inclination; on hold

he rescued me, after forsaking me ~ niniola

rehab (winter in paris) - brent faiyaz

when i came to, i was in a dark and grimy room, with thick, circular bars trapping me inside. my mind immediately flashes to the events of what i'm presuming to be yesterday, but i come up dry. what am i doing here?

i hear voices along with footsteps approaching my room, or cell, so i plaster my eyes close. my eyes start to blink back at me under my eyelid, due to my fear. coming to the conclusion i've been kidnapped by someone, i immediately think this over logically.

it's likely that i was drugged, and i don't know the extents of it's effects. i could be significantly weakened, so it would be idiotic for me to waste energy trying to put up a fight.

"we know you're awake, we saw you open your eyes on the cameras." a gruff voice says.

giving up the facade, i peel my eyes open to be faced with a sharply balanced man. his facial structure was angular and sharp, resembling the common eastern european facial structure.

"good morning sleepy beauty." he coos, mockingly.

"why am i here?" i ask, pleadingly. maybe if i push this guy's empathy, he'll feel more warm towards me and help me out. the two men situated behind him don't seem to be increasing my odds either.

internally, i groan at my luck. just when things were starting to get a bit better.

"know a man named leonardo?" he spits out.

of course this would be because of leo, what the hell. anytime things start to be okay, this type of shit has to happen. am i asking for too much to want a normal life? steeling my resolve, i blink back the tears.

"yes, i do. what's that got to do with anything? did he beat up your friend or something?" i ask, with a smirk. might as well have a good time. seems this man has caught on to my mean streak, as he smirks back.

"you don't seem to be in the type of position where you should be making jokes. leonardo seems to cherish you, so we're holding you here for ransom. aren't we smart?" he smirks, thinking this was checkmate.

i sneak a glance at his watch, and count the hours from when i finished off mine and leo's hangout. reaching 27, it's now 6pm of the next day. i start to laugh to myself, and it becomes maniacal almost.

"count your hours. leo knows no mercy, especially over me." i smirk, yet again. checkmate, loser.

"shut up, -" he begins, but is interrupted by the sound of gunfire from where i assume is upstairs.

"it can't be, how did h-" someone says, behind us.

the gunshots continue, and i see the three men guarding me from earlier had left the room to presumably join the fight. i can't imagine it's much of a fight, if it's who i think it is. still, i'm upset at being involved in this from the start.

gunshots begin to ricochet against the walls; the sound is inherently unbearable, so i place my hands over my ears to mitigate the sound. a bit overkill, to be honest. i knew leo was dangerous, but to this extent is bone chilling.

slow, calm and paced footsteps begin to emerge from the staircase leading to the basement (i presume), causing me to shake uncontrollably as i come to terms with what has just happened. the body of the man i was speaking to just moments ago, is being dragged as the dark figure emerges.

it didn't look painless either, his body has been inflicted with many stab wounds in varying parts of the body. his death was nothing but an immeasurable amount of pain, making my heart clench achingly.

before i focus in on his face, i observe the dark figure approaching. his tailored suit is drenched in blood, accentuated by the cream colour of his suit. interestingly enough, it almost seems as though the blood taints him. however, he taunts the countless litres of blood drowning it with his darkness.

it's safe to say that he looks comfortable and at home, with the drip of blood on his shoes. i can tell he's examining me for any visible harm, but his gaze lingers on my form.

i can imagine i'm still shaking at this point, so he opens the cell with the key from a corpse. i shudder at the thought of it. he gathers me up in his arms, and i flinch back from the scent of blood.

"you're okay." he says, with a grim smile.

he doesn't notice that there are clearly other things that i need to be afraid of. this, this, this alluring persona carrying me in his arms, is the embodiment of danger.

"you're scared of me, aren't you?" he questions. i don't even feel necessitated to respond to this elephant in the cell, he knows. still, he rubs small circles into the corner of my back, as we walk out of what i assume to be the russian's stronghold.

however, i don't miss his whispered statement to his subordinate, one of dozens accompanying him.

"bruciare gli sporchi russi a terra." is what i hear, and they go off to do so.
(burn the dirty russians to the ground)

the car ride is uneventful, but we both make no effort to address anything. i take the time to relish in my final moments with him, before we'll have to part. i've decided now, i could never immerse myself in this type of life.

the gunshots, the blood, the decaying flesh...

it was all too much. too much, too much, too much, too much, too much, too much, too much, too much, too much, too much.

we end up in our shared apartment, he tucks me into bed and lays a kiss onto my forehead. i cuddle into him, to ensure that he's asleep before i do this. around 2:00am, i'm assured that he is unmovable for now.

i dash into my room and pack minimal belongings, and begin scribbling down a note.

hey leo,

never thought things would go this way, but i think i'm saying goodbye. i'm not sure for how long or where to, but please don't try to find me. i just need some time away from all of what happened today, i'm sorry. thank you for saving me, leo.

i love you,
niniola.

with that, i place it atop his room's bedside table and call for an uber. everything will be okay, i repeat in my head. the apartment gets further and further away, as we motor on to a new horizon. one without kidnappings and blood and gore and torture. without leo.