Fear and Fate(poly)(bxb)

Twelve

T/W: Violence

Romero keeps quiet with Von this close. Seven pays him one last look before guiding me down the hall and further away from the other gang members. Kimori is still lingering around Von. Von who still hasn't taken his hands off of Romero.

"Right now, this is the best time to do it. Everyone is all scattered," Seven starts rambling before I can even realize what he's talking about. "The issue is: all eyes are already on you."

Even though he is speaking lowly I can feel his excitement. He's talking about getting revenge on the gang. "I can co it for you if you want. It's best if you don't do this on your own."

Seven's eyes are intent on me as he grows more somber. I stare down the hotel hallway behind him and fixate on an expensive painting to free myself. I'm still not fully comfortable with all of these men. Seven intertwines his fingers with mine. If anyone else would want revenge on Diana, it makes sense it would be him. I just need to know why Von told him, and who else Von has told.

"Can I trust everyone?" I ask him. "You saw how he was just yelling at me. He could've been the one pouring the gasoline for all I know."

Seven furrows his eyebrows as he looks back at the two older members. "Romero used to try and bully me too. He thinks we're intimidated by his size. I think he's jealous of Von's love," he chimes in. "Von doesn't love us all equally, you know."

I'm not giving Romero any excuses. "He doesn't love us all the same," I say honestly.

Because Von is so gentle with Kimori. He's so attentive with Seven himself. And he's so patient with me. He changes his approach with each and every one of us.

Von sends for the elevator and as Seven and I join the rest of the group he pulls me back beside him. I expect to go a couple of floors down but we descend rapidly. Before I know it we are below the first floor. The red numbers stop appearing on the wall and the elevator comes to a staggering hault.

I check to see any signs of shock on Kimori's curious face, but it's just me. The men file out and I'm last to leave right behind him. I'm the last to realize who's down here waiting for us all.

The room silences like we're the guests of honor. There are so many people here, more than both of the dinners we've had combined. The basement has completely different lights from the other rooms I've seen. These seem to sway gently yet endlessly. They dim to different shades of pale yellow and flicker onto new faces.

"This is perfect timing!" Diana says loud enough for the people in the back of the back to hear.

Most of the people in the room tower above me. But– Diana, in her heels when the syndicate parts to reveal me, she makes me feel like a fucking ant.

"I already know they were soft on you," she walks straight towards me. "So I'm going to be hard on all of you."

Without needing a word, one of the bullets walks up beside her. He placed himself directly in front of me. I've met a few bullets and not all of them are big and burly. Hyun, for example, works directly with Romero and he's a skinny Asian dude with tattoos. There are female bullets as well, just a few, and always scattered around.

Yet, Diana matches me up with this 6'2 beefcake. I'm dead. I wonder if the syndicate will let him kill me. Is this her way of being hard on all of us, by killing me?

The man acts like he has something to prove or a personal vendetta. He charges at me and I'm flipped on my back in an instant. Before I can get up he's on top of me and his fists are flying. Suddenly cutting straight through my blocking and dodging, he grazes my lower lip.