The Price of Protection

Chapter 23~ Wreckage

Céline:

I didn't fight this time. I didn't fight them as we pulled up to the house or as we exited the vehicle. This time Marius and Andre led me directly to my room and I wondered who was taking Quinn in and where she would be kept. Would they hurt her because of me?

I recognized the guard who stood outside as we approached the room. He was the one who'd slammed me against the table when I'd arrived nearly two full days ago.
I couldn't help the falter in my step when I saw him. He glances in our direction but I see no smugness as I did the other day. He merely noticed the halting steps and returned to his forward stone-faced position.

Marius and Andre didn't say anything, but I watched Marius eyes has he looked at me and then the guard. His eyes moved from the guard's face to somewhere lower at his side. I followed his gaze and saw where he had paused. The guard's hand was wrapped in a medical bandage and braced. The wrapping disappeared under the sleeve of his jacket revealing that the injury must at least include his wrist also.

Marius, hands still coolly in his pockets, raises a brow as he half turns his head until he can just meet my face. I don't meet his stare at first, but the moment I do, I see the look in his eyes- He wanted me to see the injured hand. Something in his eyes makes it seem as if he's waiting for a response, to see if I approve and it's then that I understand. The injury was intentional. The guard had put his hand on me and was punished. Am I crazy for thinking that? I wasn't sure how to respond, but I could hear myself swallow loudly in the silence of the hall as I continued to meet Marius' gaze.

Andre cleared his throat mercifully and we both blink, inhaling deeply to move past the awkward moment. I turned and gave Andre a grateful glance with a halfhearted smile while Marius moved us towards the room once again.

When I stepped inside I was surprised to find that they both followed. My first thought to be alarmed was quickly replaced with building curiosity as they both moved over to the sitting area and made themselves comfortable.

I crossed my arms and waited for one of them to say something keeping a challenging look in my eyes. They both looked amused and stayed silent as well. It's a battle of wills then. This is a game I can play.

Moving my feet, I head over and sit across the low center table from them. Pulling one of my legs up, I wrap my arms just under my knee and relax the other foot on the floor. The time passes by without much thought to it on our part. There is only silence and waiting. I feel as if I could look away and describe every line on their faces without pausing.

Marius is an enigma that has my brain in tight knots. I feel like I'm sick on a carousel as I try to make sense of his hot/cold act towards me. Bossy and controlling, then soft and sincere. Short-sighted and self-focused, then kidnapping me for 'protection'.

I can't make much sense of him internally so I observe only with my eyes. Obviously, the natural neural pathways have two typical responses- handsome or not. I can't help it that he's handsome, that my mind notices his young adult male features and thinks 'damn!' I've thought that since the moment he was startled on the bus at our first meeting.

He has dark umber hair, it's curly when styled with product and heavily wavy without. I remember one morning at school he was late. This was not a normal occurrence for him so it was easily noticeable. When he rushed in to class late he was fuming and his hair was much messier than normal, but a good messy. He obviously hadn't had time to get ready like usual and he. was. pissed about it. I made a comment about sleeping in and it was one of the only times that he was really actually angry with me. He had sworn in French- as was typical for him on a daily basis- and basically told me to leave him alone. I did, of course, but as soon as he had walked away, Quinn and I couldn't help but double over in laughter. Everyone is allowed to have a bad day, but it was pretty humorous seeing him in such an un-Marius-like way. He had walked in the next morning put together as per usual and acted like nothing had happened so I had too.