Whispers in the Wind

CHAPTER SIX

"If I'm such a baby," I paused and swirled my food around my fork, "You should probably stop looking at me like that"

"And how am I looking at you, Miss. Aurelius?" He chuckled and leaned back into his chair, swirling the red liquid around in his glass. He hadn't stopped looking at me. In fact, his gaze made me burn. I didn't bother giving him an answer he already knew. Instead, I wanted some of my own.

"What about you?" I asked, almost struggling to speak over the thickness of my throat.

"What about me, Miss. Aurelius?"

"You went to law school? You're a lawyer, but you're not an old man"

He arched a dark brow. "No, Miss. Aurelius. I'm not an old man"

Clearly, he needed more prodding to keep up.

I know it's not right to offer up information about yourself, but sucks for him because that's how a conversation works and I wasn't going to let him off the hook.

"Where did you graduate from? When did you graduate? And how old are you if you're not an old man but think I'm a baby?"

He really needed to stop being surprised at every word I said or else that brow was going to stay up.

"I graduated college at eighteen, went to Columbia Law school almost instantaneously, then went for my postgraduate degree in Harvard Law from where I graduated a few years later. And," he refilled his glass. "I turn thirty-eight in about a month"

Somehow he seemed both exactly and younger than thirty-seven.

Columbia. Harvard. EIGHTEEN!!??

Damn him!

"You almost seem impressed" he drawled, tilting his head to the side.

I wanted to smack him.

"By you? Never." Then after a while, "Columbia? Harvard? Really?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled. "Too cliché for you?"

"I mean, did it have to be the best? Couldn't it have been one of the lower-ranked ivies" I teased.

He sighed a bit. "Many politicians in my line of work go to Harvard most especially for Law school," he said. "And it pays very well to know politicians in my line of work"

My mouth ran dry.

My finger began drumming ferociously on my lap.

There were times when we talked that I simply forgot what kind of person he truly was. Hypocritical, I know. I wasn't any better, but still...

"I didn't realize corporate lawyers have an interest in politics" I leaned back a bit in my chair, covering my other hand and appraising his reaction.

"Don't insult your own intelligence, Miss. Aurelius," he chided in a playful tone and leaned forward, dropping his voice to be an almost whisper.

"We both know who I am and who I work for, don't we?"

I didn't answer. It was approaching a dangerous territory, and I'd rather leave this conversation be without him suspecting what I was here for. He needed to trust me.

"You say my name a lot." He smiled at the change of subject. "I like it. It suits you" he said.

"Not so heavy a name as 'Russo', but not many can be"

He noted the slight change in expression and leaned a bit closer. I replaced it with a sultry look and delicately brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes, deliberately having my fingers linger near my face as I tucked it behind my ear with a subtle, captivating grace I had perfected years ago.

"You certainly did not learn that in college" his eyes found mine in a heated and intense gaze.

No I did not.

Learning to get what I wanted from people was a skill I honed before even entering high school. It took many forms but they all had the same result at the end.

Except the people I used them on didn't usually know what I was doing. Not like him.

"I don't know what you mean," I frowned. He shook his head in amusement.

"Not bad. Being beautiful must have helped you successfully secure your career as a con artist," he commented in a low tone, almost as if complimenting me.

My finger continued its dance on my lap. I could hear my heart pounding in my ear.

How he knew that, I couldn't tell. But despite my nervousness and my frantically racing heart, I formed an offended face.

"You must be confusing me with someone else entirely, Gio" I replied with a frown. "I’m not sure what kind of women you’re used to, but I can assure you, I don’t play those kinds of games. It'd be more polite to learn more about someone before assuming things about them"

His gaze was still burning on my face. With a smirk, "I apologize if I offended you"

"It's fine" "If you're done with your meal, and if it's fine by you, we should take our leave now and call it a night"

I nodded, still holding the facade I so desperately needed to maintain.

He motioned for the waiter to bring our bill. He paid and we left the restaurant with his hand lingering just at the small of my back.

A simple gesture, eliciting a not-so-simple reaction.

"I'll walk you to your car," he offered. "I don't have a car. I already called a cab" I replied as politely as I could.

"Let me walk you to it then" "No need, Gio. You've done enough already. Tonight's dinner was wonderful. I'll be fine. Besides, you have quite a lot of work remaining so... "

He nodded with a small smile. "Alright, see you tomorrow morning. Thank you very much for honoring my invitation"

"It was my pleasure" and that concluded our night together. We went our separate ways as his car was in the other direction.

I got into my cab and directed it home.

********************************************************

My apartment was at the end of the long hallway. As I walked, I kept reminiscing over the memories of tonight's dinner. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but a business meeting was the last thing that could ever be.

His calling me a con artist could just have been a ruse. If he was sure I was one, there was no way he'd have given my job in the first place. Nevertheless, I needed to be careful.

This man is far smarter and more calculating than I thought.

My key made a double-click as I unlocked it, pulling the door open and stepping into the serene darkness that had fallen over the flat.

I shut the door behind me before switching on the lights.

As soon as light filled the room, something hard slammed into the side of my head. Pain exploded in my skull, a white-hot flash that sent me reeling.

I groaned, stumbling backward, my hand instinctively reaching out to steady myself against the wall. The room spun violently, and my vision blurred at the edges, darkness threatening to consume me.

A figure loomed in front of me. Dressed in all black, his face obscured by a mask, only his eyes were visible—cold, almond-shaped eyes the color of deep forest green, glinting with cruel determination. He was holding a gun, and before I could fully process the threat, his booted foot drove into my side with brutal force.

I cried out, the air rushing from my lungs as I crumpled to the floor. Pain radiated through my ribs, sharp and relentless, each breath a struggle.

He kicked me again, this time harder, the impact jolting through my already bruised and battered body. My world narrowed to a tunnel of agony, each kick blurring into the next until I could no longer tell where one blow ended and the next began.

Then, just as I tried to drag myself away, his hands clamped around my throat. The pressure was instant and unforgiving, cutting off my air and making me gag. My hands flew to his, clawing desperately at his fingers, but his grip was unyielding, like a vise tightening with every passing second.

My vision began to darken, my thoughts growing sluggish as I fought for breath. I had seconds left before I blacked out. Panic surged through me, fueling a final, desperate burst of energy. My fingers scrambled against the floor, searching for anything that could save me. They brushed against something cold and metallic.

A candelabra.

Without thinking, I seized it, the metal cool and solid in my hand. Mustering all the strength I had left, I swung it upward with everything I had, aiming for his head. It connected with a sickening thud, the impact jarring up my arm. His grip on my neck faltered, his eyes widening in surprise as he staggered backward, releasing me.

I gasped as sweet air rushed into my lungs, the relief overwhelming. But I didn’t have time to savor it. The intruder was already regaining his balance, shaking off the blow. I couldn’t let him recover.

Ignoring the pain that racked my body, I pushed myself up, the candelabra still clutched in my trembling hand. He looked up, those green eyes narrowing with renewed fury. He charged at me, but this time, I was ready.

I swung the candelabra again, catching him across the face. He grunted in pain, stumbling back again, but he wasn’t down yet.

He lunged at me, his movements desperate now, and I barely managed to dodge to the side. I struck out again, this time hitting him square in the side. He doubled over, a growl of pain escaping his lips, and I saw my chance. Summoning the last of my strength, I raised the candelabra high and brought it down with all the force I could muster, aiming for his head.

The blow landed with a sickening c***k. He crumpled to the floor, his body finally going still.

I collapsed beside him, my chest heaving with each ragged breath. My vision swam, but I forced myself to stay conscious, to make sure he wasn’t getting back up. But he didn’t move.

I struggled to my feet, every inch of me screaming in pain. The room seemed to close in around me, the walls pressing in as if they too wanted to finish me off. But I couldn’t stay here, not with him lying unconscious on the floor. I had to get out. I had to survive.

Clutching my side where the pain was most intense, I limped toward the door, each step a battle against the agony that threatened to drag me back down. My ribs screamed in protest, but I ignored them, focusing on the cool air that greeted me as I stumbled into the hallway.

The world outside was a blur of muted lights and distant sounds. My breathing was shallow, every inhale a reminder of the broken ribs grinding against each other.

I made it to the street. My vision swam again, but I caught sight of headlights approaching, the soft hum of an engine filling my ears. I stumbled to the curb, waving weakly, praying the driver would see me.

The car slowed, the window rolling down as a concerned face peered out. “Are you alright, Miss?”

“Hospital,” I managed to gasp, my voice barely a whisper. “Please, take me to the hospital.”

The driver nodded quickly, his expression shifting to alarm seeing the state I was in. He hurried out, opening the passenger door for me. I collapsed into the seat, relief washing over me as the car pulled away, carrying me away from the nightmare I’d barely escaped.

As the city lights blurred past, I closed my eyes, allowing myself a moment to breathe, to let the adrenaline drain away.

I was too weak to wrap my head around anything that had just happened. I survived.

And that’s all that matters.

Hello dear reader,

Looks like the consequences of someone's choices are catching up to them.

Stay tuned and stay safe.