"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I couldn't protect you."
๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Aurelia remained silent. She knew it wasn't Rocco's fault. She had already forgiven him of anything he could ever do when he saved her from Jimmy.
"Come up the stairs now!" the man without a badge yelled.ย
Aurelia and Rocco reluctantly stepped up the stairs, anxious about what would happen next.ย
As soon as they got to the top of the stairs, the men slid their machine guns into their utility belts and handcuffed them.
"You both were stupid for running down the stairs thinking we wouldn't catch you," one of them said as he handcuffed Rocco. "We literally have guns. You're lucky we didn't blow your head off."
Rocco tried to squirm out of the man's grip, but he was too strong.ย
"Don't try it, boy." The man tightened his grip around Rocco's wrist.
"Who sent you?!" Rocco yelled to both the men.
The man with a glued-on mustache chuckled. "I see you've noticed we're not from the FBI."
"Answer me!"
"Don't get loud with me," the man replied. He had finished handcuffing Rocco and held his machine gun in his arms. "We've been sent from your master, of course."
"He will never be my master! To hell with him!"
"Shut up, harlot. He's your master. If he wasn't, you wouldn't have known who I was talking about. In fact, you should be thanking him. The only reason I haven't blown your insides up is because he told me not to kill you both, he'll finish you both off himself. What an unfortunate fate."
Rocco felt a surge of rage course through him, his face flushing with anger. The man's dismissive words struck a nerve, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest like a war drum. Normally, he thought carefully before he made a move but this time, he couldn't control himself.
Surprised, the man let out a horrible scream as Rocco looked over his shoulder and swiftly back-kicked the man, aiming for his crotch. The machine gun fell as he dropped to the floor and cupped his balls.ย
Rocco firmly stomped on the crying man's neck, killing him. He then quickly planted a roundhouse kick on the other man's stomach. Unfortunately, he had underestimated how strong he was.
This man's abs were made of steel. He immediately let go of Aurelia's wrists, dropping the handcuffs, then tightly grabbed Rocco's ankle before he could even put his foot down from the kick.
"You don't know who you're dealing with," the man smirked.ย
Aurelia used the chance to book it. She ran past the scene and into the living room, promising to return to save Rocco. She was headed to the front door to leave the house but froze when she saw Jimmy's frail figure seated on the couch.
He was smirking while holding a .38 Special revolver and made sure that Aurelia took note of the fact that he had the power to paint the walls with her insides.
"Going somewhere?" Jimmy taunted, his voice dripping with malicious delight.
The power of the weapon hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the danger Aurelia was in. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but the sight of Jimmy's smug expression ignited a fire of defiance within her.
"Leave us alone, Jimmy," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. She took a cautious step forward, determined to show that she wouldn't be intimidated.
"Oh, look at that!" Jimmy smirked. "A little puppy is commanding its master."
The man tightly gripping Light's wrists guffawed along with Jimmy.
Aurelia turned behind her to see Light's expression covered with fear. She felt guilty and completely responsible for his look of terror. If only she and Rocco had simply left the house, Jimmy wouldn't have put Light through his torture.ย
"Jimmy, you're my husband," Aurelia said, though she didn't mean any word that came out of her mouth. "You're not my master! Let's just forget about all this."
Jimmy stood up. "I thought we already discussed this 'husband and wife' bullshit."
He was wearing a leg brace and walked with a stroller. He stepped toward Aurelia as she took some steps back. This continued until she bumped into Rocco, who was being pushed forward by one of the muscular men.
"Move forward, quim," the man said to Aurelia. "You nearly fell into your little friend. Go hug your master."
Aurelia walked forward but avoided any physical contact with Jimmy. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears from anxiety and anger.
Jimmy's smirk changed to a terrifying sneer the moment he saw Rocco. "Rocco, my dear. How've you been?"
Rocco rolled his eyes and remained silent.
"You should give me an answer when I ask you a question."
Rocco opened his mouth to say something rude but the man behind him gave him a tight slap on his cheek.
"Answer!" he yelled.
Rocco frowned and tried to stomach the pain. "Good."
"Good who?" Jimmy smirked.
Rocco said nothing.
The muscular man firmly grasped his shoulder. "Good who?" he repeated the question, his voice a low snarl.
"G-good, Master."
Aurelia looked into Rocco's eyes, and what she saw there made her heart ache. They were wide with a mix of embarrassment and fear, a storm of anxiety brewing just beneath the surface. Rocco shifted his gaze, unable to hold her stare. Aurelia could feel his tension radiating, a palpable energy that spoke of all the insecurities he battled within.
Jimmy grinned. "That's good. Well, I've been terrible ever since you broke my leg. It hasn't been easy getting around. Thank goodness for my wonderful doctor."
Your doctor should've murdered you, Aurelia thought.
Jimmy turned to the man grasping Rocco's shoulder. "Where is Ryder?"
"Your little pet killed him," he replied, his expression unfazed.
The two men were speaking as if his life mattered nothing.
I'll never be his pet, Rocco thought.
"Oh wow, Rocco," Jimmy smirked. "How very brave of you. I wonder how you managed to do that to a guy who lifts dumbells heavier than your weight doubled. Good for him. He deserved to die if he wasn't able to defend himself over a twit like you. All that muscle for nothing."
Aurelia was in disbelief. She couldn't comprehend how Jimmy could speak so coldly about the death of one of his men in a calm tone.
"So here's the plan," Jimmy said. "Rocco and Aurelia, you both and my men are going in my car and we'll drive off to my mansion. I'll find out what to do with you both when we arrive."
Aurelia's heart raced as she processed Jimmy's words, the weight of the situation crashing down on her. Rocco's jaw tightened. The casual cruelty in Jimmy's voice felt like a knife twisting deeper with every syllable, and Rocco's anger simmered with every word that came out of Jimmy's mouth.
"You think you can just take us like this?" Rocco spat, his voice low and dangerous.
He squirmed around, trying his best to free himself from the grip of the muscular man. The humiliation of being treated as a pawn gnawed at him, fueling his resolve.
Jimmy's smirk widened, clearly enjoying the power he held over them. "Oh, I can do much worse, Rocco. But I think a little ride will be good for you. A chance to reflect on your actions."
Rocco looked back at his father, a wave of desperation crashing over him. "What about my father? Let him go!"
"Yes, let me go!" Light said, finally finding his voice, but there was an edge of fear in it that sent a chill down Rocco's spine.
Jimmy considered for a moment. "Hmm... fine. I'll be the nice guy. Zen, let him go."
Zen, the man firmly holding Light, released his grasp almost instantly, making Light gasp for air. He hadn't realized that he had been holding his breath that entire time.
Jimmy's smile faded as he raised his hand, aiming his revolver toward Light's head. Rocco and Aurelia flinched, their hearts pounding in sync with the dread that filled the air.
BANG!
As Light dropped to the floor, the deafening sound echoed in the room, and Rocco felt his world tilt as he processed what had just happened. Time seemed to slow. He couldn't believe it. A part of him hoped it was just a cruel trick, but the reality crashed down like a heavy weight.
"As you can see, I've got that all taken care of," Jimmy said, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
Rocco's heart raced, his mind a chaotic whirl of disbelief and rage. He felt like he was drowning in despair, each breath heavier than the last. His mouth remained open in an eternal gasp, too shocked to utter a word.
Jimmy lowered his hand and slipped his gun into his pocket. "Let's go, then. We've got a long drive ahead."
Rocco's gaze flicked to Aurelia, who looked equally as stunned, her eyes wide with shock. He knew they had to move, but a storm of emotions raged inside himโanger, grief, and an overwhelming desire for revenge. He couldn't let this be the end. He had to find a way to fight back, to honor his father's memory and protect Aurelia at all costs. He would never accept being Jimmy's pet, not now and not ever.
As they were herded toward the car, Rocco made a silent vow: he would not allow Jimmy to win.