Traded In

Chapter 12

"Chris-t-toph"

I got back to my senses. My hands slipped from his collar and he weightlessly fell to the ground.

She reached out to me her hands covered in her own blood.

She didn't deserve this.

I knelt down before her and held her in my arms. She could barely hold on to me, her breathing was slow and heavy. Tears seeping from her ducts, I... I felt empathetic towards her, empathic towards someone for possibly the first time.

Two days noticeably went by and she still hadn't regained consciousness. I was beginning to worry a little.

Her presence was very prominent, I just realised and I guess I did enjoy having her around and blabbering nonsense all the time. But the more I got to think about it, the clearer it became that she wasn't safe with me. And the fact that I was stalling, basically unsure of what to do with her..... She had something undone within me.

My earlier decision to sell her off to traffickers, I overruled...maybe Italy.

I poured a generous measure of whisky into a glass, picked it up and stared at it. I needed this. Fuck I needed the whole bottle. I took the bottle in one hand sipping from my glass as I walked to the living area.

I had the guy that evaded my mansion taken care of. And my brothers took on the job of finding Antonio, the fool responsible for this, while I dealt with the corporate work and some personal things.

I sighed undoing my tie as I walked to the living room. Occasionally taking gulps of my drink. And then, "Christoph?" Her voice rang softly, yet shaky. I turned to her my gazing falling on her body. I was glad, relieved that she was conscious. "Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"What happened?" Her tone edgy and curious. She held my gaze, as we stood in silence, she awaited my response.

"I'm sorry Leilani." I said sincerely, before I turned away, she huffed a chuckle taking a few steps forward. "You finally said sorry, I thought you didn't know how to apologise." A teasing  note laced in her tone.

"I only apologise when I see fit." I said flatly to which she gave a brief nod.

"Is everything okay, why-"

"Shouldn't you be asleep Kaele?!" My tone heightened, I sighed turing to her once more. "It's late you be resting." I said, my tone lower this time. I had to be cautious of her condition, her body was still bruised, cut and she obviously was in a lot of pain.

"I've been unconscious for two days. The nurse said I can move around a bit but not strain." she voiced dryly playing with her fingers.

"How do you feel?" I could feel her studying me. I kept my eyes on my glass, contemplating the decision I just made.

"Well two days isn't a lot of time to heal but I'm fine, I'm okay." I glanced at her and she smiled reassuringly.

"Good." I couldn't do this anymore, I couldn't keep hurting her. The girl was given to me for only one reason. I couldn't risk her life or the mafia in any way.

"Thanks Christoph, you've done so much for me and.." I hadn't realised when she'd moved closer. I was so lost in thought, thoughts I maybe shouldn't be having.

"Are you fine? You aren't being your usual devilish self."

I finished my whisky, placing the glass and bottle aside. I thrusted my hands deep into my pockets, then took a deep long breath. "You asked me what I'd do with you." She went cold, frozen, I could feel her fear.

"Wha-what do you m-mean?" She voiced shakily. Her eyes moistened, piercing deeply into mine.

"I'll be sending you to Italy." I said flatly, toneless as I watched her gasp, drawing in as much air as she could just to hold back her tears.

A tear run down her cheek, her chest raising and falling vigorously. "It's always about money." She whispered. "It's always about money!" She shouted, tears streaming down her face. I felt my breath hitch immediately she started crying, I didn't want her to cry, I didn't want to be affected like this by someone literally worth nothing to me.

She breathed, deely. "Firstly I had to give up my dreams of being a physicist because I had no money! My own father gave me away just for some money and now..." Her tone when down as she reached the last few words, shaking uncontrollably as she tried to calm herself by drawing in deep breaths. 

"I don't know why I didn't expect this." She gave a woeful breathy laugh. I kept my eyes fixated on the ground, I just couldn't look at her.

"You've hurt me so much Christoph, not just emotionally but physically too yet I didn't say anything, I didn't do anything." We stood just inches apart, She pointed a finger right at me and this time I had my gaze narrowed in on her. "You think you own me just because my father gave me to you!" She sobbed drawing in some air, "You're the worst person I've ever met. You think people are some sort of currency that you could just exchange whenever you so please?!"

"You're an evil man Christoph Lucciano." I am evil and always have been, maybe if I didn't pick that knife up, maybe if I wasn't so short tempered maybe I wouldn't be here, maybe I'd still be a good person, maybe I'd have...

"Despite you always losing it I always told myself that you're a good person, that you've just been through a lot maybe that's why you're like this... maybe that why you're so defensive, unstable and..." She covered her face.

I felt something speed up in my chest, I didn't even say a thing yet she understood it all. She understands me. I felt my eyes moisten something they hadn't done in years.

Her irises shimmering like brown diamonds in the dim light, our gazes intertwined. She seemed to be in shock as her eyes studied my visage which I kept stern. My eyes following hers as they examined me.

Still looking down at her, I watched as her lids slowly fell shut and her body lost coordination. I wrapped my hands around her, before she so much as fell back.

I carried her delicate self in my arms.

I couldn't lose her.