Darken my love

Chapter 6

I awoke in the middle of the night to a loud clamor, someone was banging our front door. I tried to steady my breathing then again the banging on door resumed startling me again. I heard Dad's voice shouting 'Coming' but the banging didn't seize. I got down from the bed and made my way out of the room. My room's door showed the whole living room, open kitchen, and the sight of the hallway that led to the front door and have a garage door. When I stepped out of my room, the scene knocked my breath away.

Dad was held hard against the garage door and the boy with the black hoodie was chocking him, jerking him from time to time whispering something. My mother was scolding the boy and hitting him on his back which he shrugged it off by a light push. I rushed towards my dad who was mumbling something to him and trying to lose his grip around his throat. I ran to him and jerked him away with all the force I had, I took him off-guard as he stumbled back and hit the hallway decoration table knocking everything down. I saw the door slightly opened and a peek of red hair, Vivian, and a small boy crying loudly hugging Vivian. But before I could comprehend, the boy got up and was about to punch me when our eyes met. I sucked in a sharp breath. How could it be?

The blazing silver eyes.

He looked taken aback as his fist was in the air near my nose and his lips slight ajar. The lamp on the wall illuminating his born chin and lips only but his eyes were blazing hot Silver piercing gaze. I could hear my father breathing heavily, explaining something behind me as I stood between him and my father. I could hear my mother's sobbing by his side but I couldn't able to tear my gaze away from those eyes. There were so many emotions in it but above all, Anger. We both stood there, his fist near my nose, looking into each other's eyes comprehending the situation. Me, about what he was doing here this late and had my dad choked. Him, probably, about my presence in this particular house. There was no sound until the front door opened, I tore my eyes and saw Vivian carrying the boy in her arms and went upstairs shooting a murderous glare to him and father, both. When I looked back at him, he crouched in front of my dad and muttered angrily.

"If I won't be able to find her, You would wish you were dead." he got up, cracked his knuckles, and stormed out of the house by slamming the door with a deafening sound. I hold my dad's arm and made him sit on the chair near him. The mother brought the glass of water and helped him drink up. When his breathing slowed down, I sat down and placed my hand on his knee.

"What was he talking about, Dad?" I asked to which he shook his head and rubbed his forehead.

"He is one stupid bastard, barging in our home and threatening us. I am filing the complaint against him, first thing in the morning." Mother mumbled searching in drawers and retrieving pills. I got up and looked at her worriedly. This type of scenario never happened in our lifetime. Upon seeing them made me worried. Especially that man! He dared to come in our home and threaten my dad, that meant something serious.

"Mom, Dad, at least tell me what happened? Why was he here? Why had he choked him? What was he talking about?" I asked clueless to the situation. Mother scoffed at me.

"His mother works for me. She needed money and had to work late to compensate, like every other employee. She stayed at work late for two weeks but today she didn't go home and his boy came to confront me" Dad answered, getting up and going to his room.

"We provided them everything, the home to stay in, the things to eat, we even sponsor their son to study in our school and that's how are they repaying us? Maybe she had a boyfriend or something. Maybe she ran away from her responsibilities and that's how they treat us! Their bosses!"

"Mom, you call that place home?" I mumbled, unbelievingly, remembering the state of their house and street. The torn outbuilding that could collapse any moment.

"Oh really mother?" Vivian came into view from upstairs and chuckled humorlessly. "Don't feed her with your lies!" she shrieked earning a glare from mother. "Behave" Mom said with patience.

"You gave them a place to stay. What's new? It is your company's policy to give your needy employees the place to stay in." Vivian hit the wall. "You sponsor her son? He was worthy of it! He got a 100% scholarship in the godly RRS School. You didn't do anything for him. The only thing your husband did was: made them suffer!" Vivian shouted on the mother's face, she slapped her. Vivian didn't budge but I could saw the heartbroken look she gave me. "See, Violet? If you stand against them, they hit you." then turned mother.

"The boy upstairs is 10. 10! He had to go through a lot because of your f*****g egos!" Mother slapped her again, this time hard. I stood between her and Vivian to stop her further. Vivian started crying loudly with her hands putting her hairs.

"Enough, mother," I said sternly putting my arms around Vivian. She sobbed harder on my shoulder.

"She needs to behave properly talking to her elders. She knows nothing and You, get the boy up and make him leave. You have two minutes." she said passing by us to her room. I hugged Vivian to comfort her. This was wrong, something was wrong. Our parents never hit us and Vivian never behaved like this. I wasn't able to handle this because Tom was the one who handles such scenarios without any violence. Oh, Tom!

"Vi, she means so much to them," Vivian whispered. " Go and find her, please" I looked at her and saw her tears stained face. She was always the carefree one, never had fought and bothered by anyone, there she was crying. Something might be wrong which I couldn't comprehend. I nodded.

"I got this" I assured myself more than her and grabbed her car's keys, my jacket, and slipped into my shoes. I stepped into the garage and located the car. When I got in and drove out of the house to the city, only then I realized I didn't know what to do and where to go. I pulled over on the side and placed my head on the steering wheel. He looked miserable! Mom looked shaken up. Dad looked astounding. Vivian looked wild. Their images flashed in my brain and tears started welling up. What had happened? What to believe? Where to go? What to do?

Tom!

I needed to talk to Tom. I searched my pockets for my phone but it was on my study table in my room. I searched my brain for anything, anything! but nothing.

What could you possibly do, when you were the one clueless?

What would Tom do?

Probably, visit the company? I started the engine and drove to dad's company. Upon reaching there I saw a man fighting with three men and two men were on the road lifeless. I hurriedly went out of the car to the commotion and from the attire I knew it was him! The guards recognized me and stepped away.

"Stop, Stop. STOP!" I shouted to him who was throwing constant punches to the man on the ground. He didn't stop and continued his work. I gripped his hoodie and pulled him back with all my force. "I. Said. Stop." I muttered pulling him away but he didn't budge. I left his hoodie and dragged him away from his bruised arm, this time, it worked. He jerked his arm away causing me to land on the road and yelled at turning around."WHAT!?!" I jumped up from the ground and stood up brushing off my jacket and pajamas.

"This is not a civil way to behave" I muttered, helping the half-dead man getting up. He grabbed my arm and turned me around, made me face him.

"Don't test my patience. Stay the f**k out of my way" he uttered through gritted teeth. I rolled my eyes and jerked my arm away.

"Look, here, don't you think they are the father of someones? You killed them brutally! Don't they have a family to take care of?" I pointed to two men on the ground which I didn't know were alive or dead. He didn't even glance at them as he was busy killing me with his eyes. I scoffed and turned around to see the man who I just helped, panting.

"Ma'am, we tried our best to stop him but he started the fight" The other guard stood up and started explaining to me quickly. I put my hand up to stop him and looked around the building. It was pitch dark as the company was little out of the city traffic and rush. His mother had to walk through this dark to reach home, it wasn't safe.

"Let us through" I ordered, which he followed but before moving in I turned around to him who had his back to me and fist clenched. Only then I noticed he was barefooted and had an only T-shirt on. I shivered just by looking at him. The atmosphere of Sweden wasn't skin-friendly, especially the nights. I unlocked the car and retrieved a neon green jacket from the backseat as it was Tom's he had his accessories extra just in case. I pushed the jacket in his chest, he grabbed it and scrunched his nose at it. Before he could say anything, I put my forefinger in a threatening manner.

"We are going in. No thrashing, no smashing. Just go in, search and then return. Are we clear?" I noticed him continuously glaring at me. "And this is called a jacket. We wear it to avoid getting cold" I said and then sat on the driver's seat with legs dangling out. I slipped out from my shoes, then socks and threw my socks at him before putting my boots. "And these are socks. Put it on, why are you staring at me? Are you mute?" I said annoyed and locked my/Viv's car, turning to saw him putting on socks mumbling something incoherently, I suppressed a smile and patted his shoulder and made my way in. The guards turned on the power of the building. I made a beeline to the elevator, pressing the button.

"Do you know her department?" I asked leaning against the wall with my hands in the bomber jacket. He shrugged and muttered "Media". The elevator came and we made our way inside. I had never been to my father's office before but Tom had told me everything about it, the way it stood huge in the middle of forest road that leads to another city, the marvelous building with humongous chandelier in the middle of the dome-shaped roof, and most importantly, the splendid Human Resources floor. He was practically swooned up by it and now that I was seeing it, I could see the reasons behind it, everything he said was true.

"I am Violet" I decided to cut the deep tension in the air. He looked up from the floor and rolled his eyes. "Hey, no need to be rude, ok? We had encountered a couple of times and every time the meeting was a nightmare. Besides, I wanted to speak something to stop this awkward thing" I said pointing towards space between us. He put his head against the elevator with legs propped up on the floor, studying me. I wondered why he was sitting. Just wondering.

After a moment, he averted his attention to the buttons, that was rude but it's ok, I was not going to speak to him ever again. I huffed crossing my arms over chest and leaned against the wall.

About a minute later, the elevator stopped at the 73rd floor, Whoa, that was high and two buildings above, roof? He sprinted outside and searched, frantically, for any sign of life. I stepped outside to a very luxurious floor with door-length glass windows surrounding the "Media" department, the window far away from the elevator showed the whole city next to our with lights illuminating the area and thank god it was night, otherwise, my fears of height would be worse. I turned my back to the window and saw him, leaning over the large desk reading something, focused. I neared him and saw a nameplate on desk, Karen Lombardi, his mother?

His fist collided hard with the desk making me jump, and, he stormed away to the elevator. I sat on her chair and started studying the papers as he entered the elevator, but before entering, he smashed the flower pot on the elevator wall. I glared at him snapping my head up, shouting behind him "Hey! NO SMASHING!!" he turned around in the elevator, flicked his middle finger to me just before the doors closed. I scoffed and continued reading the papers. It was nothing, just some deal dad wanted to publish in the paper. I turned on her computer, it was on sleep mode so when I moved the mouse, the screen lit up revealing her sss account with the latest message from dad:

   "Print it out. Call Logan to arrange the meeting, you will hand him this tomorrow morning. Go home, your kids are waiting"

This got me hanging, I read the message over and over again. Something was off. I scrolled up to see nothing odd, just some things to print out or notes to discuss. Why would dad ask her this? She was not his PA, then?

"Open Logan's" I jumped and squealed upon hearing a voice just beside my ear. I swirled the chair around to see him looking at me displeased. I steadied my breathing and hit his arm hard, earning another glare.

"Why are you back?" I asked gaining my position back in front of the computer and closed dad's chat.

"Your father's dogs didn't let me out, alone" he muttered squinting his eyes to the page in front of him. I rolled my eyes and opened Logan's chat with Karen. "I broke some of their bones but motherfuckers they are" I kept scrolling through Logan's but there was nothing except:

Karen: Meeting?

Logan: Time and place?

Something didn't seem right in its place. I closed the tab and turned my chair around to face him who was in deep thoughts like connecting dots or something.

"Let's go" I said making my way to the elevator and pressed the 37th floor.

"Where?" he asked confusedly.

A full-blown smirk made its way to my face, I turned to him with a goofy grin. He had suspected something as his face turned into more confusion laced ones.

"To the Electronic department" I grinned because I knew questions he was about to ask but he didn't ask one, making a growl escaped from my throat. "Come on, ask me; why?" I said slapping his chest hard but he didn't budge, just shrugged. I stomped my feet on the floor and turned away from him, crossing my arms over my chest. When the elevator stopped, I rushed out and saw a door to the other end of the floor reading "Photocopier". I made my way to it and opened the door to see all lights out. I switched on the light and there was nothing.

"Nothing here. Now, will you get out" It wasn't a question but demand as he made its way to the elevator? I was about to snap because my head was throbbing with pain; her bag was on her floor but she wasn't, now the light of the machine was on, but there was no one. I went deep inside the room to see something black behind a full-length Computer server.

"Over here" I choked out but I knew he wouldn't come back. That's what he did, he snapped.

"I am not wasting a moment with your useless and good-for-nothing ass. NOW COME OUT!" he barked entering the room and yanked me away with my arm. I scanned the room to see the green light of the photocopying machine and a full stack of paper on its output board.

"She is behind the server." I struggled against his grip but he didn't budge instead he pushed me in the elevator and pressed a random button furiously.

"Who do you think you are?!" I shrieked grabbing his large bicep, he pushed me hard against the wall.

"SHUT UP! just SHUT UP!" he grabbed my chin and squeezed it hard pushing against the elevator wall.

Dìja vù.

He jerked me back with his grip then stormed out of the elevator on a random floor by pushing the pause button. That got me to shut my mouth as I followed him out and sat beside him on the floor on God-knows-which-floor. He sat there with his head in hands while I, studying his expressions/body posture. He was tense. It was evident from his posture. Maybe, he wanted comfort from someone, and me being the nice and all, I placed my head on his shoulder lightly just to let him feel my presence. He stiffened, literally, in his place.

"Violet" his voice came out shrill like he was on the verge of crying. I was so engrossed in studying him that I didn't even realize how would he know my name.

"hmm?" I hummed looking at a transparent room with lots of computer screens showing every floor's footage.

"Don't do this to me. I am very weak" I heard those words but didn't register in my mind because, at the same time, I jumped out of my position and ran to the room.

"CCTV!" I shrieked excitedly gaining his attention. He remained seated on the floor looking at me like he was... mourning? But for what?? Anyway!

I yanked the door open and turned on the computer. I had seen my father using the CCTV's of our house when Mr. Blue eyes went missing so I pressed the exact keys and the footage and time list popped up on my screen.

"What was her departing time?" I asked over my shoulder.

"8" he whispered in my ears making me squeal in astonishment. I opened Media footage at 8 and there she was sitting alone on the whole floor. She stood up with stacks of papers and went into the elevator.

"Where are you going, Ma" He muttered still behind me with his hands on either side of the chair and lips near my ear.

"To printer" I clicked on Electronic footage and fast forward it to 8. After about fifteen minutes, she came out of the elevator with a phone on her ear and went straight to the printer. She started pacing listening to the phone and occasionally said something like fighting with someone. By the end of the call, she threw her phone hard on the opposite wall and kicked the chair in aggression. Suddenly, the footage started to blink, because of electricity issues, so did the lights. When it all settled down, she ran to the farther room. I, hurriedly, opened the server room footage and there she was sitting behind server computer with arms wrapped around her legs which were near her chest and looked terrified. She looked like she was having a panic attack. After five minutes, she passed out falling on the floor.

We didn't even shut anything as we both practically sprinted to the elevator, to the server room, where she was.