The Hunt for Jack the Ripper (The Phantomhive Diaries #1)

18. Mey-Rin Dai

I thought I'd treat you all with another POV segment of The Hunt for Jack the Ripper before Christmas. A Christmas gift for you fellow readers :) . A very bleak Christmas gift but still a gift. 

I hope you all enjoy this one. 

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"Hold still," Haku instructed, harshly tugging on Mey's fingers until she felt an unsatisfying crack, realigning her bones.

Mey let out a pained moan, the intensity almost forcing a scream to escape her lips. Thankfully, the leather belt clenched tightly between her teeth served as her silent saviour, preventing her shrill screams from revealing her secret. Though a few tears trickled down her cheeks, she fought to keep her cries in check, taking in long, heavy breaths. Haku's smirk spoke volumes - he appeared content and satisfied, relishing in the sight of her suffering.

"There we go, all done," Haku said as he carefully bandaged her hand with a gauze. "Your hands will still feel some pain, but that will wear off in a few hours. You'll also feel numbness, so it's best if you continue flexing it to circulate the muscle and the blood flow. You're lucky that bastard only dislocated the fingers and didn't break any bones."

Am I lucky? The simple answer was no. Luck was not on her side. She found herself still trapped with him.

"I've endured worse," Mey said. Haku's stern glare was directed towards her.

"I'd be careful with what you say, if I were you, Owl," Haku cautioned as he stood up, towering over her. "Need I remind you it was your decision to defy my wishes and sneak out of Limehouse in the first place? This was your fault that you got yourself in this mess."

"If you hadn't denied me food, I wouldn't have left Limehouse. Instead, I risked getting arrested and having my hand nearly broken by a lunatic."

A fraction of that was true. However, she hid the fact that she had intentions of abandoning London completely. Obviously, none of her desires were met. But naturally, if Haku had been aware of this, Mey would endure an even more severe punishment than the one he had inflicted on her in the alleyway.

Without warning, Haku firmly grasped her chin and forcefully brought her face closer to his own.

"Listen to me here, you little shite," he hissed. "You should have considered that as a merciful punishment. I could have beaten you in front of Azzurro Vanel for badmouthing him and embarrassing me in front of my men. But I decided to play nice since it was our first meeting. The next time you speak in my meetings without permission, I won't be so merciful. And if you try to sneak out of Limehouse again..." He whispered in her ear. "I will kill you."

A lump formed in Mey's throat as tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. He will kill me. He definitely will kill me. Just like he killed Jan and Hao.

Haku gazed deeply into her eyes. "Do you understand, Owl?"

Mey nodded her head in agreement. "Yes."

Haku gave her the usual condescending smirk, though it was a little difficult for her to see.

"Excellent," he said, releasing his grip on her jaw in a slightly forceful manner, almost shoving her away. "Now, go to your room and pack your belongings. I'll be sending you to Azzurro Vanel's residence shortly."

Mey stared at him, utterly perplexed. "Wait, what? I thought you were joking."

"And when have I ever joked?"

"You can't send me to that dreadful man."

"Oh, stop your fussing," he said, his tone carrying annoyance. "It's not like I'm prostituting you. If Vanel plans on taking the keys to the storehouse from the Earl Phantomhive, I need you there to be my eyes and ears. Just in case his plans go wrong or if he plans on betraying us."

"He is going to betray you, Haku, I can see it in his eyes and that smug look on his face."

"If he does, you make sure his betrayal doesn't go unpunished."

So if Vanel fails or plans on betraying Haku, he's going to have me do the dirty work for him. Typical.

"Why can't you send Dove to do the job?" Mey asked. "He's better at assassinating than I am, especially at a close range. I am a mere sniper. Nothing more."

"And for that reason, you're perfect for this job," he explained as he paced around his study with his hands clasped behind his back. "Dove is good at killing at close range. But Azzurro Vanel has bodyguards watching his every move. If Dove tries to draw his knife at Vanel, his men will shoot him before he gets the chance to slit the bastard's throat. But you, my boy, can kill him from afar. With those incredible eyes of yours, you can blow his brains out without having to get through his bodyguards."

Mey scoffed. "The moment I kill him, his guards will come after me."

"If he doesn't try anything stupid, then it won't be necessary. Besides, I'll make sure Dove keeps a close eye on you while you're there. He did so while you were venturing through London this morning, after all. Do you really think we're going to let anything happen to our little brother?"

She sighed. "I don't know, Haku. It feels risky."

Haku looked back sharply. "Are you defying my orders again, Owl?"

With each word, Haku's intimidating presence inched closer towards her, causing Mey to instinctively retreat until she firmly pressed her back against the cold wall. Her heart raced. "No, no. I swear, I'm not. I'm just worried about how this can go wrong," she explained, her voice trembling with fear.

"Do you not trust your brothers enough to keep you safe?" he asked, looming over her menacingly.

"N-no," she stuttered. "I trust you. I do. I'm sorry, Haku."

Haku couldn't help but chuckle after a brief moment of silence. "Good. Trust is very important among our brethren. You wouldn't want to break that trust, now do you?" He gently lifted her chin, ensuring their eyes met, even though he knew she couldn't perceive him at such a close distance. "Do you?"

Mey's head shook in silence, a resolute refusal. Breaking his trust was out of the question, for it would undoubtedly lead to her demise.

"Very good," he said. "Now, go."

Rushing out of his study, Mey raced upstairs to her room. As soon as she entered, she slammed the door shut. Locking it securely, she leaned against the door and let out a long, trembling sigh. Slowly, she slid down to the cold, hard floor, feeling the weight of the situation sinking in.

Mey knew she couldn't hide in her room forever. It was only a matter of time before Haku began banging on the door, demanding her to hurry the fuck up. She understood she had to pack and obey his commands.

Yet, in this moment, all she asked was a brief respite. Just a single moment to catch her breath and regain her composure. The sound of her own heartbeat echoed in her ears, threatening to burst out of her chest. Frustration burned in her cheeks, and her body continued to tremble uncontrollably.

I just want to be alone for a while. That's all.

Mey attempted to find solace and steady her racing heart by taking deep breaths. She sought refuge within her own thoughts, longing to smell the aroma of her father's tea and envision the familiar sight of her childhood home in China. She yearned for the warmth of her mother's loving embrace. However, her efforts were in vain, as the only sounds that reached her ears were the haunting toll of bells. And the sight that greeted her was that of two decaying figures hidden beneath sheets. Overwhelmed with sorrow, Mey could only stifle her mournful wails by pressing her forearm against her mouth.

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It seems that Mey has a lot of unresolved trauma to deal with in the future. Hopefully, she'll be able to persevere in such terrible times. 

Anyways, thank you guys for reading. Please remember to leave a vote and let me know what you think of this segment in the comment section. I hope to have another one posted next week. See you all later and have a Happy Holiday.