ILARIA (book 3)

66. ILARIA

When I wake up, a different guy is here.

He's looking down at his phone, giggling a little.

I can see the blood dripping down my body, everywhere.

I let out an exasperated sigh, and the guy looks up. "Morning, Princess."

"Die." I spit blood out of my mouth.

He stands up, holding up a bottle of water. "Give you a break for a while, yeah?"

I could do with some water right now.

He holds the tip to my lips, letting me take small sips. It was enough for me.

"Here, as well." He pokes through a bag, holding up a bra. "Got it from your house. I'm not gonna hurt you." He stands behind me, and he lives up to his word and just puts the bra on me, not hurting me.

He holds up some of my briefs too. "Allow you some dignity, yeah?" He slides them up my legs and over my hips.

I won't thank this guy.

But I am thankful for this guy.

"Who are you?" I ask, my voice croaking.

He holds the water to my lips again, and I gulp down the water this time. "Names Mario."

"Italiano?"

"Sí."

"Are you like them?"

He looks down, nodding his head. "Only to men my own size though."

I scoff a little bit. "If they didn't beat me for the last day, I would fight you."

He smiles a little. "You'd probably win too. Keilani Hale trained you." He sits down. "Good assassin."

I look at him. "is this the part where they realise i'm never going to snitch, so they send in a guardian angel in hopes I confess."

He rubs his lips together. "You're clever."

"I have to be."

He leans back. "They think I'm doing the same thing." He bites his lower lip. "I'm not into that."

"What? Torture?"

"Not to little girls." He clears his throat. "And I'm hoping when your family catches me, you put in a good word, make it less painful."

Trick.

I stay silent.

"You know, Buckley doesn't get this frustrated usually." He extends his legs, crossing them at the ankles. "Girls break easier, they threaten to rape you yet?"

"Yup."

"And did they?"

"No. Will they?"

"They might. Worked in Iraq."

"You are horrible creatures." I drop my head again. "Just get this over with."

He sighs. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Then bring somebody in here that does. I don't want to chit chat with you."

He stands up, holding my hips as he takes the cuffs off me and my body drops heavy, he puts me against a wall. "Your loyalty is unmatched. Usually doesn't take us this long."

"How long have I been here?" I look up.

"Four days."

Shit.

"Doesn't feel that long, I know. You've been in and out of consciousness." He grabs his bag, "let me get you cleaned up."

"Aren't they going to realise you're not doing your job properly." I rest my head back. My entire body is aching.

"My job is to clean you up as well." He rips open a wipe packet with his teeth. "They won't stop until they kill you."

"Guess they'll have to kill me." I clear my throat.

Curiousity gets the best of me. "What happened to the team that was initially looking into our family?"

"FBI? They're still here. Don't know about our... detours, but we work alongside them." He cleans the cuts on my stomach, and I try my hardest not to flinch at the stings.

"What if they find out?"

"They won't, and even if they do... they can't do much."

I close my eyes.

I am so tired.

I didn't even realise I fell asleep until I woke up again, this time with my body completely clean and a blanket over my shoulders.

I look around, Mario was sitting on the seat again. "Morning."

"Still here?" I sit up.

The door opens, and Buckley walks in. "Get your beauty sleep, princess?"

"You let me get my energy back and watch how I annihilate you, fat head." I say with pure disgust.

"I have her." Mario stands up.

"And she's mine now. Move."

Mario clenches his jaw. "She's not going to break. I've threatened her stupid drug addict brother and she won't budge." Mario hasn't done that. He was covering for me.

"I have other methods." Buckley undoes his belt.

Mario shakes his head.

I thought of the worst, but then Buckley just whips his leather belt over my thighs numerous times.

He kicks me into the corner, then crouches and pulls out a phone. He plays a video, turning it around of my mom, tied to a chair, gagged and blindfolded.

At first, I was terrified, ready to spill everything.

But then I look closer.

My mom has tattoos over her arms, this woman has none. My mom recently cut her hair short. This woman's hair is long.

I just shake my head, closing my eyes.

Roman would never let anything happen to my mom.

"Heartless bitch." He kicks my face.

I turn my head to the side. "Piece of shit."

"What was that?"

"I said you're a piece of shit. Imagine being so fucking weak you need to hang me and beat me." I glare at him. "You scared of a girl smaller than you?"

"You were trained by the most elite assassin in the world." He grabs my face. "I'm not a fool."

"Beg to differ." I look dead in his eyes. "Weak, fool."

"You're saying so much for a woman with so little, currently, princess."

"I am not going to tell you shit about my family." I spit in his face. "You know what will happen if anybody with a crown inked onto their body will do if they find me here."

"Find out, shall we?" He pulls the fabric off my body. Then he takes out that god forbidden electrical baton and whips me, alternating between that and his belt.

Then he takes his phone out of his pocket, and grabs a pocket knife from the other.

He stabs the knife right into my thigh, then takes a load of pictures, then starts recording as he kicks me again and again and again.

I heave, throw up nothing but water as he relentlessly beats me.

Then he says something before leaving.

Mario closes the door after he's left and sits me up. As he was crouched, his pants leg lifted at the ankle and a familair looking tattoo catches my eye.

I didn't know if I was hallucinating, or just going crazy at this point.

I try and get a more clear look, it's small, but it's there.

I throw myself forward, pretending to heave again with my head right beside his feet.

He has the crown tattooed on his ankle.

He's a Reign member.

=
=
=
=
=
uh Mario wtf

word count: 1139