Finding Him

C H A P T E R - T W E N T Y - F I V E

Like Mother, Like Daughter

V A L E R I U S ' P O V :

Waking up feels heavier than normal. My eyelids can barely peel themselves open and my body feels too heavy. Honestly, I barely even remember going to bed last night.

The last thing I remember is sitting on the couch with Eleonora, drinking whiskey. Well, she had water.

I try to budge my eyes open but still, I'm stuck. Dizzy, I lean my head back on something.

Soon I register than I'm not laid flat on my comfortable bed. I'm sitting upright and I can not seem to move my hands.

Shit.

An unfavorable feeling punctures my gut.

When my eyes crust open, I have to blink back from the bright lights. Ellie. Where is Ellie?

My mouth drops open and slowly, my hearing comes back. I want to panic but I keep my cool.

What happened?

I close my eyes, thinking.

Why would someone tie me up in a basement? I haven't pissed anyone off recently, I swear.

At least I don't think so.

Ellie. Why would they separate us? Where would they take her? Actually.. I just want to know who the fuck is doing this? I killed the people who were left from Ivan's mob. There is no one left.

No one I can think of who is still alive.

The door creaks and my eyes snap open. He's around my age, but he carries more gray hairs than me. He should probably get that dyed.

But as I look at him. Something seems familiar.

Maybe too familiar. Though, I can't place it. Not yet.

"Valerius." He states, his eyes never leave mine.

"Do I know you?"

"Well, it would be a shame if you forgot who I am."

I think hard. I can't remember. "With a face like yours, it's not hard to forget." I reply to him cooly.

This seems to piss him off. His eyes blare with a rage I've seen in myself before. He storms closer to me, stomping like a little child. Even Ellie is better mannered than this grown man.

"You ruined my life. My family. And now you're insulting me?" He bends down to my level. I don't flinch, honestly I'm getting kind of bored looking at his monotonous features.

"I've ruined a lot of people's lives. You'll have to be a bit more specific."

He punches me in my face. I feel the blood dripping down my nose.

"You're going to rot in hell!" The manic man stands up, eyes still stuck to mine.

I look deeper, I squint.

I know him somehow. But.. how?

"Hell does not scare me."

"Well it should!" He spits. "And you should be scared of what I'm going to do to you!"

I hold back my laugh.

"Where is my daughter." I demand.

He licks his lips, smiling at me. His eyes go too wild for my liking. "Oh don't worry, she's being taken care of." I don't think too much into it, he looks clueless. It's obvious whatever operation is going on here, he doesn't have any real power.