STOLEN || 18+ (Monsters #3)

.71. - Queen

"The limits of love are very weird. Neither was kept as a hostage, nor did I run away."

- Ahmed Faraz

. . .

Tw - torture. Murder.

. . .

Leyla

I brushed my hair away from my neck, gently tracing the edges of my tattoo. It had been days since I got it. The colour was dark against my skin.

I sat down on the cushioned stool in front of the large mirror in the closet. Half of the dark closet was still covered in Fabiano's clothes. The other half held mine - including some I had not bought here.

I pulled at the drawers of the dressing table, brushing my fingers on the multiple lipsticks. Almost all of them were different shades of red.

I lifted my eyes again, looking at myself through the mirror. I was wearing a black dress, loose around my bust, tight around my waist and then freely brushing on my legs. My hair was down in loose curls, my makeup all done minus the lipstick.

My phone rang.

Gabby.

"Hey, Gabby"

"Hey, Leyla," Gabby said. I could hear a piano playing in the background. "I just talked to Olivia."

"You talk to her now?"

I could imagine her rolling her eyes. "She's....nice."

"The horror."

"Shut up," she muttered. "You're coming here for Diwali."

I hummed. "I know. Fabiano just told me." They were acting weird. Fabiano had knocked on my door, said we were leaving for New York in a week, and then walked away with a kiss.

"Samya will be here. Olivia said we could invite more family."

"Just invite Samya's family. That's enough."

"Fifteen more people then. Zavier is going to be happy to cook."

"Ah, you talk to Zavier too, now?"

"He cooks well."

I hummed. "You're getting comfortable, it seems."

"Well..." She said. "It's nice. Our sister seems to love it too much. Even Leona seems happy."

I looked down at my hands. "That's good."

"Do you know what's happening with our father?"

"I have no idea," I whispered. "They have him. I don't have the courage to ask about him."

"But the others are dead."

It was the headline of the year. Bodies were found by their family members. The whole world knew who had killed them, yet no one raised a finger.

There was no news of my father - other than that he was missing.

"Yes," I agreed as I put on my red lipstick. "They are dead."

. . .

Giovanni

"This is...messy."

I threw my knife at Luca. "No shit." He dodged, frowning slightly.

"That was rude," He said in Italian. He sat on the edge of Fabiano's desk. I was on a couch. Fabiano was on his chair, not speaking.

"I thought you were going to give her a choice," Luca said. "How is she being your fiancée going to help with that?"

I closed my eyes, hands twitching for my knife.