Belladonna

6.1 ] An Arrangement

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HE THOUGHT I was angry because of everyone else. Because it was an inconvenience to me to have to talk to him about this. He didn't understand why I was truly angry, no matter how many times I explained it to him. 

He lied to me. 

He didn't trust me. 

And he fucked me and the others over. For his job. A job that pays well, but could still pay him equally if he did it fairly. 

"You're my best worker, you've never had a problem with this before!"

"Because I thought everything I've been doing I had a choice in! I thought I knew everything about it! I trusted you!"

"I'm your father Reign," He stepped out from behind his desk with an accusatory finger in my face, "You do as I say regardless."

"Wow," I laughed, "From one abusive household to another. You really think yourself a saint when you're not treating me any more like a child than I already was?"

"You owe me!" He roars, "You owe me so much! I took you away from that shitty father, your bitch of a mother, that delinquent brother-"

I punched him. Hard. Hard enough he bled. Hard enough it hurt my own fist. 

"You don't get to talk about them. Just because you took me in doesn't give you the right to fucking throw me around like a weapon and make yourself sound like some hero for it." I say, quieter, fuming.

Blood doesn't make you family. It just gives you a starter pack. Some people get shittier packages until they upgrade. It's as simple as that. 

My starter pack was shitty as fuck. Evidently. My dad beat me and my mum watched the entire ordeal. So my parents were assholes, but my brother wasn't. He was great. Then things got hectic. I came home one day and he was gone. My dad were dead shortly after and before I knew it I became some adopted kid. 

"Last time you came to me kid you were begging for a new passport. Then I don't see you for a year. What happened?" Antonio scrubs his mug. 

"I didn't leave last time." I mutter.

"Damn kid, you're cold. Proper cold now. Used to be all desperate and nervous and shit." He shakes his head, opening a cupboard to put the mug away. 

Everyone thinks they're close with Antonio. Everyone. My dad - basically everyone that works for him - his other customers outside of it. 

But I'm not stupid. 

Antonio isn't close with anyone. He's just friendly. Lures you in. Makes you loyal. He stopped trying that bullshit with me a while ago. Called me a nerd for figuring him out. In response he's himself around me. 

An absolute asshole that is. 

"If you want me to keep this discreet you'll have to pay double." He points a finger at me. 

I reach into my coat and pull out an envelope before throwing it on the table with no words. Antonio picks it up and skims through the innards. Flips the money through his fingers.

"That's three times as much." He tells me. 

"I really need you to be discreet." I say. 

"Huh," He puts the money in a back pocket, "You really gonna do it this time?"

"I'm gone." I say. 

"You've said that before. Still stayed with your dad." He points out. 

"Well that was when I thought of him as my dad." I mutter. 

"He take your credit card away?"

I glare at him, "When can you have me out of the country?"

"A week." He nods to himself, "With this amount of notice. I can get you somewhere secret to stay so that your dad doesn't find you. And I can text you on a burner when your flight leaves. Your passport will be done in three days."

"That's long." I note.

"I have other customers." He crosses his arms. 

"Right." I tap my fingers against his kitchen island, "All of your friends."

Antonio's eyes draw in as he glares at me further. More narrow. "You make fun of how I do things all you want, but you're no better."

"I know." I shrug, "That's the difference between us."

"I respect you kid. But that doesn't mean I like you. Don't try me." He warns.

"Don't try me." I return. 

He's right. He really isn't someone to mess with. But neither am I. We may both be good at fighting - but I have one thing he doesn't. A thing many people don't. And that's a fucking brain. A good one too. 

"You're a fucking demon you know that? Not in the admirable tough way - in the creepy batshit crazy kind of way." Antonio shakes his head. 

"Thank you." I say anyway. 

"Here," He rolls his eyes and puts down a paper with an address, "Stay there for a week. I'd tell you not to leave but I know if you want to you will. Just stay out of sight. Also I want more money."

"I'll give you an extra fifty grand." I say. (It's stolen money I figured out how to copy and paste years ago, but it's still money nonetheless).

"One hundred." He tries negotiating.

"Fifty thousand and one cent. Take it or leave it." I narrow my eyes at him. 

"Whatever." He mumbles, "Now get outta here. I got other people coming around I don't need you in my fuckin' way."

"Have fun with your fake manners Tony." I say before leaving.

"Have fun with your creepy ass Ted Bundy shit Reign." He says before I close the door. 

Ted Bundy is an insult. That guy had no motive and he was just an asshole for no reason. And a rapist. I'm more of a...you know what? I'm not about to name myself a serial killer. That's weird. Don't know how I got tricked into that.

All I know is that Margeux is an Aileen Wuorno. If she were here I'd tell her that and she'd take it as a compliment. But she's not. And I can't have her be. I wouldn't take Team X away from her. She may never say it out loud but it's the best thing going for her right now or like...ever. 

If I can find my brother, maybe I'll have some of that too. 

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Reign after this chapter:

- Juana.