Chapter 23

SCARLET

23

Iawoke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest, sensing a presence that didn't belong. Kenny's warmth from the night before was gone, so he'd abandoned me. I rolled over, my heart lurching into my throat as my gaze landed on Cristian. He sat at the desk in my room, staring at me with an unsettling intensity as he drummed his fingers on the mahogany wood.

"What the fuck are you doing in here? How long have you been here?" I snarled, clutching the sheets tighter around my body. How long had the crazy fucker been watching me sleep?

A chill swept through me as another thought hit. How many times had he watched me sleep? I swallowed, wishing I hadn't thought of it, the idea making my skin crawl.

His face hardened, the playful glint in his eyes extinguishing as he leaned forward. "Why didn't you kill me?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly as those dark eyes devoured me.

There was something in them, a strange curiosity and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. The air in the room felt electrified now as we stared at one another.

Why hadn't I? Was it because of his pain? Or some stupid part of me that had been somewhat sympathetic to this madman? I'd never forgive him for what he'd done to me, but a twisted part of me was slightly understanding. Besides, it was clear there was something wrong in his head. Maybe he'd been dropped as a baby after all, who knew?

I scoffed, trying to mask my unease. "I've only got a few weeks left before I'm free. Killing you would have me hunted down like a dog. Not to mention I wouldn't even be able to get out of here. Can you imagine your brothers coming home and finding me with your body? I'd get torn apart," I muttered. Unless he had his keycard on him, then I could steal it and run. But getting past security wouldn't be a walk in the part, and having a target on my back from the mafia was not something I wanted.

Cristian studied me intently, as if my answer wasn't good enough. But after a tense moment, he rose from the chair. "Julian has cooked. You're to join us."

I narrowed my eyes, my heart only now beginning to ease up. "Is that an order?"

His lips curved into a humorless smile. "Everything here is an order. You disobey, there will be punishments." The unspoken threat hung heavy in the air.

With no other choice, I slid out of bed and followed him downstairs to the dining area.

Whatever Julian had cooked, it smelled amazing, the aroma of fresh bacon wafting through the air before I even made it down the stairs fully.

"Hope you guys are hungry, I made eggs benedict," Julian stated, and my stomach grumbled. It was a classic favorite of mine, and I followed after Cristian as he sat down at the table, watching as Julian moved around the kitchen.

Kenny was seated by the kitchen island, watching his owner bustle around while his tail flicked. As I moved to sit down, Cristian gave me a pointed look. Ignoring it, I sat across from him, not wanting to be closer to him than necessary.

Julian set down plates for the three of us, and I arched a brow at him.

"I didn't realize you could cook so well," I admitted as I surveyed the delicious looking breakfast before me.

"I'm not only good at killing, pyro," Julian said with a wink, wiping the small smile from my face. Of course he had to remind me of his darker side right now when I was trying to compliment him.

I enjoyed the eggs benedict in front of me, trying to avoid Julian's lingering gaze. His eyes kept darting to the bandages wrapped around my arms, focusing on the new one, a reminder of Cristian's cruelty the night before.

"So those brownies in the fridge..." Julian began, his tone nonchalant as he took a bite. "They're your special batch?" He directed the question to his brother.

Cristian snorted into his coffee mug. "Yeah, help yourself."

My brow furrowed at the memories of it all. Last night when he'd been in that childlike state, baking naked and playing with flour like a kid finger-painting. It was a whole other side of him, and my mind went to what Tyrone had said. I didn't know him, the real him and the old him.

Julian chuckled. "I think I'll pass. But thanks for the offer." He turned his attention to me. "How are your arms doing?"

I tensed, my gaze flickering briefly to Cristian. He seemed to stiffen as well, his playful demeanor fading. For a split second, I could have sworn I saw a flicker of remorse in those dark eyes before it vanished.

"They're fine," I muttered, focusing back on my plate. The egg yolks oozed richly across the english muffin.

Cristian set his fork down abruptly. "Actually, I need to head out for a bit. Thanks for breakfast, Jules."

He pushed back from the table and strode out of the dining room without a backwards glance. I watched him go, brow furrowed slightly. Was he feeling guilty about last night? That strange look he'd given me made me wonder. But I quickly shoved the thought aside - this was Cristian, after all. Guilt wasn't an emotion I imagined he experienced much. No, he was a no remorse, no guilt kind of guy. Just the same casual indifference majority of the time, or delight with his own wickedness.

But as he reached the elevator, he paused and glanced back at me, our eyes locking. For a split second, I could have sworn I saw a flicker of something in those dark depths. Regret? Shame? It was gone before I could read it, his expression hardening once more.

Then he was gone, leaving me alone with Julian and my swirling thoughts. I flexed my bandaged arm absently, recalling the entire fiasco, the knife, him pinning me to the window and fucking me then biting me. The whole thing was a bizarre nightmare, then with him patching me up and the whole baking thing last night. Cristian was a mind-fuck of a man, and I had no idea on what to think.

Julian was still watching me with that same intense scrutiny.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked again, and I gave a jerky nod, unable to meet his eyes this time.

"Mmm. Ty said Cris was rough with you, more-so than usual. Do you want me to look at your arm?" he offered, and I frowned at him.

"You guys are all so fucking confusing. He assaults me, does wicked things to me that are honestly inconceivable, and then he patches me up and wants me to bake with him. And you," I shook my head, "do…the shit you do, too."

His mouth curled at the way my voice dropped, the whole cupcake thing burning through my mind.

"We're not normal men, pyro. You knew that from the get-go."

"You're all fucking insane in one way or another."

"True," he didn't find the need to argue as he nodded, "but it comes with the business."

"That's what Tyrone said," I muttered. "Can you tell me about Tess? Cristian mentioned her, seems she messed him up."

"Nope, no can do. Not my story to tell," he said with a firm shake of his head.

"Can you tell me why Cristian is so fucking insane then? Is it just because of her, or was he dropped on his head or something?" I asked, my voice low as I stared at my now empty plate. The man could cook, I'd give him that.

Julian's face fell, something dark flickering across his eyes.

"My brother may be crazy to you, but he's the most loyal man I know, and you best not talk shit about him too much, princess," Julian warned. So they were both defensive of his antics. Why though?

"I need to go out for a few hours, I'll be back later. Don't burn the place down." He pushed away from the table, gathering up all the plates and dropping them in the sink before sauntering to the elevator.

I wanted to know why Cristian was the way he was. The more I knew, the more I could manage him; know how to behave to avoid his psychotic tendencies.

I spent the entire day cooped up in my room, drowning myself in mindless Netflix shows to numb my brain. Anything to distract me from the weirdness of this place, the twisted minds of the brothers who held me captive.

Hours ticked by as I binged episode after episode of a fantasy show, barely moving from the bed except for bathroom breaks. At some point, I'd heard Julian's return, his footsteps thudding past my door while he chatted on the phone. But I made no effort to emerge from my self-imposed isolation, the door remaining firmly closed between us.

I'd tried to google Cristian and Tess to no avail, only finding articles on the wicked, untouchable Silvestri family and the rumors around them. Murder, drug dealing, gun sales, and some mentions of human trafficking.

No wonder my captivity was not a bother to them.

As evening fell, the shadows lengthening across the room, a gnawing hunger finally roused me from the bed. I realized I hadn't eaten since the eggs benedict that morning, save for a snack around lunchtime. My stomach grumbled insistently, demanding sustenance.

Reluctantly, I dragged myself from the warm cocoon of blankets and shuffled to the door, cracking it open a sliver. The hallway was empty, no sign of any of my captors. Good, maybe I could sneak down and grab some food without any encounters. I wasn't feeling all too social after the two less crazy brothers had shut me down and both threatened me in some way.

I padded quietly down the stairs, heading for the kitchen.

I froze on the stairs as I spotted Julian over by the window overlooking the city skyline, holding Kenny up high. I frowned, taking in the scene before my lip curled slightly.

"C'mon, it's right there, you got this," Julian said as he lifted Kenny higher, and Kenny batted at the window, his tail flicking around wildly.

My brow furrowed as I watched the strange moment, Julian hyping Kenny up. Then I saw it - a moth fluttering erratically against the windowpane, its fragile wings beating furiously as it sought escape.

Kenny's tail swished again as he smacked his paw on the moth, lurching forward to grab it in his mouth.

"Good job," Julian praised him, scratching his head as Kenny crunched on the insect happily.

I couldn't help the small snort of laughter that escaped me at the utterly bizarre sight. Julian immediately whipped around, his features hardening as he caught me observing them.

"Don't judge," he said gruffly, holding Kenny a little tighter against his chest in a protective gesture. "We were just having a little fun."

I arched a brow at his defensiveness. "I'm not judging, I just...never expected to see a hardened criminal...doing that."

Julian's glare intensified for a beat before his shoulders relaxed slightly. "Kenny likes to hunt. I was just indulging him." He shrugged as he set Kenny down, and the tabby scurried off with his kill.

"So, why did you name him Kenny?" I couldn't resist asking, genuinely curious despite myself.

Julian smirked as he gazed after Kenny, who'd disappeared around the island counter to finish off his kill. "I used to love South Park when I was a kid. Kenny was always dying but coming back to life. Seemed fitting for a cat with nine lives."

The explanation was so...normal. So at odds with the dangerous, wicked man I knew Julian to be. In that moment, I caught a glimpse of the little boy he must have been, before life shaped him into the person he was now.

I shook my head trying to suppress my amusement. "I'm just grabbing some food," I told him, heading for the fridge.

"There's tuna bake in the oven, it'll be ready soon," Julian stated.

I paused, raising my brows. "Seriously? You guys run this big family business, yet you seem to be around a lot...not working."

Julian smirked as he joined me in the kitchen area and leaned on the counter. "We're not all needed to work constantly. A lot gets handled via phone calls, we only go in person when it's really needed. Things run pretty smoothly for the most part without our constant physical presence."

"Lucky you, I guess," I muttered, grabbing a soda from the fridge.

Julian just shrugged as he pulled the tuna bake from the oven, the cheesy aroma making my mouth water despite myself.

We ended up eating in the living room, me perched on one end of the couch with my plate while Julian sprawled out on the other end. Kenny hopped up to join me, purring as he settled on the cushion beside me.

"He's taken quite a liking to you," Julian commented with an amused look.

I glanced down at the tabby, giving him a reluctant scratch behind the ears. "I find it kind of odd that you have a cat," I admitted.

Julian arched a brow at me. "Why's that?"

"I don't know...a mafia man with a pet cat? It's a bit strange," I said with a small shrug.

He let out a bark of laughter. "What's wrong with that?"

I didn't argue, just shrugged and focused on eating my food as some nature documentary played on the huge flatscreen. It was strangely...domestic, sitting here with Julian eating dinner and watching TV, his cat snuggled up beside me.

When I finished my meal, I stuck my plate on the coffee table, lounging back as Kenny moved into my lap and curled up. Guess I was stuck here then.

As the show droned on, I found my eyelids growing heavy, the events of the last few days weighing on me. I hadn't realized how tense I'd been around Julian and Tyrone until this oddly relaxed moment. Maybe I was letting my guard down too much, but some part of me knew they wouldn't hurt me the way Cristian did. They seemed to want to use me for sex, but nothing more depraved.

My eyes slid shut without me even realizing it, Kenny's rumbling purrs lulling me into an unexpected slumber right there on the couch.