"Oh god," Paul said blinking away his tears he continued, "That was emotional." But acting like he was wiping his tears away in a dramatic manner.
I chuckled lightly blinking my tears away, I said "Yeah, that was."
"At that time, I was already on your search but before me Zac himself found you. Right?" Paul said remembering the past.
"Yes, a few days after Jason was gone Zac's men came to foster. They were searching for me. I was terrified, so I jumped from my window and ran. I kept running and running till I didn't feel my legs. Needing rest, I went to a garden and sat on the bench. When I was about to sleep, I heard Zac's shouting. And then I was doomed. He caught me." I said sipping the rich red liquid from my glass.
"I got a call from him and he told me to stop the search as he found you. But, how did you exactly run from him? His gang is a most dangerous one and you were able to run out from that is impressive." He said holding an impressive face but also a frown of confusion, to which I just smiled.
"I worked for it, Paul. Very hard. They dint make it easy for me to be alive. The torcher was unbearable that at a point I felt I was going to die." I said truthfully.
"Dint that what he wanted?... To kill you." He asked
"Yes, he wanted to kill me. But also, torcher me slowly and he wanted me to beg him to kill me. Which I never did. And his ego was hurt that an 11-year-old girl killed his only son and also wasn't terrified when the death came near." I said with a proud smirk which he returned.
"How did you manage to run from there? Did someone help you from his gang?" he asked.
"My brother," I said with a smile as I thought of him.
"You have a brother?!" he asked completely shocked and confusion ran into his eyes.
"Yes, I do … Not the real one, though," I said, he said anything so I continued.
"After Zac caught me, he put me in his one of the prisons. In the basement. He wanted to kill me but without killing me. So, every day he, use to come at the same time to torture me. Beat me. He tried every knife he had on me. From slicing my leg to my face. And this was going on for around one year. One whole year Paul. I kept on going on, like that." I said sipping my wine again.
"How are you even alive after so much torture?" he asked me with pity in his eyes. I clenched my jaw as I hate seeing pity in people's eyes for me, but I swallowed my anger again with wine and answered his question.
"That's where my brother comes in. Conner." I said with a smirk as the realization hit Paul like a fucking brick.
"Conner? Zac's nephew?!" he asked me as he kept his wine glass on the table clearly confused and utterly shocked.
"Yes, Conner King, Zac's nephew," I said with a grin.
"But, why would he help you and go again to his only family that was Oliver?" Paul asked
"Because he knew his uncle was a monster that he was not. Yes, he is a part of Zac's gang and all but he respects women and children. He is the only human in that house. The only person who has actual humanity. Only because of him I am alive today. He never went against his leader that is Zac. But took care of me like a brother and made sure I didn't die. Every day after Zac would punish me or torture me, Conner use to visit me. He used to give me medicines, painkillers, and vitamins tablets. He never bandaged my wounds because he never wanted Oliver to know that someone was helping me. One day he came into the cell after Zac has beaten me to death, again …
"Rea?" I heard as I slowly opened my eyes.
"Hey, look at me. Rea?!" someone said. I felt someone touching my cheeks but the pain I was feeling was too immense that I was not able to do anything.
After trying, I opened my eyes slightly and tried to focus my vision. I saw a man in his early twenties, blond hair, light blue eyes which held worry and sadness that were looking at me. And I recognize them immediately.
"Conner?" I breathed out.
"Yeah Rea, it's me. Keep your eyes on me and I need you to take some medicines for me please." He said with a pleading voice and I nodded weakly. He made me sit in a corner leaning to walls for support.
After taking the medicines I sighed. I saw Conner kneeling in front of me with worried and sad expressions.
"Don't worry brother. I am okay." I said with a weak smile.
"Yeah. I can see that, Rea." He said rubbing his hands over his face.
"I need you to listen to me very carefully Rea." He said looking straight into my eyes and I nodded my head to let him know I am listening.
"I am getting you out tonight." He said sternly.
"What?" I said in disbelieve. I know how tight security is around here as Zac has so many people in his basement. All of them are his enemies though. The security is for enemies not for family. He doesn't have a family except for Conner because I killed his only son. Ha! Funny, and satisfying actually.
"I have done all the arrangements you only have to do one thing, run. You will get out of the basement through the back door which is from the kitchen. When Mary will bring food for everyone in the next one hour you have to get in the trolly. Don't worry I have set marry and the trolly has curtains from outside. Then Marry will take you to the kitchen and from there you have to run a little. I have my man with the car ready on the road, they will get you far from here. You just have to make the running possible Rea." He explained me.
"Where will you be while this all going on?" I asked softly.
"Distracting my uncle." He replied shrugging.
"Here take this." He continued and gave me a bundle of cash and a piece of paper. There were two contact numbers.
"This one is mine and the other one is of Lucy's. If there is an emergency and I don't pick up the call just give a call to Lucy." He said and I nodded my head. Lucy is Conner's girlfriend who knows about me.
"Okay, so only one thing I have to do is run. Well, that is easy brother. Looking at my current state I can guarantee you that I will be very much successful in running." I said, sarcasm dripping my voice to which he rolled his eyes at me.
"Rea, that's the reason I gave you the medicines right now. They are painkillers and that to the strong ones. Yes, but after some time when they will stop working, you will feel the pain doubled. Like a very bad pain." He explained
"Oh, God Conner! That is not helping." I said closing my eyes and gathering everything in my mind. He chuckled lowly showing his dimples.
Yes, I want to go out of here, but I want to kill that Zac first. He tortured me bad, really bad and I will take revenge on him. But that won't be possible if I just kept sitting here, … I have to keep going on.
"I'll do it," I said with a smile which he returned.
"Good choice." He said sarcastically to which I rolled my eyes.