Once, Twice, Sold

Chapter 3- Evilly Helpful Intruders

Chapter 3

Date: April 8

Location: Bedroom

Time: 2:31 a.m.

I don’t remember what it was, all I knew was that I was awake and someone was in my apartment. Of course I first felt fear but it quickly faded away once I grabbed the gun that I hid under my bed. I may hate the damn thing but it would always make me feel safer when there was an intruder in my home.

I made sure that it was loaded before I quietly slipped out of my bed and towards the door. I barely breathed and strained my ears to hear where they were. My condo wasn’t enormous but it wasn’t the tinniest place in the world either.

By the sounds of metal clanking and shuffling around I assumed they were in the kitchen. Making sure to avoid the creaky parts on my floor I slipped out of the door and into the partial light that spilled out onto the carpet. They were in the kitchen and they weren’t being subtle about it. My heart pounded loudly and my hands grew slick but I didn’t back down. I knew that I should probably call the cops but I doubted that whoever broke into my house would be able to be taken down by them.

The kitchen was a few feet away now and I could hear popping and sizzling and a delicious aroma filling the room. Who the hell breaks into a person’s house and starts cooking? I peered into the kitchen and saw a tall form working over the stove. He didn’t look dangerous but then again looks can be deceiving.

I’m about to speak, to ask him why he is here when he turned around and met my eyes. I’m rooted to the floor, this can’t be real, this wasn’t real.

“Hello Aura,” The familiar Italian accent said to me.

Valentin stood in my kitchen cooking lord knows what and didn’t even seem to be fazed at the fact that I was holding a gun and pointing it towards him. Why was he here? How did he find me?

“Valentin?” I asked quietly and he smiles at me.

“Who else would it be?” He asks back and a timer goes off. “Please sit, I’ve made something for you.”

I didn’t know what to do much less say. After the initial shock wore off I cautiously walked towards the kitchen table where he laid out an elaborate meal for me. I sat down still on edge even as he placed the last item down and wiped his hands clean.

“What are you doing here?” I ask ignoring the food.

“I came to find you.” He replied sitting down at the chair opposite me, but there was something wrong, there was something telling me to run away.

“Why?”

“What’s with all the questions?” He asks and my grip on the gun that I had never let go tightened.

“Why?” I repeat and his eyes turn cold as he glares at me.

“I need something from you and you are going to make it.” He says coolly and I shudder at his coldness. This wasn’t him, this wasn’t him. “Listen to me, brat, you’re the reason I got into this mess and you are going to get me out of it.”

“Valentin this isn’t you.” I say softly but he bangs his hand on the table and I jump at the loudness.

“Like hell it isn’t!” He yells. “Do you know how much time I’ve wasted with you? I pretended to like you for Christ’s sake, but you never seemed to get the picture. I was using you.”

“That’s not true.” I say and could feel my heart starting to break trying to ignore his words.

“It is! That’s why we were all there, Aura; did you really think that we wanted to take down Lockstar? We were just trying to get new identities, to live normal lives, but you can’t seem to get that through your thick head.” He’s getting angrier and for a moment I panicked. For a long time I never thought he would hurt me but now I wasn’t too sure.