He glanced back at Aurelia, their silent understanding reinforcing the resolve in his heart. They might be trapped for now, but he wouldn't give up. Not when there was still a chance.
๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐
As Jimmy left his mansion to attend his meeting, Rocco sighed and sat on a blue sofa.ย
There has to be a way for me and Aurelia to escape, he thought.ย I am going to make a plan with Aurelia. Hopefully, it doesn't backfire.
Rocco stood up and grabbed Aurelia's hand. "Follow me. I need to talk to you," he said quietly, hoping Xander wouldn't follow them.
He began to walk toward the staircase with Aurelia but Xander followed them.
"I hope you both know I'll follow you wherever you go," he warned.
Rocco frowned. "So you're going to follow us to the bathroom, you pervert?"
"Yes, and what are you both even going to do in the bathroom?" Xander asked. "Use it together? Seems I'm not the only pervert here."
Aurelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. He's like a little brother to me. Plus, he's only seventeen. I'm not a pedo."
"Well, I'd hope not," Xander replied.
"I'm not the one following a seventeen-year-old to the bathroom."
"Technically, you are. He grabbed your hand and told you to follow him, and you began to."
"Oh, shut up. You think you're so funny."
Rocco pursed his lips. "You guys are talking about me like I'm not here."
Aurelia looked at Rocco and quickly flashed him a half-smile. "Sorry, Rox."
"Are you both going to the bathroom or not?" Xander said impatiently.
"We're not," Rocco replied.ย
How can I escape with Xander around? he thought.ย There is absolutely nothing I can do. He has a gun... but Jimmy instructed him not to kill us. Maybe I can use that factor to my advantage!
Xander must've read his mind through his hopeful eyes because he smiled sardonicly. "I love how you both are thinking of ways to escape, but you're mistaken if you believe you even have the slightest chance. I may not be able to use my machine gun but I have a Taser gun. I can use that one however I please, and you're lucky I haven't shut you up by now."
Rocco felt a chill at Xander's words and a wave of despair washed over him. Thick tears pricked the corners of his eyes. The threat in Xander's tone was clear, sending a surge of anxiety through Rocco's being.
"Why do you treat us like this?" he cried. "You gain nothing from being a monster! Being kind is easier than treating others like trash!"
Xander's expression shifted, momentarily taken aback by Rocco's outburst. He quickly recovered, though, a smirk returning to his face. "You think kindness makes you strong? It just makes you soft. Out here, strength is all that matters."
Rocco took a step toward Xander. "You're wrong. Strength comes from compassion and standing up for others, not from fear and cruelty."
Xander rolled his eyes, dismissing his words with a wave of his hand. "You're so naive. In this world, it's the strong who get to decide how things go."
Aurelia frowned, her heart sinking. She knew Xander was right in a twisted sense. The world they found themselves in often rewarded power and intimidation over compassion.
"To be completely honest with you both," Xander said as a strange smile spread across his face. "I'm not cruel. I think of myself as an extremely nice guy, in fact. I have a wife and two kids, and they love me more than I love myself."
Rocco stared at him, bewildered. "How can you say that while treating us like this?"
Xander shrugged, his smirk unwavering. "It's simple. I provide for my family, and I do what I need to do to keep them safe. Sometimes that means making hard choices. You wouldn't understand."
Aurelia shook her head, frustration bubbling inside her. "You think being a monster is justified just because you have responsibilities?"
"Itย is justified. You have no idea the lengths I'll go for the ones I love," Xander muttered. He raised his voice. "You see, I'm getting paid twenty million dollars every year to fight for Jimmy. I am set. For life. For myย family's lives. My beautiful girls are seven and ten, and they're smarter than most adults. They go to the best private school in Nevada and their grades reflect their intelligence."
"Oh wow, good for them," Aurelia mumbled as she crossed her arms. "Do you want a cookie?"
She tried to seem unbothered by Xander's words, but deep down, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Aurelia had always wished for a father who cared about her and her education as much as Xander did for his kids.
Her father and Xander were similar in a lot of ways. They both had raven black hair, hundreds of tattoos, and a tendency to be a dick. But they had just one difference that pissed Aurelia off. Xander was a dick because he wanted to provide for his family. Her father was a dick well because... he just wanted to be.
"I don't want a cookie, but I can provide my kids with all the cookies they want," Xander said, his tone laced with arrogance. "You see, that's the difference between me and your dad. I'm there for my girls. They're going to grow up to be independent, world-changing doctors, businesswomen, or engineers... not lazy sluts like you."
Aurelia felt her heart race, a mix of anger and pain surging through her. "What the fuck did you just call me?"
Rocco felt a surge of anger at Xander's comment. The way Xander belittled Aurelia struck a nerve, and Rocco's fists clenched at his sides. He couldn't stand how Xander portrayed himself as a devoted father while using his children as a shield for his cruelty.
"Who the hell do you think you are to judge her?" Rocco hissed.
Xander laughed. "Hey, hey, hey. Calm down, kids."
"I'm twenty-two."
"Then act your age. Enough talk from the both of you."
"Fine," Aurelia muttered. "But the only reason I'm not talking is because I want to, not because you told me to."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Xander smirked.
Rocco let out a deep sigh and crossed his arms tightly against his chest. The frustration of being trapped gnawed at him, and he despised feeling so powerless. He hated how he was trapped in a huge mansion with no escapes.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. Maybe there was a way to be free from this hell after all.