Devil in the room

“Goddamn it. Whatever. It's hopeless to fight it.” I mumbled underneath.

My eyes were stinging; all I could see was a figure crashing on my couch around the corner in the room. I kept wondering how he could vividly read in the dark, whereas I was still struggling, trying to make out his face and figure.

I tried so hard to budge but I'd been overcome by the numbness. I was breathing heavily and that made my chest ache. Terrified by his voice, his fearsome presence, an enigmatic aura radiating from him, yet I concealed my fear. Fear was a sign of weakness I'd learned to conceal.

“It seems like this isn't the first time we're meeting,” I said unknowingly.

“You’re right. This isn't the first time you've been overcome by terror. Good grief, I was hoping you'd survive the car crash. You surely have luck on your side, Little vermin. In the end, even death couldn't even save you from me.” He said calmly.

Anxiety gnawed at me, I couldn't think of anything else. His words were like sharp knives cutting into my skin. If I hadn't lost my memories—if perhaps I'd not I could have related to what he said.

“So what do you want with me?” I asked. I'd exhausted my patience. Even if he came to kill me, at least I needed a reason to accept it willingly.

“I own you, Alessia. What I do with my possessions is my decision. Anyways, I just want you to suffer more. That's your punishment for trying to run away.”

“Running away? Your possession? What the hell are you talking about?”

The couch creaked. His figure rose from the chair, then he sauntered over. “Why don't you find out? I bet right now without your memory, I know you want me dead…”

“Nothing would give me more pleasure,” I cut him short. My heart was throbbing hard in my chest each time I heard his footsteps. It felt like he was matching on my goddamn chest, sinking deep into my heart as it felt so heavy.

“I’ll be waiting. Until you find me,” he sat on my bed and leaned over until his face was looming right in front of mine. I felt his breath on my skin, so warm that I could melt like butter. “Don’t fight it. The drug will wear off soon.”

“Haven’t you thought of what I might do to you now that you're close?”

“Probably grab the pepper spray in your drawer or pull out a box underneath your bed and aim the gun in it at my head. Boom! I'm dead. That's exactly like your imagination.”

“Well, you're not completely wrong. That's exactly what I'm thinking. You drugged me on purpose.”

“I don't play old tricks. Moreover, I didn’t come here to kill you. If I'd listened to the voice in my head, you wouldn't have woken up from the nightmare, but don't worry, I need you alive, at least for now. Just came here to say ‘hi. Now go back to sleep.” His tone was deep with an intensity that made my body tremble. An uncomfortable wave washed over me; I felt uneasy.

I tightly shut my eyes with his hand on my face. I was completely hopeless against him. Ray mentioned he was dead, I wondered if it was his ghost that I'd been talking to. I'd never encountered anyone with a dreadful aura like his—so lethal.

A few minutes later, I didn't feel the weight of his hand on my face, I slowly opened my eyes. My vision was vague, I couldn't see clearly. Also, all the lights in my room were on, including the lamps on the nightstands.

I could now move my fingers; the numbness had just started to wear off. Reminiscing what he said earlier, I screamed. “Lenox!”

The door was yanked open, and Lenox and Emily burst in, aiming their guns as their gazes scrutinized my bedroom. Seeing me lying helplessly on the bed, he dashed to my side. “You screamed. Is there a reason you're drenching in sweat? Is it a nightmare?” He asked, concern embedded in his voice.

I let out a sigh of relief. Happy that at least he didn't kill anyone because of me. A tear escaped my eye. “He came.”

“Who?”

“Martello. He sat over there. He was just here. He even read me that book over there.” I gestured my head at the leather couch.

There was a sign of doubt in his eyes, I could see it. No one would believe me.

“Are you sure you're not imagining anything? Emily and I stayed awake and I've been watching over you. We didn't hear a sound. I left your room twenty minutes ago.”

Emily wandered my room, searching for Martello. She checked the windows but they were tightly shuttled. “The bathroom is empty, the windows are locked from inside. There's no way he came here through the window and if he indeed entered, he couldn't walk past us. There are no other openings in this room. Or is there any hidden passage here?”

“I wish I knew.” I retorted.

“Well,”

Furious, my body jostled when I forced it. I sat up purposely, still weak but not as before. “You think I'm lying? He came here. That man could kill me in five seconds if that's what he came here for, I could have died if you were a second late. Who switched off the lights?.”

He ran his hands on his face, whimpering with frustration. “I left them on before getting a drink in your refrigerator twenty minutes ago.”

“Are you sure you didn't switch off all the lights? You said you'd be by my side when I woke up.”

“I don't know what you're talking about. Martello is a ruthless motherfucker, and he had been pronounced dead a year before the car crash. Back then, you said he was coming for you that day, I don't want to believe it.” He paused momentarily. “You have to stop this fucking madness, Sia.”

“You don't believe me?” I drew down the duvet and set my feet on the cold tiled floor. Pain draped over my body, and my thigh hurt as hell. I ambled to the windows and checked them before going to the bathroom. It was empty.

They exchanged looks when I returned.

“Isn’t that I don't believe you but it's hard to believe. A ghost can't suddenly appear in your room.”

“What if you were just dreaming?” Emily shrugged nonchalantly.

With a shake of my head, I insisted. “There was no way I was dreaming.” I opened the right nightstand, the pepper spray Lenox bought for me was inside. I squatted down and dragged the small box underneath out. I opened it and found the gun I had received for my fifteenth birthday from Carlos inside.

“What are you looking for?” Lenox huffed surly.

“I don't need anyone to believe me. I'll find him myself. Whether he's a ghost or not, I'll find him.”

I was deeply hurt when none of them believed me. There was no way Martello was dead. It couldn't be a nightmare—I felt his warm touch. So warm that it could burn my skin.

I checked the radio clock on the nightstand. Five-thirty AM. I shuffled to the bathroom without any protest. I had a warm bath before coming out. Both Lenox and Emily weren't inside. It was a relief because I had the room to myself, I could finally think about what was going on.

For God's mercy, if Martello didn't come in through the windows, I don't know how in hell he got inside my room. Lenox was a good fighter and observer; Emily could also put up an excellent fight; he couldn't get lucky with these two.

“It doesn't add up. Who the hell are you?” I whimpered with frustration.

“Who are you talking to, Sia?” Rebecca appeared in my room, leaning against the door behind her.

She was putting on a mini jeans skirt and a pink crop top, and her violet hair was packed into a ponytail style, red lip gloss smeared on her plump lips. Ever a beauty.

“No one,” I drew the towel to cover the new bandage on my thigh.

“I thought you were talking to someone. I saw Lenox in the living room. He seemed to be in a shitty mood earlier. Did you guys fight?” She walked over.

“No.”

“Well, it's good to see him again. I haven't seen that handsome man in a while. Aren't you going to get ready? I bet you don't want to miss Professor Hawking's lecture.”

“I'll be running late. Go ahead, please.”

She leveled me with a disbelief look before surrendering. “I'll keep a seat,” she exited the room.

I went to the closest to grab a new dress. As usual, it took me ten minutes before I eventually settled for black jeans, a black v-neck top, and a coat.

When I arrived in the living room, Lenox was standing by the corner on a phone call. He didn't look entirely good, a perturbed countenance— I could surmise the caller. He hung up the phone call and then looked at me.

“I know that look. What's the trouble?”

“Carlos just informed me Artem Kirill is coming for a negotiation. He needs me at the clubhouse but he'll be sending more of his men here to watch over you. ”

“Why send more of his men here if there's chaos? He'll need them, not me.”

“What do you think of him? He's a Don.” The corner of his lips curved into a smirk. “You need protection, queen. After killing Kirill's underling you should know they'll come for revenge.”

“Are you talking about Ray?”

He nodded. “I'm surprised he demands a negotiation. People don't usually get lucky. Kirill always follows the rule, a kill for the kill.”

“Are they going to kill me?” I narrowed my eyes on him.

I knew Carlos wouldn't allow that.

“You have a brother that's going to save you,” He checked his watch. ”Emily will drive you to your doctor’s office. You'll be safe with Nora.”

“Another primal therapy? I'll pass,”

“At least it guarantees your safety for now.” He opposed it.

I let out a sigh. “I'm coming with you. This is my fight, I'm not running away.”

“Carlos knew you'd say that. I'm putting you on the phone with him.” He called him and put the phone on speaker. I was expecting his cold voice to lash out, but instead, I heard an unfamiliar deep voice.

“Hi, Black Fang. I don't know if it's okay with you to join our little party. What do you say?”

“Are you requesting?”

“Good question. I'm not requesting it. You'll probably decline if it's a request. It's an order. . I'll be waiting. Twenty minutes or your brother's death is on you.”