The Don's Cursed Outcast

002

The silence in the room was so daunting that the only thing she could hear was her heartbeat going haywire as the muzzle of the gun pressed into her neck.

"In my line of work, I see people with guts everyday but I have to hand it to you.... you've got some metal guts trying to steal a kingpin's beryl off his own neck at his own birthday party"

Melody gulped, she had made sure to be extremely careful and tactical, trying her absolute best to mask her true intentions. So how then did he find out?.

"If you're wondering how I knew then the answer is quite simple" he whispering dragging his gun down her neck to her covered collarbone casually, as if he didn't have the power to end her pitiful existence right there and then if he chose to.

He placed a hand on her waist and pressed his finger in, noticing how baggy the robe was and how thin she seemed to be. Too thin. He looked up at her shivering body and turned her around with his palm firm on her neck.

Her black anxious eyes stared at him from behind her mask and it made his skin itch with the need to see her bare face, to uncover her facial identity. And so he did.

With a harsh tug her mask fell from her face and unto her lap, the rope-like knot at the back that was seemingly holding it in place snapped off completely. She gasped as her head was tilted backwards a bit due to the force, and just as she was trying to steady her head a huge splash of water hit her face, ruining her facial cover up.

The make up dripped downwards as her eyes watered making the poorly fixed black contacts slip away from the position she placed them. Michael pried her eyelids apart with his long fingers and he fished out the black contacts from her eyes, pausing mid air as he observed what she was trying to hide.

Her right eye was a deep shade of forest green reminding him of trees and wild grass, while her left orb was of an icy blue nature, reminding him of water, snow and glaciers at the same time. She had heterochromatic eyes, but that wasn't just the thing about them.

They looked. . . .odd, because when they stared at you, it was like they were opening a portal into your soul, ready to snatch it out of your body.

Melody could do nothing at this point but to stay mortifyingly still and watch him view her imperfections, the actualization of her curses. Her odd eyes and her ruined face. Atleast he wouldn't see her ugly body. But that thought was discarded as well.

"Stand up and take off your robe" He ordered, his eyes scheming across the dots on her nose bridge and cheeks, light brown specks of what oodly seemed like gold dust in a way.

Immediately he said what he said her hands instinctively clutched unto her robe and she shook her head. His smile faded as he stood up from his seat, making her slide unto the cold ground.

She covered her ear and shut her eyes tightly as three shots were let off into the air. The sound of it going off nearly made her deaf. Heavens no, he would shoot her.

"Stop, please don't shoot me"

She found herself pleading with a teary voice. Michael looked at her, all the confidence she had early possessed was non existent at this point as she cowered to her fears and put her palms infront of her to plead profusely for his mercy.

But unfortunately for her, attempting to steal his heirloom was a crime he dared not forgive. But how could he pump his bullets into her head when her eyes were desperately imploring him not to. Something about those odd orbs were begging him to stop and listen, to spare her.

Michael lowered his gun, his hand still beside the trigger. She turned around to look at him, expecting more warning shots. The corner of his lips ticked with irritation as he crossed his hands and loomed above her.

"You've got guts, but guts alone don't spare a person from the consequences of their actions, do they?"

Melody went on her knees infront of him. Her palms clasped together as she tried to explain herself.

"I didn't have a choice Mr Forraine. I had to do it for her"

"For her?" Michael echoed. "Who is she and why should I give a damn?"

Her mood switched instantly like something snapped within her, despite the many eyes on her Melody rose from the ground and steadied herself on her feet. Her expression frustrated and pissed. Michael's gun remained by his side as he watched the girl rise up to approach him.

"That is the thing, when have you ever given a damn?"

A murmur incited among Michael's men. Not only did she try to steal from Michael, she dared talk back to him?. That was a suicide note signed with the calligraphic signature of death and gore.

Michael raised his left hand up and the room went quiet was once more.

"I give a damn when it concerns something I should be concerned about"

She had to use every remnant of will in her to stop herself from acting out and getting shot in the head or neck. But she so badly wanted to, all these privileged bastards deserved to die in the most gruesome way. She hated Michael Forraine and all the other people enabling Asheville's cruelty.

"Why are you suddenly so quiet?" He asked arching a brow.

"Because-----"

"Because what" he interrupted harshly "you thought stealing from me would be a great feat, that I would pat you on the head and let you walk out of here alive?"

Her lips parted but no words came. His voice lowered to a sinister calm as he moved forward making her stumble backwards.

"The best punishment for you isn't killing you, it's getting a knife and dissecting both your hands finger from finger, bone to bone and flesh from flesh. Before planting a whole bullet case in your head. So that next time, somewhere in the afterlife, you'll think twice before attempting to steal from me"

********

He had really wanted to pull the trigger this time, but she had latched onto his legs and begged for him not to, and he found his fingers slacking from the trigger. His men attempted to come and drag her away from him but he held up his fingers.

"The lot of you, move outside and wait for me"

They obeyed with a silent nod, and with heavy footsteps they opened the large doors and stepped outside. Out of earshot and rendering enough privacy.

As the doors thudded shut, the silence between them grew oppressive. Melody stayed on the ground, her hands gripping his trousers. She swore she'd never beg any man or go on her knees to beg any living creature, but here she was, she knew how important returning alive was to her, to her Nana.

"Do you want mercy from me?" He asked crouching to her level, her glazed eyes piercing his through the masks, for some reason.......they didn't look that ood to him anymore. She nodded as Michael yanked her hand off his leg. His ear cuffs gleamed as he lowered his face to her.

"Do not nod, give me a verbal response"

"You have to spare me. I had no choice--"

He shook his head "I don't have to do anything"

She bit her lip and nodded, lowering her gaze "I didn't mean to put it that way, I'm really sor---

He placed a finger on her lips to clamp them together before letting go, his fingers that touched her suddenly aware of the softness of her cupid bow shaped lips.

"Shhh, save the apology and give me the answer I seek. Who is the 'her' you risked all this for and why?"

"Nana, she's a woman that took me in fifteen years ago after finding me on the streets. She's the only person in the town that pitied me, I guess it's because the town also labelled her red too"

"Why?"

"She used to live in the city you know, lost all her seven children in the same manner, when they turned eight, they would die in a strange manner. Her husband kicked her out of their marital home labelling her a witch and sending her down to Ashville, he went around telling people the story and the town immediately imbibed the idea that indeed she was a witch. Hence why both of us are isolated from the main town of Ashville because we are both the 'freaks' of the village"

"I see" he responded casually fiddling with his gun in his hands, Melody's heart jumped as she saw his finger glide over the trigger. "Let me guess, she is either in debt and in need of resources to sort out the debt or, she is piss poor, sick and in need of money for dire medical treatment hence why you decided to steal my beryl?"

Melody sat up on her knees and nodded, thankful that she wouldn't have to go through the process of explaining the whole thing.

"Yes she suffers from is..isc...ceramic, sorry ischemic bowel disease"

Michael's lips curled up once more, he placed a hand on her wig and patted it gently before raising the gun to her eye level for her to see.

"Take me to her, and heavens so help you that I better see a dying woman."

Again. He needed not extend the meaning of his words, she could already piece them together. If he didn't see Nana in the condition she had described, then there would be no force in heaven above or on earth beneath that would save her from him.