From my past, p.5
From My Past, page 5
I smiled shyly and raised one shoulder in a very small shrug, being the perfectly demure little girlfriend Luca wanted me to play.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” Trent asked with alarm. He rushed to me and tried to look for the extent of the damage, but I flinched backwards.
“She’s fine. Aren’t you?” Luca said, menacingly from behind his back. My eyes quickly darted over to Luca’s and I saw the threat in them. I had a part to play and if I didn’t, I would pay for it.
“I am. Thank you.” I said softly and smiled as much as my cheeks would allow.
Trent’s expression changed then, his eyes narrowed and his lips flattened.
“Okay. Let us know if you need something. I think I have pain killers in my car.” He said and slid in next to me. I could have moaned from the relief that would have come from pain relievers, but I knew that Luca wouldn’t allow that.
“Thank you.” I wrap my arms around my waist and hunch my shoulders over a bit to try and hide myself, maybe take their attention off of me a bit.
Trent turns to me and I can feel his eyes burn into my face as he takes in every detail of my face. His eyes locked onto mine and I could see a dawning happen. “What’s your name?”
“Talia.”
“Talia…” He whispered, his eyes flashing with recognition for a split second before he turned back to Luca.
“So, Trent,” Luca said loudly, pulling Trent’s attention back to him. “What makes you want to join our ranks?”
Luca was much more political and sounded stiffer than I had heard him in a while. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Knowing who he is now, it does seem intimidating, but before, I would have said that he was just peacocking. It took a lot of strength to not roll my eyes at his inflated ego.
The two men started to chat, and I let myself dissociate. The pain from the beating and noise level of the music wasn’t helping me. Before I knew it, my eyes were closing, and my head was resting back against the wall.
Chapter Four
Talia
I am in deep shit.
I’m woken up by a sharp poke to the throat, making me cough and wheeze, and then a tight squeeze of my neck.
“Shut up.” Luca whispers. I didn’t mean to fall asleep at the bar in the meeting with Trent and Luca. I’m becoming more concerned that when he hit me earlier, he caused some real injury like Trent thought.
Luca decided to send me home after he woke me up, the look in his eye was scary and I know that I’m in trouble.
“You go back to the apartment if you’re going to keep embarrassing me like this. I gave you very specific instructions and you failed. Leave.” His voice is low and threatening while he refuses to look at me. Anxiously, I slid out from the booth and headed away from them before he said anything else. I didn’t want to see if there were any requirements for me or anything he demanded I do before I got out of there.
I didn’t wait to say goodbye to Trent, I didn’t say goodbye to Luca, I simply left. Luca had the car and I didn’t have any money or ID on me so I had to walk. At least I was alone. I had walked the streets in my strappy heels for about ten minutes before I heard a car pull up next to me. The passenger side window rolled down as they approached me.
Immediately I was on edge. I tried to think back in my memory about any self-defense I remembered but all I could remember was how to throw a punch correctly. At least I had that. I threw a pretty good punch, but that was when I had at least ten pounds more muscle on me. If I hit anyone now, I’m sure it would feel like a butterfly landing on their arm.
“Are you Talia?” The man, who couldn’t be more than 30 years old, leaned over the side to ask.
“Who wants to know?”
“Trent sent me. He’s a friend and said you might need a ride home. He also asked me to keep it hush-hush.” The man answered and I relaxed.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Bryan. I’m a friend from college and we work together. He texted me a little bit ago and asked me to come get you, that it was very urgent.” He said, pulling his phone out and the blue light illuminating in front of me. He held it out of the car so I could see the text thread. It did seem that a ‘Trenton’ asked Bryan to drive along Helena Street looking for a girl named Talia with my description.
“‘Absolutely no harm to come to her’, huh?” I read from the last text Bryan received from Trent.
“Yeah, I was hoping you could shine a light on why Trent demanded me to come get you. This is definitely a first.” Bryan said, gesturing with his head to the passenger side.
I took the gamble to trust Bryan, but honestly, I didn’t think too much about it. I was already in hell.
I slid into the black vehicle into the equally dark matching interior and shivered at the heater that was blowing deliciously warm air on me. It might be summertime, but after walking in the dark for 10 minutes, I appreciate the heat.
“So, Talia, want to tell me how your face got busted up?”
“So, Bryan, want to mind your own goddamn business?” As soon as the words leave my mouth I flinch. I wait for the hit, the slap, the verbal threat. But none came. Instead, a deep chuckle came from the driver side.
“Touché.” He said and started to drive. “Where am I going?”
“1400 South Beach. It’s an older apartment.”
“Gotcha.”
We both stay quiet, tension in the car is incredibly awkward. I pull the visor down to see the mirror and inspect my face. I was sure that I had put on enough makeup to hide the bruising, I hope at least that no one else could see the extent of the damage.
“Yes, I’m able to see it.” Bryan said softly.
“I fell down the stairs.” I said, robotically, monotone.
“Okay, if you say so.”
From his tone, I could tell that he honestly didn’t believe me, but he was accepting my lie.
“So, how do you know Trenton?” He asked, thankfully changing the subject.
“I knew him way back in college. But I hadn’t seen him in years and honestly, I didn’t even really know Trent. I knew Kieron and back then, they were friends. I don’t even know if Trenton put it together that we knew each other.”
“Interesting. Kieron is a good guy. We still talk often.” Bryan said and turned the blinker on to turn onto my street.
“That’s cool. I hope he’s well. I haven’t heard from either of them in five years. A lot has changed since then.”
“I bet.” He said and pulled up in front of my building. I desperately didn’t want to get out of the car. Once I got out, I would have to sit there and wait for my abuser to get home.
Just sit there and wait. The anticipation of what I was in for was almost as bad as the punishment itself sometimes.
It had been a nice moment, feeling like someone cared about me. But I knew it had to end.
“Thank you for the ride, please thank Trent for me as well. I don’t have any way to get in contact with him and I don’t think I could even if I did.” I opened the door and took a deep breath, gathering my courage to get out.
“Wait, Talia.” Bryan said before I stepped out and I turned to look at him. “If you need anything, anything at all, call either of these numbers.” He pulled what looked like a business card out and handed it to me. “That’s my number and Trent’s number. I know you’re in a… situation… right now where you’re scared, but you’re not alone. Not anymore.” He said with a sad smile.
I leaned over and took the card and looked at it reverently, like a lifeline. Which I suppose it was. Then I looked up to him and smiled as best I could while I held it close to my chest.
“Thank you.” I whispered.
“Please, please, take care of yourself. Take some painkillers. Rest.” He said to me, his eyes and tone urgent. I nodded slightly, knowing I couldn’t take painkillers because Luca wouldn’t let them in the house. He wanted me to feel the pain. Always had.
I climbed out of the car and walked up to the door. Expecting Bryan to drive away as soon as I stepped out, I looked back and was surprised to see him still waiting. I punched in the code to the door and when it opened, I turned back to Bryan. He waved through the open passenger window but still didn’t drive off.
I waved back, surprised, and shocked that he was still watching and waiting for me to get in safely. I walked into the lobby of my building and closed the gated door. Once the door was latched, he waved one more time and drove off.
I climbed up the stairs to the second floor and walked to our apartment. Thankfully, I had hidden a key in the fire extinguisher right across from our front door, otherwise I’d be sitting out here all-night waiting for Luca to get home.
* * *
After I wiped off the seemingly endless layers of foundation and cover up from my deeply purpled, swollen face, I pulled on my favorite sleep shirt. It was an extremely oversized, white t-shirt that I’d saved from five years ago. I didn’t wear it often, only when I really needed comfort, and tonight was definitely one of those nights. His smell had long since been washed away, but it was enough.
Kieron had left the next morning in such a rush that it wasn’t until later in the day that I found his undershirt under my desk, hidden from view.
I kept it. It wasn’t like I could call him and give it back to him anyway. Even when I started dating Luca, I just pushed it to the back of my closet. Always there, but out of sight.
I let my blonde hair flow freely down my back as I went to the large window in the living room. It was dark out so I needed to close the blinds, but I couldn’t help but think that as I looked out into the vast night sky, that this life had to get better. I had to hope that my life wouldn’t always be like this. I wouldn’t always have to sit and wait in fear for being an individual. I wouldn’t always have to pay for doing what I had to do to protect my sister. I would be able to be with someone that I truly loved and felt loved by.
My true partner was out there somewhere. Either staring at the moon and stars like I was or waiting for the sun to come up. But they were out there somewhere and all I had to do was find them. Hopefully, before Luca kills me.
With that thought, I pull the blinds shut and sit on the couch waiting for Luca to do what he was going to do for me ‘embarrassing’ him by falling asleep.
Chapter Five
Kieron
“What up, Trenton?” I put the cell phone on my shoulder to hold it to my ear. I was working on my Harley Davidson bike, my pride, and joy that I’d built from nothing. I blew the strands that had fallen free from the bun that held my wild long hair so that it was away from my face while I was trying to work with the small pieces necessary to fix the drive chain.
I was thankful that my garage was air-conditioned because, holy fuck, it was hot as Satan’s asshole. I set my phone to the side and put it on speaker as I pulled the white t-shirt over my head to wipe the sweat off my brow. Stray curls were sticking to my neck.
“What was the name of that girl that you could not get out of your head a few years ago? The one that totally screwed you up?” My best friend was never one for small talk. His voice was different this time from his normal aloofness though, it was urgent and pushy. I pushed a hair behind my ear to keep it out of my face as I leaned back over my bike engine. My hands were already covered in grease, as per usual.
“Talia. And you know it.” I chuckled towards the phone.
Talia had been one of the most unique, most genuine people I had ever met. She was true to herself and went after what she wanted, regardless of other people and their fucking assumptions and judgements. I could tell that even in the few hours that we shared. She had been tipsy, but stone-cold sober when we had sex, showing me just how amazing she was inside and out.
I had thought about that night and her many, many times over the years that have passed. She was the one that got away, for sure. No one has ever come close to making the same impression as Talia. I sighed deeply with regret.
Trenton knew that too; he had picked me up after too many drunken nights that I had tried to drink myself silly to not go out searching for her. She had so many dreams that she had worked so hard for and I sure as shit wasn’t going to hold her back from them. Besides, my job, the grunt work at that time wouldn’t have allowed me to have a girlfriend. Not to mention, I literally wasn’t allowed to have a girlfriend or any attachments.
When we met, I had been working my way into the Irish Mafia here in Boston, the same group my father and grandfather had been Skipper, or the Leader of, for generations. All my life I had been groomed to take over once I was old enough and that meant sacrifices, it meant being shown the ugliness of the world and becoming part of it.
“I found her. And it’s bad.” Trenton said through the phone, those six words shocking me through and through. I stood upright quickly and braced both hands against the workbench right behind me. It felt like all the air got sucked out of the room.
“You what?” I choked on my breath, dropping the nut I was holding. “Shit.”
“I found her. She’s passed out at this bar I’m meeting Luca at right now. She’s here in town still and man, she’s in trouble.”
My world stopped. Everything zoned into the last words he said. I picked up the phone in my hand, anger and fear causing me to grip it tighter than it could withstand.
“How do you know it’s her? What do you mean that she’s in trouble?”
“Well to start with, she looks like she hasn’t aged a day. The short black hair and piercings are gone though. But she still looks just as smoking hot as she did back then. Plus, you’ve described her enough times for me to recognize her anywhere. Then to hit the nail on the head, she told me her name was Talia. That’s not exactly a common name.” He explained.
My heart started to beat faster.
“And what do you mean she is in trouble, Trent?” I walked over to the other side of the garage, tossing the precision tool on it and grabbing a rag to roughly wipe my hands off. In the second drawer of the shelving unit is where I kept spare t-shirts, I pulled one out and slipped it over my head. Like I said, I’m usually covered in grease, so I learned to keep spares.
“This guy she’s with, he’s bad news, man. He’s high up, way high up, in the Italian mafia and from the looks of it, he’s beating her. Badly. I came to the bathroom to call you when I figured it out.”
I stopped, frozen in my tracks.
“What?” I growled.
“She’s here at the meeting, you know the one your father wanted me to sit in on.” Trent explained.
“We will talk more about the meeting later, but I need to know more about Talia now. Why do you think he was hitting her?”
“Other than the fact that her face is bruised and so fucking swollen and they told me that she ‘fell down the stairs’ like I am an idiot who didn’t know about bruising from fist fights, she passed out sitting next to me in the booth after clearly being told exactly what to say, how to act. Fuck, she wouldn’t even take a painkiller after I offered her some. Then when she fell asleep, he looked livid. I couldn’t imagine being mad at the woman I’m with especially after what they claimed was an accident that had caused that much damage. I don’t think I would be out at a bar if my girl was that injured.”
“Where do I find him?” I said through clenched teeth as my hand gripped the cell phone tightly. I grabbed my leather jacket off the back of a chair and made my way to my Mustang. It was a vintage GT with black exterior, black interior, and purred like a damn kitten.
“I’m still at the meeting with him so calm down. But from how I just watched him wake her up, he’s going to send her home and then take care of her later. So, if you’re going to do anything, I’d go to their house. I’m watching her leave the bar by herself from the little hallway across the room, I’ll have Bryan go pick her up and take her home.”
“Where do they live?” I turned the keys and started the ignition, hearing the engine purr to life.
“I don’t know. But man, I have to go, she is leaving and I’m sure he is starting to think something is up if I don’t get back there soon. Give it a bit and text Bryan so you can get the info from him.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Of course. I know how much she meant to you and I am never okay with someone putting hands on a woman. She needs help and we can help her.” With that, Trent hung up and I stared at my phone as the dial tone played. I needed to get her address. Knowing that Bryan was with her, I rested a bit easier.
I rested my head against the steering wheel. Fuck waiting for a bit.
I pulled my phone out and messaged Bryan quickly. He was used to my short, clipped messages from the orders I give at work.
Now, all I have to do is wait for his response.
* * *
I sat in my car letting the engine idle outside Talia’s apartment building. I’m happy that Bryan was so forthcoming with everything that happened, but I wish it had been me. I needed to see her. Bryan had suggested that I not go in, guns blazing and rescue her. He told me how scared she was, but I couldn’t just sit there, doing absolutely nothing.
Not now that I knew where she was. It was like the dam that I had built up broke, I had spent so long staying away from her that now I couldn’t.
So, I sat here. Outside her apartment building like a tatted up, mentally unstable guardian angel who was still infatuated with a girl that I only had one night with, five years ago. The building was an older one; brick exterior with wide windows that had iron grids on them. It wasn’t a very tall building and since Bryan told me that her apartment number was 202, I’d wager that they were on the second floor.
Who said she even still remembered me? I was the one who had left the morning after.
Who’s to say that I wasn’t going to make things worse for her if I did rush in? Was this Luca asshole packing, would he hurt her further if he saw me coming?
