Twelve

Audrey's POV

"Let's go to my office" Ivan declared, pushing himself up from where he sat but Dante’s next words stopped him.

"You want to marry her into the family right? There is no need to go to your office, we can talk here. She is going to be part of us soon anyway" Dante’s eyes were fixed on me once again as if waiting for a reaction from me, his words calm yet threatening. How can a man be so quiet yet scary?

The other two men also turned to look at me, their expressions quite different from Dante’s, the man who just walked in had the most horrific look on his face and that was all I needed to know that whatever it was he wanted to say I was going to hate it.

"This isn't the time to act up" Ivan piped up turning to look at Dante whose eyes remained on me.

"I am not acting up, Leonid can talk, I am sure Audrey here doesn't mind right?" He definitely doesn't want an answer.

Leonid, it suits him perfectly.

"Audrey please excuse us" Ivan totally ignored Dante, his voice commanding as all eyes turned to me once again but only one ignited so many feelings in me. If Ivan scares me, Dantrolene scares me...if I ask to pick. I would rather die by Ivan's hands, it seems like a better way to die.

Why on earth do I have to be the center of your argument?

"Audrey?" Ivan called out, his eyes turning darker but I sat put, rather Dante's eyes kept me in place. I couldn't dare move, not with the gun tucked at his side that he made sure only both of us knew about.

"See, she doesn't mind" Dante smirked, his eyes shining with something I really wanted to figure out but I couldn't.

"Ivan, this is bad" Leonid whispered but quickly picked up his words.

Dante heard him too but he didn't budge even a little.

"Then you should start talking" Dante shrugged, leaning comfortably on his chair like nothing was happening.

Ivan sighed, lifting his eyes to look at me one more time before signalling Leonid to go on.

"There was an attack" he started his eyes moving to me which got me confused...was the attack my fault?

"Where?" Ivan asked.

"In New York" That was all it took to get my full attention.

"You said this was bad...an attack in New York concerns us how?" Dante sounded so bored it scared the fuck out of me. How can he be so nonchalant? It may not be in Italy here but there was an attack nevertheless.

"The attack was at Audrey's school library...A woman called Rachel" I released a loud gasp before I could even stop myself.

Mrs.Rachel? No, no...it can’t be.

"The librarian?" I forced myself to calm down from the horrific thoughts that were slowly taking over.

They all turned to look at me, Leonid and Ivan had grim expressions on their faces, like they were using their eyes to remind me that they asked me to leave and I refused but Dante...

He just sat staring blankly at me, no way to detect or even assume what he was thinking.

I took a deep breath glancing down at my hands in my lap to break eye contact hoping they would ignore my little drama...I just hope she wasn't killed...maybe a little attack to scare her.

My hope died the moment Leonid continued talking as if he heard my thoughts, "Her head was taken and her fingers chopped off into tiny bits" His words blurred out as everything slowly settled.

Mrs.Rachel is dead.

It sounded bitter in my head, like some false thought I was forced to believe. I saw her just a few days ago, she had warned me to be careful like she always does and now she is gone just like that, for doing nothing wrong.

"Can..." I stammered, unable to form words as tears slowly filled my eyes. She didn't do anything, how could they even have gone after her?

"Can I...please take a look?" I finally said taking deep breaths to calm myself.

"That wouldn't be necessary" Ivan quietly said, his eyes turning to Leonid shaking his head.

"Please, I just need to see...I need to be sure it's her" I whispered, my voice shaking as a stray tear finally betrayed by my dropping on my cheeks.

They all shared a look as if contemplating my request and what my reaction would be but Dante’s eyes on me kept me uncomfortable. He watched my tear drop down my cheek, an expression finally on his face but it wasn't one of pity or sadness for me..it looked like disgust... like my crying disgusted him...

"You know the Librarian?" Leonid asked drawing my attention away from Dante.

"She was like a mother to me, she...She" I couldn’t complete my words as more tears threatened to fall but the look on Dante’s face a few seconds ago kept them in...I suddenly felt angry with myself for showing him a side of me he didn't deserve to see. He should never see me cry, especially not when it disgusts him so much.

"Show her" Ivan gestured, his eyes hooded but I could see he felt bad for me unlike his dear friend.

Leonid looked at Ivan, hesitated in his eyes, "Just let her take a look, it might not be who she is thinking about" Ivan repeated. He was trying to sound hopeful for my sake but we all knew that was all it was.

Hope.

Fake hope that was shattered the moment Leonid turned the phone to me, a look of pity on his face as I scanned the picture taking in everything. In that moment I couldn't care about what Dante thought the tears came pouring down as I stared.

Bile rising in my throat at the sight in front of me.

Her head wasn't on her body anymore and it wasn't even in the picture but I knew that body anywhere, I had hugged it so many times I could tell it was her even if I was blind. Her fingers were chopped off into tiny bits and scattered around, some would think they were tiny bits of stone and not actual fingers.

There was blood everywhere, and I couldn't even identify the type of clothes she had on before she was attacked except for her sweater. Her baby pink crochet sweater that lay at the side of the road a few metres away from her...the one I had made for her birthday last year because she kept complaining the AC at the library was getting to her and she couldn't spend another time of her money on anything until she completed her husband's drugs.

I had promised to help and she immediately warned me that she wouldn't take any money, just like she has always rejected. She never takes my money no matter how much she needs it for her husband's medication as that's where all her money always goes. I had knitted the sweater for her and she almost died of excitement that day. She cried and thanked me for being the child she never had, took me to her husband and we celebrated the day together...and now...I am staring at her lifeless body. A woman who only wanted a better life for herself and her husband is dead all because of me....

What kind of monsters are these?