Continuously, Brienna did her best to contact her friend and each time she didn't respond her nerves became more and more wrecked. Dozens of text messages she sent to Ava's cellphone, praying it was just one of those time where she needed her own space. Though she wanted to be alone she could've let someone know where she was so people wouldn't be worrying about her, but the younger girl still went ahead and did her own thing.
After a while, Brie called it a quits and decided to head to bed because all though Raye was in the hospital she still needed to work; she'd already used up the couple days off she'd took.
Climbing into bed, she fell asleep with a curl to her lips after replaying her conversation moments ago with her girl. She wished the rest of their lives could be like that, simple. She wanted nothing more other than a simple life with her girl by her side and possibly even mini versions of themselves running around.
Drifting off to sleep with pleasant thoughts about Raye, she had the most beautiful night's rest ever since the incident and knew it was going to show the next day.
* * *
"I just wanted to hear your voice," Raye says, and she couldn't help but smile while she brushed her teeth. Spitting the toothpaste into the sink, she glared at herself in the mirror while her cellphone was held up to her ear.
Her dishevelled hair laid about her face, while grey eyes looked on.
"Well, did you at least had your breakfast?"
"Yes. They fed me oatmeal and I swear to God I'll fight someone if I see that shit again," she answers, causing Brienna to chuckle. She was very much aware of how badly the girl hated oats. She'd mentioned many times that it tasted like wet cardboard and she was never going to be tricked into eating it.
"Oatmeal is good baby, especially with fruits. You just have to eat what they give to you, don't be so difficult Raye."
"I'm not but I promise if I see it again, I'm shooting up this joint."
"Stop!" Brienna cackled, snorting just a little. The sound of her healthy laughter was more than enough to put Raye in an even higher spirit. Just the sound of her mellifluous voice had healing powers she was aware Brie didn't know it possessed.
"I love when you laugh like that, such a dulcet tone and carefree." She confessed, biting her lip as all the good thoughts trickled.
"I can't wait to get out of here so that I could hold you and squeeze you,"
"Me too. Sleeping without you has been hard,"
"I'm sorry about putting you through this whole mess."
"Look, I'm just happy you came out of it alive Raye," Brie replies.
"Any word on the men who did it?"
"Not quite, uncle Luca still hasn't told me much besides they were looking for them."
"Well, I hope they do. The cops aren't going to give you any justice so whatever happens to them will just have to be it."
"Yeah. Anyway, I know you have to head to work, so I'll let you go. Let me know that you're alright and that you're safe. The guys are always around if you need anything, and uncle Luca as well."
"I know baby, take care. I love you and be nice to the nurses and the doctors. Don't smart-mouth anyone,"
"I cross my heart on it. I love you too."
"Bye," Brie says, ending the call. She placed her phone down and rinsed the inside of her mouth along with her toothbrush. Putting it away, she runs off to start something quick for breakfast when there's a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" She questions, going over to it, her strides quick.
"Charlie,"
"Hey," she greets, somewhat confused as to why the younger girl was there so early.
"Am I late?"
Her question caused Brienna to arch a brow, observing the short-haired girl with a grin on her face.
"Late for what?"
"To take you to work,"
"Why would you- did Raye put you up to this?"
"No," Charlie shook her head, entering the home with her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "Luca was the one who told me to come. Said something about him not wanting you to drive yourself around, so I'm here."
"I was quite fine on my own you know,"
"I'm aware but they call the shots so I listen. How's the boss doing, heard she woke up?"
"Raye's doing alright, better than how you'd last left her."
"I know that was such a shame. Anyway, what do you have to eat, I'm starving."
"I was just about to make something light for breakfast,"
"I like bacon and eggs, by the way, thanks for making it." Charlie grinned.
"I- " Brie says and was about to protest but slipped a reciprocating grin to the younger girl who made herself comfortable at the counter observing as she moved around the kitchen.
"How have you been holding up?"
"I was finally able to sleep last night,"
"I'm glad you did, hopefully, you can sleep better now knowing that they caught the men that hurt Raye, "
Brienna stops her movement abruptly, gazing across at the girl.
"They caught them?"
"That guy with the crooked teeth, the one who does a lot of the killing, Distefano I heard his name was. Caught them last night and Luca along with Paolo and some other guys really messed them up, "
"They caught them and didn't say anything to Raye?"
"Yeah, but I thought they told her already. Anyway, the details of it are gruesome."
"Can you tell me?" Brienna questions, taking a seat beside the girl. Charlie arched a brow gazing at her pleading eyes. In the short space of time, she'd known Brienna she'd learned so much about the girl. She was usually very sweet to everyone and from the behaviours of the men around, along with Luca and Raye, it was obvious that they kept certain things from her due to the horrific nature. It was obvious she never could handle hearing the horrors of what they did.
"Since when are you so interested in gory details?"
"I don't but when it comes to Raye I'll listen to anything, "
"Oh. Then sure. I heard this from one of the younger guys. He said that they caught them separately. Stephen at his house and Kevin in some casino. They beat their bodies black and blue, carved open their flesh like meat and then they disappeared,"
"Disappeared?" Brienna swallows down the bile in her throat, feeling as it stuck just a little before going down. She was more than relieved that justice was served though not in the way most would agree. What's done was done. The graphic depiction Charlie painted was a tad unsettling to her, but she sat through it just because.
"Yeah, they disappeared,"
Charlie could see Brie still having a hard time figuring out what it meant so she cleared her throat and perked her body up.
"They dissolved their bodies in acid,"
Brienna's stomach sank. The thought, just the mere flicker within her brain of such a thing troubled her. She felt like puking now.
"I'm sorry no one told you but at least you see why. How Raye doesn't know yet is a mystery. Maybe Luca's going to let her know today,"
"Yeah," Brienna swallows a second bile, moving away from the counter and started to rummage through the refrigerator.
Once in awhile, she'd be cognizant of Raye's importance and everyone she was around. Sometimes she forgot how dangerous they were because she was so used to it. Sometimes the ineffable horrors of their capability weighed down on her mind and most times it froze her entirely.
Right there, at that instant, she was at a lost for words. Even after knowing Raye and the life she lived for more than two years, she still wasn't used to any of the things they did. Brienna knew it would always seem foreign to her.
