The Price of Protection

Chapter 24~ Two Sides to Every Coin

MARIUS:

"December 24th, Day 2 since Celine's arrival: After reviewing the video of my uncle's treatment of Céline while I was gone, I decided to let him know of what I'd already decided. I was taking over- now. There was a lot of screaming and he threw several things, but it took only minutes before he drove away from the mansion. I don't know where he's going but I know he has his own extensive resources to pull from and I don't much care what he does now that he's gone. He called her my whore once again. I gave him a broken nose to take with him as a reminder of his error and that was all it took to make him storm from the room and straight to the garage. His stuff will be shipped wherever he ends up wanting it once he eventually reaches out...or he'll move on from it. It's not as if he needs the things we brought with us to America.

As for Céline...I'm not sure what's next. How much do I tell her? How do I approach her? Is she the fiery woman that's going to fight back or is she going to turn in on herself once again and slink around like an injured animal? I can't help but match her energy... Sometimes she's absolutely infuriating and I have to fight back, it's in my nature. Then she looks broken and scared and I feel the need to be strong for her- vulnerable almost. I want to be the one she wants to be strong for her... but that's a long way off, I suppose. She doesn't..."

A loud noise from my phone breaks my voice log. I had the feed from her room up on my phone as I finally laid down. After spending hours going after Céline last night, kicking my uncle out, and then getting my leadership in order, I felt a strange sort of suspense in my gut. It was happening. I was in charge, on top, and all decisions were mine to make. It made me even more worn than I had already been so I decided to make a quick log which I try to do daily and then get some much-needed rest, but the noise has me sitting up swiftly to see what's happened. Maybe she is making another attempt at escape. If that's the case, I don't know what I'm going to do to get her to understand the danger she's in. That I truly am trying to protect her.

It's not that... she looks like she's fallen. No, she's...her scream rips through me as it exits her lungs and I know... I've heard those sounds before from my mother...

She's grieving.

CÉLINE:

I've been told that grief can come out of nowhere. That when it hits, there's nothing you can do about it but take it on as it comes. That's what this felt like, the waves smashing over me suddenly, without warning. They break one after another as I see my father's face once again, his eyes closing right before they pull the trigger. I'm running but I can't get there and then it... then he... The gun went off and he died...my dad...died.

I can't take it. I fall right where I stand to all fours and loud agonized shrieks of grief pour out. Sobbing like I've never experienced wracks my body in a violent attack of involuntary emotion. It physically hurts. There is an ache in my chest that is tangible. My stomach is in knots, tight nauseous knots. I grip my stomach, still holding myself up with my other arm as the retching starts. There is no vomit, just painful retching as visions of my father's body when he fell continue to wash over me. I see his blood on the ground, it starts pooling as they pull me away. I never even got to say a true goodbye.

When I woke up hours before, I was irritated that there was no food. I had slept through the majority of the day and had now missed an entire day's worth of meals. Now, however, I'm thankful that there isn't anything in my stomach to empty out.

My arm supporting my bodyweight is shaking ferociously, willing me to give up and drop to the ground in between sobs and empty gagging. At some point in my cries and angry shakes that have taken over, I can no longer support myself and my arm gives out.

I expect the floor to meet my face but just as my arm releases, an arm shoots below me and catches me mid fall, gripping my opposite shoulder. Another hand presses supportingly on my back and together they pull me tightly against a warm body and grip me ever tighter. I don't look, or speak...I couldn't even if I wanted to. But I recognize the cologne. It's that smell of fresh sandalwood and spice. He must've come to talk and saw that something was wrong. Or maybe saw me over the feed and thought that I was trying to escape again with the same technique as last time . Either way, he's here and I'm not upset about that. His warmth is a welcome comfort through the powerful shivers that I'm experiencing.