Darkness Returns | Darkness #2

13.

*DOUBLE UPDATE-READ 12 FIRST*

"No."

His smirk gets even uglier when he picks up Camilla. I tug at the chains around my wrists, but am unable to break free. "Let go of her, you bastard!"

I'm alone with Father in a room. The door is locked and he's carrying Camilla away from me. I tug at the chains again and this time, they get a little looser. My hopes rise a little. "Let go of her!"

"She's irrelevant right now."

She's not. I glare at him, pulling my right hand rougher to me side and surprisingly, a part of the wall goes along. That hand is free.

Father startles and with that, drops my fucking daughter on the floor. My rage gets even worse. I pull at my left hand too, but it's harder than my right one. I tug again. 

He comes closer to my panting self, smirking and the calm itself. I lunge forward, ready to rip his hand off his body. My left chain harshly stops me though.

He tsks his tongue in disapproval, shaking his head. I blow my hair out of my face, sweat trickling down my whole body. I don't fucking care. All I want is Camilla to be safe. 

Is that too much to ask?

"Fuck you," I cry out. I'm so close to screaming my lungs out, I think I've finally gone crazy. He smirks in the knowledge of that. I hate it. 

"I killed you," I shout. Tears of desperation leave my eyes. It could be the pain of pulling at the chains combined with it, but I'm completely over the line to address what I'm feeling right now.

"And you'll get punished for doing so," Father nods. He turns back to Camilla. Agony pierces through me. I pull at the chain again and finally, finally, I am freed.

I run toward me daughter and kick my father's back in the process, making him stumble down. Camilla flinches and hugs me close. Her laugh is gone our of fear for, what I realize now, her grandpa.

I shake my head. He's not related to her. He's not my family and he's not hers. 

"Everything okay?" I ask her, checking her body for injuries. There's an ugly gash on her forehead, something that needs stitches. She seems exhausted and worn out, but I don't know if it's because of the cold she's gotten in this room, the trauma or the pills Father gave her.

"Camilla, please," I beg her. Hot tears leave my eyes faster when her body slumps in my arms. I didn't protect her well enough.

I lie her on the blanket, turning to my Father in anger. He's standing up again and pointing his gun at me. My fists clench. I hate him. I hate him so much.

"You're not going to shoot your son," I scoff, taking a step closer. "I'm your blood." I'm not. "I'm the only one who can follow your leads."

The hand holding the gun trembles just the slightest bit. I suppose I have learned from Camilla, the manipulation queen. She learned it from her mommy. The reminder of Daisy pierces through my heart. Once, five years ago, she was the only thought in my mind when Father tortured me.

Now, five years later, she's the only thought going through me as I manipulate him. I'm not his blood and neither am I ever following his leads, but I'll do everything to get my family safe.

Including die. If he shoots me now, I want it. That'd mean I've given everything for them, and that's exactly how I want them to remember me.

"Come on. Shoot me," I dare him, maintaining eye-contact as I step closer. He slowly takes a step back, but the distance has almost been crossed. I'm so close to winning.

"You won't," I tell him. "Because you're hoping that sometime soon, I will surrender and lead the mafia together with you."

He slowly aims the gun at the ground, listening to me. That's a step forward, even if he's still gripping the weapon tightly. 

"I will. I promise. When my daughter is safe and healthy again, and we're reunited with our family, I will collaborate with you." Lies. Lies lies lies.

I just hope my brothers and their team come fast enough to kill Father for good now.

Father is suspicious. "You are?" I nod, almost choking on the burning in my throat at that lie. "I am. I will help you and serve you. I'll do everything I can to understand everything you do and assist you in that."

He takes a step toward me. I keep my fear for him tucked under a layer of false confidence. "But I don't understand . . . I thought we killed you. How are you alive?"

He grins. He actually grins. "You didn't really think I would handle your traitor myself, did you? I have better things to do. No, I sent my clone. The man looked exactly like me, until you killed him."

My body goes still. The man I killed wasn't my Father, and the fear flashing in his eyes wasn't Father's. I didn't have him at my mercy.

"It was a coincidence to find him, really," Father goes on. "But when an opportunity strikes, you take it."

Just like my opportunity arrived. I hear multiple cars pull up the driveway, continued by shouts and gunshots. They're here to rescue us.

I walk back to Camilla's body, shielding her from Father's rage. He is furious at me, because I was successful in distracting him long enough. He isn't distracted anymore, but he'll have to go upstairs soon to help my uncle.

But not before glaring at me. His anger scares me until the bones, but I stay strong for Camilla. He won't hurt her ever again.

He can hurt me, but I'll be fine. I'll always be fine.

The shot sounds through the room. He leaves and slams the door closed, locking it again. The pain comes several moments later but when it does, it blinds me. The disadvantage of all of this is that I am still in my bare chest, which makes it easy for him to do lots of damage.

My breathing rags as I look down at my side. Blood is pouring out of my stomach. Lots of blood.

I press my hand on it, trying to stop the bleeding just a little. My groans fill the room, but there's no one to hear it. There's no one who cares.

My eyes find Camilla. She's barely breathing anymore. I start sobbing all of a sudden, feeling desperate and helpless. It hurts my bullet wound even more, but I can't stop. I can't handle the thought of losing her. I just can't go through a life without my daughter.

Haven't I given enough?