People started surrounding and aiming their guns at us. We were completely outnumbered.
"This round of hide-and-seek is sadly over, but the next round is starting...right now!"
We heard a fit of hysterical laughter before she announced.
"Are you rea...
"Now that that's sent, it's playing the waiting game now."
A faint voice echoed in my ears as I went in and out of consciousness. The pain is slowly coming back to me as my eyes tried to open. I could see a silhouette of a figure standing in the middle of the room. There was another leaning by the wall beside the metal door.
"Are you sure we're ready for them? We've seen what they did to Vexion and the others."
The voice was deep, much deeper than Mr. Kristopher's. I tried to move my arms but they were tied to the arms of the wooden chair. My legs were the same story. My thighs were bound to the chair and my ankles were strapped tightly with rope.
I moved my eyes to take in the room I was in. It had this foul smell of sweat, puke, and blood. I guess I wasn't the first in here.
I closed my eyes and recalled back to before I was brought here. Mr. Zachary, Tanner, miss, and I were resting in a café when I went to the bathroom. I walked out of the stall and that's when I blacked out.
Her face flashed across my eyes and stayed in my mind.
Miss Krystallia.
Will she come for me? I mean, I'm just an employee, but I thought we would be at least friends.
I lifted my head and a jab of pain shot through my throat, making me gasp. I heard the two figures snap their head to me so fast, they may as well break their necks.
I could hear heavy footsteps coming towards me but stopping a moment later. Then I hear fast and light steps before someone forced my head upright.
"You're awake?" a feminine voice asked and I hesitantly opened my eyes. A lock of blonde hair was in my face and a hand swept it away before my eyes found a pair of hazel ones. The woman let go of my hair and I sighed in relief as the pain slowly faded.
I heard a chair being dragged across the room and stopped in front of me. The woman sat down and crossed her legs. Her posture reminded me of my mistress when she's in her gang mode.
"So, Cain Howards, right?" the woman asked for confirmation and I could only nod slightly without causing too much pain. She tapped her pointy pink nails on the arm of the chair, "Why her?"
I had on a questioning look, confused by what she meant. She must've noticed because she clarified, "Why'd you choose to work there in the first place? Why crush on her when you know what she's involved in?"
Oh. Jumping straight into the depths of my mind.
I turned my wrist slightly to point at my throat, indicating that it's dry. The woman snapped her fingers and that burly guy walked off. He can never do spy work, I swear.
"Tatiana."
I moved my eyes to her and she added, "My name. I guess since you're going to die, might as well tell you my name."
My eyes widened at the statement. I'm going to die?
No, I can't think like that. Miss is coming for me and that's that. I won't die. I think.
The door opened and the guy walked in holding a cup with a straw. He walked over to me and put the cup in front with the straw pointing to me.
"Drink and answer my questions," the woman said and I put my lips over the straw, sipping slowly to savor the water.
Doing this reminded me of when my mistress offered me that chocolate chip cookie. When I placed my lips over the cookie in her hand to seem more...lovey? I don't know what came over me, I just know that I liked it.
Once I quenched my thirst, the woman tapped her nails again and asked, "Well?"
I was hesitant to relive the dark time, but I did so I could buy my mistress some time and stretch my life a little longer, "I had broken up with my then-girlfriend two weeks before I started to work there. To distract myself from the heartbreak, I decided to find a job. A friend recommended working for the Estradas so I sent them my resume and waited for a response."
I coughed lightly before continuing, "Their response came in two days later and they asked to meet at an abandoned place. They told me about the risks to work there but I still took it. On my first day, I was reprimanded by the head chef for dropping a tray. Miss must've heard because she came in and that was the first time I've actually laid my eyes on her."
"Didn't she meet you to warn about the risk?" Tatiana asked and I shook my head, "It was only the twins. I've only seen pictures of her on the walls around the mansion, but that was the first time I've seen her in all her beautiful glory."
I heard Tatiana scoff at my description of my mistress and I continued, "I crushed on her because she may look like she doesn't care, inside she really does. She cares for the staff, she cares for her friends, she cares for the gang, her family. To me, she's one of the most caring people on Earth underneath all that gore."
"That's what you think," she spat out and I looked down at my lap, "She just doesn't show it. She doesn't show that she cares, but she helps from the sidelines."
"Aren't you afraid of what she is?" she scorned me and I replied, "She's just her. She went through a lot, and even though it doesn't justify some of the things she did, she knew what she had to do to survive. Plus, she would only hurt those who hurt the people she cares about."
Tatiana was silent, too silent. She's replaying everything I said about my mistress in her head, processing it. Then she slowly got up and took something from her pocket. She threw it onto my lap before turning around to leave.
I looked down and saw that it was my phone. I looked up to see her walking away from me. But before she left, she said, "I deleted your contacts and took out everything that would connect you to the real world, but I left the pictures of Estrada and you alone. At least you'll die staring at a photo that would make you happy."
She left and the burly guy untied my hands but left my legs alone before leaving me alone. I quickly took my phone and swiped it open.
Everything is gone.
I hastily tapped the 'Gallery' app and sighed in relief. The pictures are still there.
Pictures of me and my mistress.
Miss Krystallia.
Thank you for choosing to read RON. Follow me (@lephantomsoh) on Instagram to get sneak peeks and random snippets of things.
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