CHAPTER 152

CHAPTER 152
Lucas runs a brush through his hair and gives Ciel a hopeful smile as he adjusts his hoodie.

"Let’s go out," he says, trying to sound casual. "Get some air. Maybe, shop a little and clear your head."

Ciel looks up from where he's tying his shoelaces on the bed. “Out? Like the mall?”

“Yeah.” Lucas nods. “You could use new clothes anyway and maybe it’ll help you remember something or at least distract you.”

Ciel gives a small nod and then he smiles. “Okay, I can use a little outing, it's a little suffocating being confined in here.”

Lucas chuckles. “It's only been a few days and you are already complaining? Let's go,”

They head for the door, but as soon as Lucas opens it, two men in black suits are already ready to block their paths—stoic and bulky. “Where are you headed?”

Lucas clears his throat. “The mall, I'm taking Ciel out for some fresh air,”

“We’ll come with you,” one of them says firmly.

Ciel blinks. “We don’t need company. It's just the mall, what's gonna happen at the mall?”

Lucas bites his lips. Ciel has no idea of so many things that could go wrong in the mall but he doesn't want to think about that.

“Orders from the Don,” the taller one verbalizes. “You’re not to be left alone with him outside.”

“We do need the guards, Ciel,” Lucas adds. “It's for our safety and besides, we can't leave here if we don't take them along,”

Ciel rubs the back of his neck. “Seriously? “lIt’s just clothes and coffee.”

“Let's go, Mr Reid,”

Lucas nods. “Let’s just go.”

~

At the mall…

Lucas pushes the shopping cart while Ciel browses through racks of jeans. He holds one up.

“Is this my size?”

Lucas looks. “Probably. You like skinny jeans.”

“I thought you were my manager and best friend, what do you mean by probably?” Ciel pushes up a brow.

“Well, I think you hips have gotten fuller, Xerxes been feeding your properly and you have forgotten your strict diet but I think that's good,”

Ciel chuckles faintly and tosses it in the cart.

They move through the aisles, picking out shirts, hoodies, a few sneakers, even a leather jacket and the guards trail a few feet behind, silently, without making a single sound with their feets but always watching.

After an hour, Lucas stretches.

“Coffee?”

“Yes, please,” Ciel immediately agrees.

They go to the small café on the second floor. It's cozy, with soft lighting and small wooden tables. They take a table beside the window and immediately order a drink that's delivered a few minutes later.

“It’s nice… doing normal stuff.” Ciel says as he sips his drink.

Lucas smiles. “Yeah. And it's been so long since we've gone out like this, we've both been working busy with work and of course, our messed up love life,”

“Messed up? I thought Xerxes and I are in love?” Ciel quickly asks.

“You are,” Lucas chuckles at the pout forming on Ciel's smiles. “But it wasn't always like that. Don't stress that little brain of yours. You will get your memories eventually,”

“Oh,” Ciel says and then nods. Then he looks around and leans in. “Um… I need to use the restroom.” he slowly rises to his feet.

Before Lucas can respond, one of the guards steps forward. “We’ll escort you.”

Ciel blinks, slightly caught off guard. “It’s just the restroom.”

“You said that last time,” the guard says sharply. “And you got kidnapped. We’re not taking chances again.”

“I might have the brain of an eighteen year old and the body of a twenty seven but I’m not a baby,” Ciel glares. “I just want to pee and I don't need people watching me,”

“We are coming or you don't get to pee at all, your choice, Mr. Reid,” the guard's voice is so firm, Ciel is shaken.

“We can stand outside the door,” the other guard offers. “That’s as far as we go.”

Ciel rolls his eyes and walks off. “Fine. Whatever.”

“Don't be long,” Lucas shouts behind him.

~

Ciel steps into the stall, locking the door behind him. He leans against the wall for a moment, trying to breathe.

Everything is just so overwhelming lately, he feels lost at sea. He can't even peed without guards following him around and Ciel doesn't even remember being kidnapped as the guards claimed. What kind of man was his fiance? Why does he have so many enemies?

He sighs and does his business and then reaches for the tissue dispenser when suddenly, the sound of a loud bang reaches his ears.

Gunfire.

Then there's another, followed by screams, then bodies hitting the floor and blood sprayed under the stall door, pooling slowly towards his sneakers.

In an instant, his heart stops for a moment and fear takes a strong grasp on him that he suddenly can't move or breath too loud.

“W-What…”

Then—slam. His stall door burst open. Ciel gasps just in time as a fist sticks his head hard and everything goes blank.

~

Ciel groans as he flutters his eyes open, his vision blurry, and his head pounding like crazy.

Ciel is immediately struck with deja vu when he realizes he's tied to a wooden chair in a cold, dusty room with the windows barred, the walls cracked, smelling of mold and metal.

Suddenly, a voice laughs near him, causing him to snap his head sharply.

“Finally, you’re awake.”

Ciel looks up, eyes struggling to focus. A man stands in front of him, tall, lean, with messy blue hair falling into his wild blue eyes and hanging low in his hand is a gun that causes Ciel's breath to hitch.

“Name’s Ethan. You probably don’t remember me.” His voice drips with mockery. “Heard you got into a little accident, unfortunately you didn't die as planned,”

Ciel eyes widen. “W-what?”

Ethan's smile turns sinister, getting closer and leaning his lower body down. “Shh, you don't have to stress that little brain of yours, you don't have remember who I am or what led or caused your accident, you just need to know that this will be the last face you will see before you meet your death,”

He gets closer and crouches in front of him, tilting his head.

“Before I kill you, you should know you are the reason everything fell apart. You just suddenly showed up and ruined everything.”

Ciel just stares.

“We were going to be together, he would have taken me back, I knew he loved me but then you came out of nowhere, flaunting your engagement in my face. He chose you, a much bigger whore than me, I just slept with his father, why do you get to live happily ever after with him and I'm left with nothing. Do you know how that feels? Watching the man you love throw you away like trash—for someone like you?”

Ciel doesn't speak and he doesn't flinch. His eyes are blank and unreadable. What is he supposed to do? What would have older Ciel said and done in this situation? Would he have begged to be set free?

Ethan scowls when he doesn't get a response. He grabs Ciel's face roughly. “Say something! You think you are fucking better than me?”

Ciel blinks. “I don’t even know you.”

Ethan immediately aims the gun at his forehead, pressing it against Ciel’s skin. “You will. I swear to God, you will.”

Still, Ciel doesn't cry or beg, his heart is pounding, but his face is still.

Ethan leans his face closer. “I should blow your brains out right now but…” he trails off with a smile. “I want to take my sweet time with you, and by the time Xerxes gets here, he will be coming to pick up your corpses.”