Vengeance Unbound

Chapter 11: BRUISES

Chioma's POV

"Shit." Sybil panicked, dragging me out. We got out through the same opening we'd used to get in.

"Holy f*****g–" I didn't finish.

"Why did you–you could've been dead, you know that?" Sybil panicked as she dragged me toward the road. We grabbed a cab and drove off.

Back at the mansion, sweaty and exhausted, we walked through the hallway toward my room. Just as we were about to step in, Vinco stopped us.

"Where were you?" He looked extremely pissed.

Sybil and I exchanged a glance.

"Umm... we, uh, went for a walk." I pulled my shirt straight.

Vinco walked closer, but this time his face was fixed on Sybil.

"I said... where were you?" His face looked enraged–like he'd been struck by thunder.

"I, uh…I mean, it was just–" Sybil stuttered.

"Can't talk, huh? My room. Now!" Vinco ordered.

"Calm down, she did nothing wrong, gosh." I pulled Sybil behind me. "Can you just breathe? Plus, it wasn't just her–I was there too." My eyes stayed fixed on him.

Vinco didn't even look at me. He acted like I wasn't there.

"My room. Now!" He yelled at Sybil again, voice really loud this time.

"Chi... it's okay." Sybil walked shakenly toward his room.

"And as for you–mind your bloody business." Vinco pointed a finger in my face. As he turned to leave, I grabbed his arm.

"Don't hurt her." Stern face.

Vinco forcefully removed my hand and tossed me aside. He walked into his room and slammed the door behind him.

The sound of crashing and breaking came from inside.

"Where the f**k did you two go?" Vinco's voice rose at Sybil.

Sybil didn't speak–she knew Vinco wasn't on good terms with his brother.

"You don't want to talk? Fine." Vinco raised his hand and slapped Sybil hard.

The sound made me run from across my room to his. As I tried barging in, his men blocked me.

"Let me in! Can't you see he's hurting her?" I struggled, but these men were too strong–they tossed me to the ground.

"I'm sorry... it was Mr. Fernando's place we went to." Sybil wept.

Vinco scoffed. "You went to my brother's? For what? Huh? Tell me!" He began strangling her by the neck. Sybil started coughing.

"I told you we had work in two days, and all of a sudden you went to Fernando's? What was your purpose–to snitch?" He strangled her tighter.

"No." Sybil coughed and choked.

I forced myself up and tried barging in again, but the men held me down hard. I heard Sybil cry out as Vinco beat the s**t out of her.

"Lay down." Vinco took out a long metal baseball bat. "I'll ruin you before you ruin me. You are loyal to me and me alone."

He swung the bat at her. Sybil cried out hard.

"Stop!" I screamed at the door, struggling against the men. I started biting them hard, finally breaking free.

I burst into the room and saw what he'd done to her. Sybil was bleeding so much. Vinco had her on his desk, legs wide open, about to stuff cocaine bags into her v****a.

I ran and pushed him with all my strength.

"You monster! Let her go!" I screamed.

"What are you doing here? Get out!" Vinco yelled.

I slapped him hard across the face.

"Open your eyes and look what you've done to her! Haven't you hurt her enough?" I cried.

Vinco laughed. "Enough? I haven't even started. Or you wanna join us? You look quite experienced." He looked down at my v****a.

"f*****g bastard." I spat in his face.

"Just because I had a coat hanger in me doesn't mean it's a good thing. You wanna know what it feels like to have a hanger or cocaine shoved up your ass? Let's see if you'd be anxious for that. Pain should never be overwhelming." Tears dropped down my face.

I pushed him and walked to Sybil.

"Chioma." Sybil cried. "I'm sorry... it's all my fault."

"God, no. Look at you." Sybil had a swollen, purple eye from the beating. "And it's not your fault–I was the one who dragged you there. It's okay. Let's go." I tried lifting her off the table.

"And where do you think you're going?" Vinco stopped me.

"I'm getting her to the hospital. Now get the f**k–" I tried going around the other side.

Vinco grabbed me. "The only reason you're still breathing till this day is because I let you. You'd have been ash by now."

"Then do that after. As you can see, I'm busy." I tried holding Sybil properly.

"You really are underestimating who I am, huh?" Vinco grabbed my arm. "Boys!"

His men rushed in.

"Get this peanut out." Vinco pushed me, and Sybil fell to the ground because i was holding her.

"No! What are you doing? Let me go!" I screamed and struggled as they held me and carried me out.

"Sybil! What about Sybil?" I cried. "At least get her treated!" My voice faded as they carried me away.

They dropped me in front of my room door.

"Stay put," one of them said.

"Or what?" I yelled as they walked away.

I stormed into my room in anger and slammed the door, screaming. I grabbed perfume bottles and crashed them to the ground–glass and oil scattered everywhere.

"What the f**k do I do? What do I do?" I cried, pacing. My eyes caught the card from earlier.

"Right... Fernando."

I grabbed my phone and dialed the number. It didn't go through. I tried again and again–nothing.

"What am I even calling him for? What do I ask? They both operate the same." I thought. "But Sybil... she's in pain. There's absolutely no way I can get the police–I still have unfinished business with Vinco. So I can't."

I took a breath.

"That's it."

I pulled out a red leather short gown and put it on. Grabbed a small knife and hid it in a corner of my underwear. Then I left.

*********

I went back to the motel Sybil and I had gone to earlier. Express Motel.

I thought about using the same back entrance, but that place might already be busted because of the noise we'd made. "Screw this," I said, and walked in through the main entrance.

Chest up. Shoulders high. Walked in like I was a regular client.

Took an elevator to an upper room. Finally stood in front of Fernando's office–but there were no guards. Strange. "Maybe they went for something," I thought.

I opened the door slowly and stepped in. The room was empty, but it had a very strong, unhealthy smell. No one was there.

I took out my phone and dialed his number again.

I heard a vibrating sound behind me.

I turned around.

There he was–leaning against a door. Not the entrance door. A studio door, I thought. He was covered in thick black and red blood. All over his face. All over his clothes.

I stood there, staring, shocked by all the blood. Then I summoned the courage to speak–swallowed and pushed the words out.

"Help me.”