𝐑𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 ✓

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

RopeBurn

"I don't really feel like fighting
Don't make me get violent"

Elvira

↽———⋆♥︎⋆———⇁

Between the constant repairs and monthly bills, living off of the wage of a bookstore owner hadn't been fairly easy. Between the money spent on books and keeping myself fed money had been tight lately. So tight that I didn't have the money to spent on a plane ticket that left in two minutes. So what did that leave me, really?

Alexei? Sure, if I was willing to have him killed just for the slim chance of my escape. He was a college student, he wouldn't have the money to get me out of Russia. Involving him now was foolish anyways. Marco certainly knew about him, especially if he knew I was here. The safest option for everyone involved would be to go with Marco willingly.

I hadn't spent two fucking years working my ass to stay afloat, though. Who in their right minds would just give up? Surely he knew this, of course he knew this. As much as I hated to admit it, Marco likely knew more about me than my own mother did. Every specific detail that I thought would be hidden to everyone seemed to be a library of information to him. He made it seem as though everything I had every said or done was on record.

Running wasn't really an option, no.

The best way out of this was the waiting game, and hoping to god that the police in Russia weren't in Marco Russo's pocket. Unless Marco was strong enough to bust through the steal door to my bedroom he wouldn't make it to me in time before the police arrived. He may have had diplomatic immunity in America, but the likelihood of him having it in Russia was slim. If he would have, he would know Russian. Locking the door to the front of the shop was pointless, as Marco could shoot out the windows and make his way out into the shop. Sure it would take more time to do but it was pointless. I'd need to lure him in the shop, then retreat to my room.

The grandfather clock chimed seven time, each time nearly shaking me out of my chair. I was itching to see Marco again. Part of me wanted to kill the bastard, and the other half? I released a deep breath, my hands moving into my hair and pulling at the fake blonde ends. My eyes were overly irritated from leaving the contacts in overnight, and surely my scalp smelled like anything but unicorns and rainbows.. God I was a mess.

Ding!

My eyes moved to the front door, the breath in my lungs moved out and past my lips. "Hello? We're closed." I knew it wasn't a customer, but I needed to hear his voice. Needed to be absolutely sure that it was him and not just my insanity driving me mad. Perhaps she didn't say my name, perhaps it was just coincidence. I hadn't seen the girl before, maybe she had nothing to do with Marco. No one answered to my words, making me feel as though I had been imagining the entire the scenario in my head.

Before my eyes could come to a close a loud whistle could be heard, the beat was unfamiliar. It didn't take a genius to understand that when you heard someone whistle without presenting themselves in front of you, you run. My legs moved before my brain could process it. Within seconds my feet had reached the rusted spiral steps, quickly ascending up as fast as I could manage.

The whistling quickly ceased, footsteps coming closer to me. "I thought you promised not to run, Micetta. I kept my end of the deal yet you won't keep your own?" I could practically hear the smile plastered across his face. Not only that, but I could hear the change.

"Go to hell, Russo!" The stairs wobbled underneath me. The speed at which I was going kept causing me to slip, going in circles made me dizzy.

"Been there, done that. Personally I prefer Italy." He stood at the bottom of the stairs, not trying to come up after me. Did he know the stairs were limited to one person at a time. I lost my footing once again, this time though my entire body clashed against the rusted stairs. "Jesus Elvira you're going to hurt yourself! Slow down." I only caught a glimpse of his worried expression before I heard two metal pieces hit the floor.

My eyes traveled to the floor until they met Two large metal screws, then upwards to where I saw the staircase no longer bolted to the top floor. If I ever met Alexei again, I'd kill him for leaving this death trap in my store. I'd then dance on his grave for charging me to fix the bloody staircase after leaving it broken.

Marco must have noticed the bolts too, "Don't move." he said, his tone had turned from playful to serious. It was almost as if he was yelling at me for having terrible luck. His hands moved to the bottom of the staircase to keep it steady. "Come down, slowly." Carefully I stood from my spot, the staircase wobbling.

"I'm not going down to you Marco, I'm not going back to Italy." I took a step up, the stairs nearly toppled from my movement.

The sound of Marco straining could be heard from beneath me. "Goddammit Elvira, Come down here this instant. You're going to topple the staircase if you go any higher." He remained calm, despite the situation.

Luckily one of us was, because I felt as though I was going to go insane. Even being at this height on the staircase had always bothered me. Now being this high and being unstable didn't help ease my discomfort. "I told you, I'm not going back there dammit." Despite my words I made no more movements to ascend the staircase.

"I'm taking you home, Elvira. Getting past that door won't help you escape that. Even if you manage to reach the top I know that you hide your spare key in the flowerpot of lilacs for Alexei when you sleep in." Of course I forgot the fucking spare key. Goddamn Alexei, I knew he'd be the reason I ended up dead in a ditch somewhere.

"Italy is your home Marco, I refuse to go back there!" I reached the railing to the step ahead of me and prepared myself to take another step.

"Your family is there, Elvira. All of them are waiting on you." My foot stayed where it was, my heart pounded at the thought. He had all of my family right in Italy?

"You bastard, Don't you hurt them!" I leaned over the railing to scream at him without thinking ahead. The Staircase began to tilt once again.

"Irene!" The staircase became steady, my eyes now moved to the Dark brown haired boy that stood next to Marco at the bottom. "Are you fucking insane?! Get down here right now!" Marcos eyes never left my body, though I could just barely see the vein popping out from the side of his head.

It wouldn't take long for him to reach his limit with me, except unlike before he had something right in front of him to keep me in line. "Alexei you need to get out of here right now, I'll deal with you later!" Later was unlikely.

"If you don't come down these steps I'll shake them like a Goddamn apple tree until you fall out." He snapped back, his eyes barely traveling to the man beside him. He had no idea just how much danger he was truly in.

"I'll shoot you in the knee before you even begin to shake this staircase." It was hard for me to make out what Marco said, but by the expression on Alexei's face I knew it wasn't a sweet greeting. "Come down Elvira, We have a jet to board."

"Jet? Elvira? What the hell is he blabbing about Irene?" Alexei turned his attention from Marco to me, his eyes wide and his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

And just when I thought my day couldn't get any fucking worse.

↽———⋆♥︎⋆———⇁
Song - Violent / carolesdaughter
unedited

I hate cliffhangers when reading, really I do. Ever since I've begun writing though, it's quite nice.

How are you all handling school?
Or, if you are no longer in school, how is work?