The Shadows Between the Lines

Chapter 7

Samantha Evans POV

After the loud drive back to the house, full of Fiona and I yelling at each other and at Vincenzo and Damiano, they took us through their house and into a large room that had tile floors and reeked of bleach. Placed in the middle of the room were two chairs bolted to the floor. Fiona seemed distracted at the scene before us and didn't react until I started to try and resist Damiano as he dragged me to one of the chairs. Vincenzo thankfully was handling Fiona gentler, he seemed almost in pain having to chain her to the chair. Damiano didn't seem to hold any of the same reservations when handling me. They were eerily silent the entire time since they got us into the car back at the clinic, and they still said nothing as they closed the door locking us in.

Now we sat surrounded by darkness. Normally your eyes would adjust to the lack of light allowing you to somewhat see around you, this wasn't the case this time. The only way I knew Fiona was still beside me was her breathing. The darkness did help me not to panic completely at being locked in a small room chained to a chair. At least I couldn't see the impending doom coming. Or maybe those times that dear old dad had trained me to withstand interrogation was kicking in. It had only been a few minutes since they left us, but it already felt like an eternity.

I had to do something to distract myself from my head spinning from me trying to move my arms without any luck. I had to keep it together so I didn't accidentally reveal any other information about my sudden return home. I continuously was running my cover through my head to get to the forefront instead of all the things I was worried about coming out. I swallowed hard, clearing my throat, almost startled by how loud it was, "So this is what I was trying to protect you from." I let out a dry laugh afterwards, hoping to ease some of the tension between the two of us, maybe.

"They aren't going to kill us right?"

I sighed, "Just don't get caught lying." I scrambled my brain trying to give her some advice. "Just tell them the truth about when we met, if they ask about my past, just tell the truth, you don't know anything."

She scoffs, "isn't that the fucking truth."

I clenched my jaw, "Yes."

"Why did you do it? Fake your death? You were already leaving, you could've just led me to believe you were still in Japan."

I strained against the restraints again, "I couldn't take the risk of you trying to look me up or come find me."

"And me thinking you were dead was the next best thing." She says, sarcasm dripping off her tongue.

"You act like it was an easy decision for me!" I snapped back. "You were the first person that ever felt like family to me! I had to protect you! It broke my heart to know that I had to leave you behind and break you to do it."

"No, all you cared about was prot—" Fiona was interrupted by the door slamming open and light flooding in. I instantly squeezed my eyes shut. The door clicked shut again and I started trying to peel my eyes open blinking multiple times to adjust to the light.

"Hope we aren't interrupting any heartfelt moments." Damiano's voice filled the room. As my eyes finally adjusted to the light I was able to make out Damiano who was standing in front of me glaring coldly. Vincenzo was standing in front of Fiona, he seemed to have a conflicted look on his face as he gazed at her.

"We were just sharing strategies about how to castrate." I stared down Damiano, and when no one said anything I continued. "You see, Fiona said she has done some on chihuahua's before, and I said, well theirs are definitely about that size, so it shouldn't be a problem." I gave them a fake sweet smile. I sense Fiona's shocked gaze on me from the side before she averts her gaze in order to hold back her laugh.