The Rules to Redemption

Chapter 57: you are my love

Ok so here's the real tea on why I disappeared:
1) I had publishing agreements which restricted my writing.

2) I originally wrote this story for someone, the entire book was tied to us so inevitably it was hard to even think about these characters once what we had was over.
I'm trying to realise that Damien and Tallia are their own characters and not just embodiments of the people in my life despite how much I wish they were.
So please be patient with me as I try to tell a story that is no longer mine.
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"Have you spoken to Slavi recently?" I pester Malachai since it appears we have been in traffic for a long while.
"Not so much. He's not a friend, just someone I did business with."
The whole thing didn't make any sense to me, "I want to talk to him."
He laughs absurdly, "The last time you wanted to do that you got kidnapped and nearly blew up."
"Well I'll talk to him in a public place where he can't kidnap and blow me up." I roll my eyes.
"Yeah, no Tallia. Just leave it."

"Kai I'm not asking you for permission." I scoff, "When have you ever stopped me from doing anything? You certainly aren't going to start now."
He looks at me with an eyebrow raised, "You're too much like me, you know?"
I just shrug because I am, that is why I know he won't hold me back.
"Good luck getting Damien to agree."
"Damien doesn't tell me what to do." I scoff.
"Sure but he's going to have a lot of opinions about this isn't he?" He challenges me totally correct.
"He has opinions about everything I do that doesn't mean I'm going to drop everything. I'm not going to lie to him but I don't see why I should listen."

"Perhaps because he...cares about you." I could see the anger in his face when he said that and it made me want to burst out laughing.
"What has that got to do with anything?" I raise my eyebrow at him.
"When people care, they're not selfish. Trust the opinion of people that care about you Tallia, they're perhaps the most honest." He warns me and it looked as if he rehearsed that line, maybe it applied more to us than it did to me and Damien.
"Well at the restaurant it didn't seem like you wanted me to trust him very much." I scoff and he smiles, nodding.

"You're my sister T. I'm your template for how a man is supposed to take care of you. You can't blame me for thinking that no one would ever deserve you." He tells me.
"With that mindset I'll be lonely for the rest of my life." I sigh in despair.

"Do you truly think that he is right for you?" Malachai asks.
"We aren't together. Just because I moved back home doesn't mean I'm obliged to be with him again." I convince him, probably trying to convince myself.
"You're just speaking unnecessary words T. Answer my question."
"I think," I pause. "I think that with him I'm capable of choosing who I want to be. I feel lost in my own self everywhere else."
"That's a dangerous feeling to have about someone Tallia." He warns me.
I know.

"I think you know yourself well enough, you don't need some guy for that."
"I thought that too but I also thought I knew mom and dad. You can't blame me for my issues with trust." I scoff.
"You mean you thought that you knew me right? You can say it Tallia." He challenges me.
"What you did hurt but it wasn't surprising. By some degree I've always known what your limits were and killing dear old dad didn't exceed them." I enlighten him.

We were silent for many moments longer, we always are when the conversation turns to family because it's a fine path to tread especially when ours was broken and falling apart.

"You should marry Lucia if you love her. If she makes you happy." I tell him.
"What do you think of her?" He asks me almost seeking my approval.
"I don't know her that well, I always thought that the girl you married would be like a best friend to me but neither me or her are the type to instigate a friendship. I like that about her. I think she's all that you need and she loves you so do it Mal. At least one of us deserves love."
I pause, "I still want to interrogate her. I promise I'll be nice." I smile innocently.
"You can Tallia but I promise whatever you give, she'll give back." He warns me smiling.
"Good, if she can hold her own then she's definitely meant for you."

Sierra's POV:

"I'm only babysitting you because I wanted to see what else in the house is worth stealing." I explain to the child in front of me.
"I don't like you." She grunts.
"Well no one clearly loves you or they wouldn't have left you with me." I smile.
"Ok." She shrugs. "Can we play castle now?"
"What's that?"
"It's when you build a castle." She explains as if I am the infant, like it is I who needs help.
"Fine go play castle." I tell her.

She runs off, out of Tallia's room and doesn't return for a while though when she does it is with the miserable attempt to drag blankets in.
"It's too heavy." She frowns.
"Awh well that sucks for you doesn't it?" I shrug searching the draws for marijuana.
"Help me." She asks.
I let out a sigh and watch her put in all the effort to drag this blanket through the doorway yet still fail.
Tallia better pay me for this shit.

I build her stupid tent and watch as she lays inside, she urges me to follow her so I do, we look up at the roof simultaneously and she lays her small head a little closer to mine. "That's the sky." She points.
"No its 70% cotton and 30% polyester you melon." I roll my eyes getting out of the fort we had built, only to find two men at the doorway.
Oh shit.

"Who are you?" I question in suspicion, they're wearing black suits with earpieces, not very welcoming but no one here is, they all have this grey aura around them even Tallia, gosh I'm going to have to spike her food to get that aura back.
"Damien has requested to take you and the child to join the rest at dinner." The more dominant one explains.
Dinner? But Tallia had told me that they were already eating. That doesn't make any sense?
"A bit late for dinner." I stall, something felt oddly wrong but my phone was across the room.
"Milo." I kick her gently and take her in my arms .
"We're ok, we ate already." I smile hoping it will be the end of this discussion but unsurprisingly it isn't.
The submissive one steps forward but we're about the same height so it doesn't intimidate me.
"Slow down there mate." I roll my eyes, I reckon I can take him on.
"I'm just going to call Tallia and see what she's doing." I turn my back to grab my phone, all whilst feeling a great weight lunge me to the ground, Milo drops out of my arms and to her feet letting out a scream but she is out of my reach and I cannot help her.

"What the fuck, get off me." I yell but my arms are tied down to the ground and whoever this man on me is, they are far stronger than I am.
I managed to get a leg free, essentially kneeing him in the balls in the process, he tumbles over me and in a second I am up. Milo's frightened, I can see it in her face but she doesn't run to me quick enough, the other man, the smaller one picks her up with one hand and holds a gun to my head with another.
"Stop moving." His tone is steady and if it wasn't for the little girl in his hand, I would've made him eat it.
"Where is Tallia Sylveste?" It was a demand more than a question. "Tell me or I kill you."
I knew where she was but it's ok, I don't like to let people have one over on me anyway.
"I don't know." I shrug and he pulls the arm of the gun back, it clicks and in my heart I am ready for it to be over.
"I'll ask you again, do not be stupid." He warns me.
"If I knew where she was do you think I'd be here talking to you fool." I roll my eyes.
"If you are going to kill me then hurry up and do it."
But he doesn't, I just hear a laugh then watch as my vision turns back.
But what I remember most of all, is Milo and her cry for Tallia.

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I will try and do better for u guys in regards to updates.
Thank you for your patience and all your kindness.
Seriyah <3