The Don And His Flower

11

Imani swung the trash bins open.

They were empty.

All of them were empty.

She had forgotten to tell the cleaners not to come into her home. Imani panicked, checking the freshly changed bins over and over. Only seeing nothing but clear and white trash bags in every one.

The woman frantically got dressed, leaving her home and out into the hall. Small whispers were hushed as she came across a cleaning crew. "Privet. Ty znayesh', kto segodnya utrom myl chetvertyy etazh?"
Hello. Do you know who was cleaning the fourth floor this morning?

They stopped talking, eldest woman looking right at Imani before glancing at her stomach twice. Slowly she shook her head with an unreadable expression.

Imani nodded, hands through her coils before she walked. Every cleaner had the same response.

No.

Not me.

Sorry, no idea.

Imani was outside, hands finishing the low bun in her coils, the sun slowly cooking her skin. She mentally tallied the thirteenth person that stared at her, before looking at her stomach.

They know.

Hannah sits across from her, eyes roaming another person who Imani tallied.

"Fourteenth person to look at me and I've been out here for ten minutes." She groaned, sigh leaving her lips before she sniffled. "Why would they be staring?"

"The cleaners did their weekly rounds a day early." She admitted, unable to look at her confused friend. The raise in her eyebrow made Imani nervous. "The cleaners did their weekly round a day early, Hannah. A God damn day early." She rasped another breath, trying so desperately to control herself from crying yet again.

She still hasn't gotten used to waking up without her mother. Once again, as she expected, no one knew anything in regards of her mother. One of the sole wanderers of the garden, a face that they all loved to smile at and talk to. Not one of them knew anything about her disappearing.

The realization slowly dawned on Hannah Marley's face. "Oh God. Oh my God, Imani.. look if anyone asks, just say that it was mines! Okay? Imani-"

"I can't do this, Hannah. Oh God.. why did this happen?" She finally broke, face in her elbows as she muffled her cries on the picnic table. "I'll tell Viktor it's mine, okay? How about I talk to Viktor? I highly doubt he's ready to be a father as I am a mother. I can tell him I took the tests at your place, which I technically did. He can get some pills, Imani."

Pills.

Pills that can be a solution to her issues.

It'll be a solution, right?

***

Imani avoided everyone for that remaining day, hiding back into the empty home. Only accepting the occasional visit from Hannah.

A knock on the door, made her sigh once more. "Hannah, I said I didn't want any more of those pepp- Don Kholodov."

The low-lit halls outline the man's features. Dark brown eyes that almost imitated Valis, only without the love in them. No, this man had pain and greed in his orbs.

He gave a simple twitch in his eyebrow, Imani bowing her head. Keeping her eyes on his black alligator shoes, she stepped further aside. He walked in, slow strides as he looked at the half empty home.

Any scent or memory that he was looking for was gone. "I've heard something today, miss Milton. I gave you the benefit of the doubt of letting you parade yourself around, giving you the illusion that you can be with my son."

He started off, calm. Eyes still remaining dark as Imani kept her back against the closed door, eyes on her bare toes.

Illusion?

Nothing about Valis and Imani was an illusion. Right now, they were at such odds. But she loves him, scared to hell of him, but she loves him. She'll be lying to herself if she doesn't believe he feels the same way.

The aroma of herbs and woods filled her nostrils, faint memories in her head of Valis Kholodov. So much like his father, but also different in so many ways.

Soon the view of his shoes were centimeters from her, his body against hers as she sniffled again. "Please-"

She winced, a small yelp in her throat released as he grabbed her. Imani couldn't keep her head up, the tears falling as her heart slammed against her ribcage. Her toes were barely touching the ground as she was lifted, slammed once against the wall.

The throbbing pain hit the back of her neck, shooting her anxiety higher as she gasped. The Don stuck his tongue into her mouth, kissing her as she tried to push him away. "Not a better replacement, but you'll do." He murmured, kissing her neck.

"Yeah," he grunted, tightening on her skin as she cried. The fails were obvious at her attempt to claw his face. "You'll definitely do."

Hiking her up in his arms, the Don fisted her hair, slamming her back into the wall as he ground against her.

"Let me go! Valis-"

"Is conceiving a child as I get ready to fuck you." She whimpered, his grip tightening as he carried her off. He was lying through his teeth. It all made her sick. With her feet kicking and tears falling, she felt the heavy feeling in her chest. "I'm pregnant."

"That's supposed to stop me?"

"Your grandchild! I'm pregnant with the child of Valis Kholodov. Let me g-"

She gasped, hands barely catching her fall on the floor. Her chin hit the floor hard, tears falling as she felt the weight over her back. Her right elbow was swinging back, connecting it right to his chest. Imani continued her hits until she managed to squeeze from under him.

"HELP!"

The woman tried running, screaming into the empty home as she is grabbed from the back. Eyes watering as the Don swooped his arms around her waist, turning and pushing forwards as she was falling into the couch cushions. "You murdered my mommy. You murdered my dad. I know it! Get off!"

Her cries were muffled as he felt her shirt get pulled up, cotton panties pulled down to her thighs. The vibration of several booms shook the chair she was pinned over. She yelped, frozen at the echoed sounds of screaming and gunshots. "They're early." He grunted, breaths heavy as his free hand jerked himself. "Oh God." Imani whispered.

A scream tore through her, the gunshots and bombing muffling her voice as she thought about Valis.

Valis.

Valis, where are you?

Save me Valis.

She felt numb, the invasion severe as the Don forced himself through her.

"MOM!"

Imani cried, her throat sore as the man abused her body. His satisfied grunts heard as he slapped her ass, pulling her hair tighter. "That's it bitch. Fucking squeeze my shit."

Valis.

Save me.