Chapter 9 Back home: a prison I cannot escape.
~~Damien~~
The loud buzzing of a hairdryer filled the room as I dried Charlotte's beautiful locs.
She sat on the bed, her back facing me as my fingers ran through her hair. She had changed out of her wet clothes into another one of my t-shirts. Charlotte has been quiet since we returned from Maximos's safehouse.
I badly wanted to know what she was thinking.
Does she fear me after watching what I did to save her life?
Does she hate me?
My hands trembled slightly at the thought of it.
After her hair had dried, I unplugged it, placing it gently on top of the desk beside me.
“Thank you,” she spoke in a low tone as she moved deeper into the bed; she turned her back to me and placed her head onto the pillow.
I slid in close to her, covering the both of us with a blanket. I wrapped my arms around her; her hair carried a sweet smell of shampoo.
My hands rested on her hips, gently circling them with my thumb. “Do you hate me?” I asked in a soft tone.
She slowly turned to face me, her eyebrows pinched together in confusion. “What?”
I reached for her face, gently pushing some shards of hair to the side. “You haven't said a word to me since we got home.” My hands slipped into hers. “You are trembling. Do you...hate me?”
She blinked.
“What? “No,” she shook her head, “I cannot hate you, Damien. Why would you ask that?”
I slipped my hand into her shirt, my fingers caressing her back. “Because of what I did today.”
She shook her head. “You saved my life, Damien; I can never hate you.”
I let out a subtle exhale, her words sending a wave of relief through me. “Why have you been quiet?”
She pressed her lips together in hesitation.
“Come on, Char, you can talk to me.”
Her hands rested on my chest. “Those men died today because of me,” her voice cracked.
“No love, they died because of their stupidity,” he explained. “Anybody who tries to hurt has become my enemy and will be ripped into a million pieces if I have to.”
A smile tugged at her lips, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
I leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Don't ever feel guilty, love. I do what I have to do to protect the woman I love.”
She smiled even wider, this time genuine. “Thank you, Damien.”
I pulled her into my arms.
~~Charlotte~~
The ringing of my phone woke me up.
My eyes were half closed. I searched the bed for my phone until I had touched it.
I slid my fingers across the screen to answer and gently placed it against my ear. “Yes?”
“You roach, why haven't you called us since you got married?” I heard my mother's voice come from the other end of the call.
My eyes grew wide; this time I was fully awake. “Mom?” I sat up on the bed and pushed my hair behind my ears.
“So you remember you have a mother now? Why haven't you been sending us money?”
I exhaled. The first time I heard my mother's voice after I got married, and I got insulted?
She was never going to change.
All she was after was money.
“I'm sorry, Mother; I have been a little busy.” My throat tightened.
“Ha!” I heard Mia's cocky voice from the other end, “There's no way she'll be able to get money from that loanshark of a husband she has. Why would he give her money when she's just a lowly roach?”
My hands gripped tight against the bedsheet, and I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath to relax.
“My husband loves me, Mom.”
“Ha!” Mia shouted again, “Of course he does; only a crippled old man would fall for someone like you.”
Those words made me realize why Mia didn't want to marry Damien; she believed he was hideous.
“Ask her to come home tonight,” I heard my father's cold voice.
A chill ran through my veins as I heard my father's voice.
“Did you hear that?” My mother asked.
My heart spiked with fear before I responded “Yes… Mother.”
The line went flat immediately.
I sighed, pulling the phone away from my ear. I tossed it on the bed.
I turned to look at Damien, my heart spiking as I saw him wide awake.
“You were awake?” I asked despite knowing the answer.
He nodded. “Why did your mother call? Any trouble?”
I couldn't tell him that my parents were mad; then he'd be worried.
Still, I couldn't run from my parents forever.
I shook my head. “No, she just wants me to visit.”
He said no words, just reading my expression.
I faked a smile. “What is it?”
“If there's a problem, you can tell me, Charlotte.” His voice was as soft as petals of flowers.
I shook my head. “No, it’s okay.”
“I will come with you.”
I quickly shook my head. “No, it's okay.”
His expressions grew concerned. “Charlotte, these people have hurt you; at least let Matteo come along.”
I nodded slowly. “Of course."
But there was one problem: I still had to give my parents money, which I didn't have.
I pinned my lips together before I finally spoke, “Can I have some money?”
“Of course, what's mine is yours.” He stroked my hair before he reached for a drawer, slid it open, and reached for a black card.
“Three nine nine one,” he spoke as he handed it to me. “That's the code.”
I looked at it in awe as it touched my hand. I had never touched a black card before. “Thank you, Damien,” I smiled.
I had dressed myself up in a black dress and put a scarf over it.
“Stay in the car, Matteo,” I ordered as I stepped out of the car.
Walking back to my parents' home felt like walking into a prison that I had escaped from.
Being surrounded by guns didn't seem so bad anymore.
I pressed my hand on the cold doorknob and pushed it open; it made a low creak, which echoed through the dreaded silence.
As I walked in, I heard a gasp beside me.
I turned to face the sound, my gaze meeting Mia, her lips wide apart and a surprised look on her face.
“Look at that dress,” she exclaimed, pushing her brown locs to the side. “This is a limited edition! How did you get it?” She gasped.
“Hello, Mia.” I shut the door slowly behind me.
The first thing she said to me after not seeing me for a while was how beautiful my dress was.
Typical.
“Leave your sister alone, Mia.” My mother’s voice came from behind, “We have more important things to settle.”
I forced a smile at my mother, the smile immediately dropping as she landed a hot slap on my face.
My hand instinctively moved to my face, and my heart raced with anger.
“You filth,” Mom said, her eyes blazing, “we give you a chance at a better life, and you waste it getting new dresses?! Where's the money we asked you to send once you get married?”
“Check your phone, Mother; I sent you some money before I walked in.” My voice cracked, and my face still stung.
My mother rolled her eyes at me as she picked up her phone, and soon her eyes widened as she looked up at me. “O…one million dollars?”
I could have sent more; Damien's card was unlimited, but I didn't want to send precious money to people that hurt me.
“One million?” Mia's eyes widened; she rushed to take the phone from my mother to confirm for herself.
“Where's mine?” Her gaze snapped up at me.
“What?” My brow raised.
“My money, you idiot. You are married to the man who should be my husband, so that means extra money for me, don’t you think?”
My jaw clenched. “He's my husband, Mia; you lost the chance.”
Her lips parted in shock; I had never spoken back to her before.
She marched towards me, landing a hot, resounding slap on the same cheek my mother had given me.
But she didn't stop there; she gave another slap, and another, and another, until it became unbearable.
A loud sound echoed throughout the room.
Mia took a step back, her eyes wide in shock.
I was in shock too.
I had slapped her.
For the first time ever I raised my hand in front of my sister.
As she raised her hand to retaliate, my father's loud bark stopped her.
“Enough!!”
I turned around to see him as he angrily strode towards me.
His presence still sent shivers down my spine.
As he drew closer to me, he landed a hot slap on my face, and I dropped to the floor , tears filled my eyes as I looked up at him, my hand resting on my face.
“Father, I…”
“How dare you lift your hands on your sister?!” He barked. You have grown some wings now that you have left my home!
“She hit me first, Father!” I cried.
“You dare talk back to me?!” He roared.
“Fetch the needles,” he instructed, and with a big smile on her face, Mia rushed to get them.
My hands trembled as I heard the word "needle."
I had thought I escaped it, but that wasn't the case.
I qu
ickly got on my knees, my hands pressed together, and I began to beg, “Father, I'm sorry, please!”
He kicked me in my stomach, and I let out a loud cry.
“I got it!” Mia shouted as she rushed downstairs with the needles.