Thorns of Roses

Blind eye

Song for this Chapter:

The way I Love You-Taylor Swift

CHAPTER 16

CORINNE

I didn't even manage to say goodbye to Diesel when Nora and Maya escorted me up to my room. The last time I saw him he was talking to Dad and I know he scolded him. Dad is afraid of the Mayhem's, but not of Diesel. He knew just what Diesel was in Cosa Nostra, and his stand stood with Blaze as to where his loyalty resides in the future. But for now, he stands with Havoc.

My father didn’t grow up privileged, from what I heard he was suffering from poverty and bullying growing up in New Jersey. I didn’t hear about his parents, my grandparents even if I lived here for almost five years. No pictures, no everything.

It’s like they didn’t even exist in this world. In Marcus Lewis’ world.

Nora said that they disowned my father after all the measurements my Father did in order for him to gain the power and position and off course the money he had now.

But given about his dealings with the Mafia and for his parents to disowned him, I am sure what he did is ugly.

I am dreaming but I don't remember what I am dreaming were all about, I just know that I was dreaming when suddenly the air that was entering my lungs were cut off, I felt that my lungs were burning. That is when I opened my eyes to find my own father with his hands wrapped around my neck. I was caught off guard while I was removing his hands from my neck, the last time he "touched" me was before the incident with Blaze happened last winter. My body is cold and frigid. Every time he touches me it's always new to me, same feeling. Same emotions. Scared and Disgusted.

"What does Diesel know about the two of us?" He pushed me even harder. Diesel? What could Diesel have said to him for him to come to my room in the middle of the night just to kill me?

“Whaaat?” my voice is restrained because of his hands wrapped on my neck.

“What did you f*****g say to him?” His mad, beyond mad.

Then it hits me, given the afraid look on his eyes I can make this as a leverage to stop him from doing what he’s doing to me.

“He knows everything.”

He released his hold on me then he was too stunned to speak “What?”

Tears sprung in my eyes, this is the first time I saw him scared. “Diesel know everything you did to me. and when you f*****g decide to do it again, I will gladly say it again to him and I promise I will make you pay.”

I don’t know where this courage came from. But right now, I needed this.

“You f*****g—” He slapped me real hard that I can taste my own blood on my lips. "What do you think you can scare me?" He scoffed. "I don't care about Diesel because he's not really one of the Mayhem's. no one will make me scared."

Another slap “If you want me to be afraid and regret everything, I did to you, be a b***h to a real Mayhem." He chuckled darkly that made me cry "You can choose, it's either the Father I'm sure you won't get into trouble." He smirks that I know there is substance behind that. "Or that son that I know you hate. Let's see how far you can go and how big your stomach is."

Another push on my neck but I don’t care anymore, I didn’t even fight back anymore "The next time you repeat your shamelessness, that's not all you'll get. I can kill you and only your mother will be looking for you." He shoved me on my bed hard as he walked out of my room, leaving me a crying scared mess on my own bed. On my own bedroom where I should feel comfortable. But no, this room witnesses all the nasty and ugliness that my Father can offer.

My door opened again as I see Nora on her sleeping wear with a look of worried laced on her face.

She immediately goes to my bed to hug me, to comfort me.

He’s so right in so many things, but he’s wrong about one thing; My mother wasn't the only one who would look for me when he kills me. There's Nora and Diesel.

“Sshh, did he touch you?” She soothes.

I shake my head “He finds out that Diesel knows something about us.”

“I heard it.” She cupped my face to gently wipe my tears away “You did a great job. For telling someone. He may seem to look unbothered, but he is. He’s scared, Corinne. I am sure he won’t touch you again because he knows someone will know. You did a good job.”

I nod my head as I hug Nora tight, I really need my mother right now. but I can’t afford for her to see just how dishevel and a mess I am in exchange for her health securities. She can’t know.

That morning on our dining table, we eat and talk like there’s nothing happened last night. Like he didn’t even threaten to kill his own daughter. Just like what we use to do.

Off course, no one notice, no one even bat an eye on my bruise. I tried my very best to cover up his hand marks around my neck, but I can’t cover up my busted lip. Even if I tried.

But as usual, no one asked.

I don’t know if Martha knows what is happening to me and his husband.

Maybe she knows and decides not to intervene. How can she? She’s like a puppet here in this house, a front to the people who is watching and a means to an end.

I can see Mario looking at me and the bruises from time to time while he drove us to the school. But even him, didn’t ask if me I was okay. I guess he’s just too scared to talk. My father is his boss after all.

“What happened to your face?” that’s Carina who asked me that caught me off guard as I look at her through the mirror.

I can see that the girl still has a goodness on her but kept trying to mask it because of her Mother’s personal vendetta against me.

“Diesel and I got drunk, stumble on the street.” I shrug.

I can hear Mario sighs beside me.

“Stupid.” She mutters. But that makes me smile, because at least she talks to me.

We hop off the car and I said thanks to Mario. Carina got on her circle of friends instantly. and didn’t turn her head to look at me.

I head straight to my locker and I see Blaze walking, he looks at me. Too intently.

“Be a Bitch.” My father’s voice rings through my ears as Blaze passed me by. Blaze is powerful and I am sure he can get me out of that hellhole in no time, but no thanks. I think he’s much scarier than my own father.

A huge hand holds me on my arm that made me turn around to look at who he is.

It’s blaze.

His hands were instantly on the base of my neck and my shoulder blade examining the mark on my neck, he cupped my face harshly, looking at the bruise on my lip.

“What the f**k happened to you?”

He’s second.

He’s the second person who ask what happened to me.

And why does he have this worried look on his face? Why does he even bother to ask me?

“It’s nothing.” I tried to walk passed him, till I find myself leaning on one of the lockers on that hall. I am sure everyone is watching us.

“Blaze, what are you doing?”

He put both his hands on the top of my head on the locker, caging me in.

“It’s not nothing. It’s either you tell me what happened to you or I will f*****g punish everyone in here to admits that they did this. You choose.”

I swallowed hard. He’s not the one who jokes around, if he tells you something, he will do it.

I sighs “I got drunk last night.”

“With whom?” his eyes turn dark.

“With Die—”

“Did he f*****g touch you?” He snaps, and there’s a venom on his voice.

“What? No—”

But before I can finish, he leaves me alone on that hall with everyone’s eyes.

Him and his mood swings.