*Lucia*
I had given up. I didn’t think any miracle would happen. I just realized that this place I was in with Steve may be very far, a place Bruno would never have been able to figure out so easily. Steve had unexplainable joy in his eyes, as if the world was doing him the biggest favor by allowing him to wrap his hands on me. His grip around my neck turned tighter, and air seemed difficult; strength seeped away from me with each minute.
But I never stopped struggling, even though it seemed fruitless. Just when I thought it was all over for me, there was a thud; Steve was distracted for a while. He turned to the door quickly, but that thud wasn’t enough for him to let me go. But he didn’t need to ask, he was soon wrapped and thrown away from me.
Bruno.
I felt I was seeing things; Bruno was here. Steve’s grip around my neck loosened, and I fell to the ground. My hands wrapped around my neck as I struggled for air. “Lucia, are you alright?” Bruno asked, walking to me.
I tried to sit, but it was fruitless, and he gave me a hand. I shook my head, not wanting him to remove his eyes from Steve for even a second. “I’m okay. Take care of him first,” I said, and slowly, he dropped me before muttering something under his breath.
I’ve been waiting for you for a long time; what took you so long?” Steve asked. His eyes moved to Bruno’s bandaged arm. “It seems you are a lot better,” he said.
“You dare to touch her?” He asked, his eyes shining with anger. “The nerve of you,” he growled. His finger was clenched; I had never seen him so angry.
“Oh, we had a pretty good time,” Steve’s eyes moved towards me, “she is quite strong. I guess she was trained behind closed doors as she used to be a weakling.” He said.
Bruno wasn’t one to waste time on talking. His gun was secure on his back. He took one step to Steve and the next. Steve wasn’t afraid. It was as if he had something he relied on. “I have dreamed of this moment, you know,” he said, pausing, looking at both of us, “a moment where you both die together in front of me and each time I couldn’t hope for something more,” he said.
Bruno was close; Steve brought out what looked like a gun and pointed it at Bruno. He pulled the trigger immediately and shot Bruno. My heart sank immediately when I saw him shoot Bruno in his chest. I didn’t know when I stood up and ran towards him. But Bruno was still standing.
There was no blood, no nothing.
It wasn’t a bullet. “You must be wondering what that is,” he said.
“And you think that will save you?” Bruno asked, taking another step. But I noticed the step was heavier. “no, it will weaken you. You are the one who should be hoping to get saved, not the other way around,” Steve said.
I knew he had something he was hiding. Something that gave him the moral to do whatever he was doing. Regardless, Bruno walked up to him and landed a blow at him, “it will take more than that to bring me down,” he said.
“You think so?” Steve raised the gun, about to pull the trigger again, but Bruno was quicker and more efficient. He moved like water, holding Steve’s hands and twisting them until the gun fell. In front of Bruno, Steve was like an ant. Bruno towered over him.
With one hand, he grabbed Steve and threw him on his shoulders. Steve’s body hit the ground with a thud. Bruno staggered. Whatever the hell Steve shot him with was working. I wanted to help, but I was still weak, and Bruno was still doing fine.
Bruno went close to Steve; he was about to pick him up when Steve kicked him. Bruno moved. Steve stood up and landed a blow on Bruno who dodged before the blow would hit him. He held Steve’s shirt and started landing one blow after the other on him.
Steve also hit him. He wasn’t going down easily. Bruno was struggling. “You are quite strong I must say. You’re worthy of being the king of all assassins.” Steve said. Bruno landed a blow on his mouth to shut him up but he ducked and landed a blow on Bruno in return.
“It takes three minutes for this to work for normal, but I guess you are abnormal,” Bruno staggered back. He was weak, he couldn’t control his body. He raised his hands but dropped them, “and here I was thinking you were man enough to fight me without relying on anything,” Bruno taunted.
“Guess I am a coward and would always remain one,”
“You prick,” Bruno tried to steady himself and land a blow, but Steve carefully moved to the side, and Bruno launched the air and staggered forward again. Steve turned to me. “I guess your hero isn’t strong enough to fight with me,” he says.
I gritted my teeth. I stood up, moving to Bruno’s side. With the final kick, Bruno was lying on the floor. “Bruno, what’s wrong? What did you do to him?” I asked Steve at the top of my voice.
“What do you think I did to him?” He asked back. Bruno’s body was cold. He was covered in sweat. His chest was hard as I rubbed my hands around it. I laid on his chest and then checked his breath by putting my ear in his mouth and nose. He was still breathing.
“It took me a long time to figure this out.” Steve began walking around.
“Undo what you did to him now,” I commanded.
“You make it sound like I listen to you,” he said.
“Why won’t you listen? Sarah died as a result of her wickedness, and you think you will get away with this?” I asked him. “You should have noticed that you have never won against me. Evil will never win against good.” I said. This was one thing I believed in.
Evil will never win against good. “Well, who dictates what’s evil and what’s good?” He asked. Bruno clenched his fist. He couldn’t move his body. I wished and prayed that we get out of here alive.
“I dictate what’s evil and good and stop looking at the door. No one is going to come save you now. It’s you, your love, and me.” He said.
“I will kill you,” I yelled.
“Let’s see.” my chest heaved up and down. Bruno, I could hear us, but he couldn’t do shit, and here I was, able to move but with little chance to save us.
“What other surprise do you have for us? You are going to kill us in the first place, so you must as well have something to do with us.” He ticked his tongue.
“Why should I tell you?”
“I will be dying soon, as you said.” I reminded him that he had nothing more to fear. But he didn’t move himself.
“Well, the plan, what is the plan?” He asked himself.
“I would have loved to keep you with me, Lucia.” I raised my eyes. “You’re sick,” I said.
“I know. How could I have fallen for you?” My eyes widened in shock. He didn’t seem to be joking. He had no reason to. I could feel the anger radiating from Bruno. “If only you weren’t my sister’s enemy.” He said.
He walked in front of me and bent down to meet my eye, “You were beautiful. You still are very much attractive,” he used his Index finger to raise my jaw. I felt disgusted but kept calm. I needed to be patient.
“But I’m having a rethink. With him down, I can keep you for myself, and together, we can take over Bruno’s club,” he said.
“I will fucking Kill you,” Bruno said.
“And I’d like to see you try.”
“Well, I am not interested in whatever game you are playing. Have you taken a look at yourself? You are too ugly how do you expect me to walk around with you? People will think I am walking around with an animal.” I said.
The best way to anger a man is to talk about his looks and make him insecure. Steve dug his finger into his back packet. Whatever I was doing was working, and I was glad.
“Fine. Suit yourself, then. But don’t blame me when you get to hell. I did give you a chance.” He said.
“I won’t forget to pass your regards to your sister. I bet she would be happy to hear from you,” I said.
“I have a room filled with over a thousand rats at the side. I thought about it, and that would be the best place to put you guys. I heard rat bites are painful. You’d have the most painful death ever.”
I hold his gaze. He suddenly smiles. “Who wants to go first?” He asked. He moved to Bruno, bending down to place a hand on Bruno’s chest.
Bruno held his hand on his chest, and I saw Steve’s eyes widen in surprise and fear pass through it, “how about you?” He asked.
“How on earth?” Steve was surprised.
Slowly, Bruno sat up. His hands gripping Steve’s hand. “It has been such a long time since I played with someone. And you, boy, was worth it.” It was my turn to break into a smile.
When I touched his chest, I discovered he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Whatever Steve has shot him with didn’t go through. And he was pretending. When I bent down, he told me he wanted to play with Steve. That was what he whispered into my ears.
“Surprise! Surprise!!” I said. I loved the look on Steve’s face. “Who would have thought the table would turn so soon.”
“How is this…”
“Possible?” Bruno completed. He was not standing on his feet, and he helped Steve to stand, too. Steve used his other free hand to take a dagger from his trousers and lifted it. He wanted to stab Bruno. I didn’t flinch at first but did when Bruno held the dagger with his hands, stopping it from hitting his face or chest.
Blood dripped down his palm.
“Decided to play after a long time. Bet that was worth it. Thought it would be nice to make you get a taste of victory before bringing how bad you lost to me,” I said. The dagger fell to the floor.
Bruno punched Steve in the face. He kept him in place, holding him by the collar. Steve tried to fight back, but Bruno stopped him and kept landing one punch after the other until Steve could no longer handle another.
“He dragged him to the middle of the room, where the chair I had been tied was. “Which hands did you use to hurt her? And the nerve of you to try to confess to her? What? You want my club?” Bruno lets out a laugh.
Steve had blood on the corner of his lips. He has been beaten badly by Bruno. “How about I give you something else? Now tell me. Which hands was it? Or was it both hands?” Seeing that Steve wasn’t responding, Bruno concluded, “It must be both hands then,” he said.
He brought out a dagger, “I’ll help you with that since you no longer need them.” Fear passes through Steve’s eyes. But before he could say any word, Bruno cut off one of his hands with his dagger, which was a bit longer than any dagger should be, and I began wondering how he managed to hide it.
Steve lets out a loud, painful shout.
“And you mentioned one room filled with rats; there are over a thousand rats in that room, right?”
Without another word, he cut off Steve’s other hand. Another scream echoed in the room. Bruno dragged Steve to the floor. His blood was flowing. Steve was pleased, but Bruno turned a deaf ear, even though I could never forgive him for everything he had done.
The room Steve mentioned was on the left. Before Bruno could open it, I tapped Steve’s shoulder. “Evil can never succeed against good,” I reminded him. Bruno opened the door.
The sound of rat Chirps and squeaks filled the air. He threw Steve inside and locked the door immediately. No one needed to tell us that the rats began to feast on him immediately as he let out a loud scream.
I collapsed on Bruno. “It’s finally over,” and suddenly, everything turned blank.