Vixen... (ON HOLD)

Chapter 18

Life... I think it's a good thing we all die anyway.
-Ecstaticbloom.

The smell of cigarette smoke was thick in the air, obviously as a result of the many lit cigarettes in the room.

The light in the room was dim.
Dim enough that it didn't hurt anybody's eyes but bright enough that you could see everybody clearly.

I walked towards the scary man who gestured for me to come forward.

Sure he had BR's face but his eyes were what had me almost running.

Looking into his eyes made me feel like I was looking into an abyss. An endless hole filled with terror and vengeance and anger.

He made me feel scared. I didn't want to pick up and run, the fear I felt being in his presence made me want to stand in place and wait for his next command.

It was paralytic.

"I said step forward." His calm voice drifted around the room to me. Only then did I notice that I'd stopped walking, the fear had crippled me before my brain even recognized the fact.

It was a wonder I didn't pee my pants.

I looked towards Luciano who remain stoic at the door. His face was emotionless but funny enough he pulled off the look perfectly.

There was something about his stance that told me, it was ok, not because it was safe, but because he was ready for anything.

I felt somewhat safe with him, which was the worst thing I could feel considering the situation.

But being in a room with these strangers who could probably kill me without batting an eyelid, made me feel safe with the man who had shot the bathroom door because he thought I was with someone.

He looked handsome. But it was scary how emotionless he looked. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he was the only familiar face in the room and I wanted to cling unto some sort of familiarity.

I looked back towards BR's look alike. I stepped towards him and stopped when I got at least two feet away from him.

"Tua madre sceglie bene." The man looked at Luciano who turned his attention to me at his father's words. (Your mother choose well.)

"La mamma non la conosceva." (Mother didn't know her.) "But I couldn't agree more." A small smile played across his lips but it disappeared as soon as he looked around the room. Almost like he'd forgotten he wasn't alone.

"All the same." The man waved his hand holding the cigar around kinda like he was dismissing Luciano.

"Open your palm." He gestured to the hand that I clutched shut by my side. Trying to pinch my fingers to distract myself from my fear.

BR would always take a hold of my hand in situations like these. It always bothered him when I'd press my thumb into my finger tips.

I loosened my palm and looked at him. Why?

"Porta let carte." He gestured to someone I couldn't see behind him. (Bring the cards.)

A tall dark skinned man walked out with a little box.

He opened the box and took out a couple of cards.

What are they doing? I looked towards Luciano but he looked straight ahead.

The 'card bearer' I'm gonna call him that, shuffled the cards.

Luciano said I was gonna swear to something, did he mean the cards? How do you swear to cards?