think you are?" I scream.
"Who do I think I am? I'm your fucking husband and all I ask from you is to tell me what happened! I'm not going to hurt you, fucking trust me." He yells back. Our faces are inches away and our breathing is fast, like we just run ten miles.
"Then earn it!" I say with anger. "Earn that trust."
"How, Althea? How am I going to earn your trust when I'm the only one who's trying to make this marriage work? You're not talking, you're ignoring me and when you do, you curse me and yell at me." I start to see Everette's face in a blurry way and then I feel a wet trance on my cheek. I touch my face with trembling hands and I see water on my fingertips.
When was the last time I cried?
“You talk to me by touching me! How can I trust you when all you do is confuse me.” I say with raspy breaths.
“Don’t fucking say that when you clearly enjoy when I’m touching you. Don’t accuse me of something like that.” I don’t want to.
“Maybe I don’t like being touched like that.” I whisper. His angry face breaks my heart and I want to apologize but I can’t.
The damage is already made.
"I need time." I say defeated and I hurry to leave the room. I hear something crash from inside his office but I ignore it.
You need to tell him, my mind tells me.
I'm scared, I reply back.
"Dis ish very good," Vincent sweet voice makes me smile. His mouth is full of carbonara and the corners of his lips are covered in sauce.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, dirty." I say and I take a tissue and wipe his mouth. It doesn't take much time until he's covered again in sauce.
It's evening and after my fight with Everette, I decided to make dinner and calm myself.
Our yelling was heard by the entire house and now guards and servants aren't looking at me. Is it pity? Maybe they're scared I'll snap at them. I don't know and I'm too tired to care.
"I see everyone is here." I'm startled by my husband's voice. He's dressed casually and he eyes the panther who is under the table and eats its chicken.
Everette sits at the table next to me and Mary, one of the cooks, puts his dish in front of him. The tension is suffocating me and I try to be unaffected by his presence but it's useless.
We start eating in silence and Vincent looks at Everette with a frown. What is going on in his little mind?
"This is very good." Everette's rough voice brings goosebumps on my skin.
"Thea made it." Vincent says while looking in my husband's eyes.
"She's a very good cook." He says without looking at me.
"Of course she is." Vincent puffs.
"Alright, attitude, why don't you go and brush your
teeth?" I look at my little brother and he nods, letting a guard to put him down.
Scarface goes with him immediately and in the kitchen is just me and my husband.
We don't look at each other, our pride being too hurt.
"My parents will come tomorrow to meet Vincent."
"Okay."
"I'll stay home in case Ivan will make an appearance."
"Alright."
"Good night." He says annoyed and leaves the table. He barely touched his food.
I let my head fall on the chair and I groan. "Good night."
When the clock hits midnight, I take one of his cars and go where I know it's worse.