[BxB] All for Us

Chap 55

Finally, the night and the cleaning that goes with it was over.

Gosh, despite their good manners the guests had left the place incredibly dirty. 

Finally, now Keith had finished his work, it was 6: 00 a.m. and his contract no longer obliged him to stay on the premises, the money would be sent directly to him on line so it was time to say goodbye and hopefully see you soon at the palace. After all, he had done an excellent job, Rosa would surely contact him. Keith was really looking forward to seeing his little sister again, it had been almost a month without her and the delicious pastries she was making, he was eager to eat some for his birthday, which would be tomorrow.

Life was amazing after all.

He had been able to take a basket of leftovers from the ball and even the right to keep his uniform, from which the Baroni family insignia had been carefully removed. But that didn't matter to Keith, they were clothes of incredible quality and in excellent condition.

Keith had hurried along the path to his house and he could finally see the roof of his "home". He didn't want to see his father again, he was probably going to blame him and beat him up since he wasn't coming back with cash and around here that's all that matters. You can feel it, touch it, it's true so it reassures people.

When he finally reached the doorstep of his house, the sun would soon be setting and the moon would slowly start to make its appearance. The atmosphere was really stifling here, beyond the proximity of the houses, it was the air. Keith had the idea before going home to hide half the leftovers behind his bedroom window in case his father was selfish, which was almost certain to happen. Once the food was hidden in a cloth belonging to the palace Keith covered it with the old servant's clothes he had, he didn't want his father to take it either.

Keith stood in front of the door of his house again, he was extremely anxious. He wished from the bottom of his heart that his father was not there and that Lilla would open the door for him with her unmistakable smile and the hugs she used to give Keith. He loved her hugs, it was his safe place. The young Doume finally found the courage in him to open the door.

As usual it resisted and creaked loudly as it opened revealing the room that served as living room and kitchen. Keith hadn't noticed earlier when he'd hidden the food but the shutters were all closed, which was strange because Lilla used to open them all in the morning before she started cooking. As he entered the house Keith noticed the new decorations including cutlery, a sofa that looked brand new but more importantly in front of him on a new piece of furniture was a TV.

Keith's family had never had the money to buy such furniture, let alone a TV. This news reinforced Keith's sense of anxiety. Where could he have got the money for all this, his pay had probably not been received and even if it was, he would have received it virtually.

"Lilla ?" Keith shouted worriedly, silence was his only response.

He hurried upstairs, where it seemed to be unchanged, no new pieces of fournitures.

"Dad ?"

"..."

Nothing.

Only silence.

He was probably out... But why both of them at the same time ? Besides, Lilla would have remembered when Keith was coming home, she would have stay to greet him. Their room was ajar, Keith only had to push slightly to open it. The room was a mess but empty.

As he entered, Keith immediately noticed that all the furniture was spread out and empty. He rushed to check, his concern heightened as he confirmed the empty state of the entire room. What the hell happened ?! Did their father sell everything they had, so he could buy new shit ?What a fucker ! Keith thought. The familiar creak of the front door echoed and Keith, filled with anger and worry, rushed downstairs.

He stood there motionless, looking at Keith with a stern face, a bag of what looked like groceries. New clothes, a new haircut and he was even shaved. This man looked like the father he'd known years ago, but not the man who'd beaten him out of his house to bring in money just a few weeks ago.

"Where's Lilla ?"

The man didn't move for a few seconds before turning to the table where he set his bag down before quietly removing his jacket.

"Answer me, damn it ! Where is Lilla ? I saw the room, there's nothing left in it, why ?!"

Keith's voice was shaking, his father's silence made him even more worried. He moved closer to his father while keeping a reasonable distance, he was now close to the sink.

"Why are you back again ?"

Just hearing his father's icy voice sent shivers down his spine, he could feel that something had happened. Why else would he be so calm ? His father was never calm, he was fury, pain, but not calm and cold like now. Keith felt his chest tighten with anxiety, his eyes began to sting, he was afraid to ask again...

"I was working like you asked me to..." Keith said in a shaky voice almost on the verge of cracking.

"Where's... Where's Lilla ?"

His father stopped in his tracks and turned to look Keith in the eye. This went on for thirty long seconds during which Keith tried to keep himself straight, strong, he could even hear his heartbeat. His father moved closer to Keith, positioning himself about two metres away from him.

"Why do you ask ? You came too late, I don't need you anymore, Lilla has taken care of helping me with the money." 

And then, for the first time in over four years, his father smiled. At that moment Keith's heart dropped, all the blood that had been boiling with fear for the past few minutes seemed to have stopped. Keith felt cold, his hands shaking, his breath hitched.

"What- What- What did you do ?" Keith's voice had come out cracking, tears beginning to form at the corners of his eyes. His father turned around, walking back to his shopping bag as if nothing had happened.

"I sold it to a passing dealer. He offered me a nice sum because it's beautiful, then it was all good!"

What the hell did he do ?! He sold his daughter, she was barely legal ! 

Keith felt all the anger he'd held inside for years, all the beatings he'd taken, all the insults he'd heard. All those emotions he thought he had lost resurfaced as rage. 

He grabbed the kitchen knife in a hasty gesture before approaching his father, tears streaming down his cheeks his vision was blurry, everything was blurry.

"You can go too-" Keith's father didn't have time to finish his sentence as he drowned in the blood of his own throat which Keith had just slit.

He collapsed face down on the floor, his hands trying to fill the gaping hole in his neck ; the muffled sounds of his voice drowned in blood could be heard, he convulsed, his eyes trying to hold on to something, for one last look.

Keith moved closer to his father so that he was facing him, his hands were still shaking, his heart was beating so fast that he wondered if he was going to jump out of his body. Despite his body's alert state, Keith's mind was calm, as if he were immersed in water.

The young Doume bent down to take his father's hair in his hands, to pull his head back so that their eyes met.

He looked at him, tilting his head to face him better.

"You look like a fish, Dad..." 

Keith could see hatred in his father's eyes, as if even on the verge of death he would change. Keith raised the knife before slamming it straight into his father's skull. The sound of his father's broken skull rang out, followed by the sound of his head falling to the ground.

The young Doume looked at his father's inert body for a moment. He wondered for a moment why he hadn't done this earlier. Everything was so simple.

Keith got up slowly before walking towards the door to go anywhere but this cursed city. 

For once his mind was empty, there were no obsessive thoughts. He had one clear thing on his mind now, Lilla.

Keith must find her.