The Beau & the Beast

55 - Gangsters don't cry.

I unlocked the apartment door and steeled myself for all the questions and accusing glances.

"Fuck Bel, what the hell have they done to you?" Alex gasped as he stood in the kitchen door and stared wide-eyed at me. I realised that the bruises must have gotten even darker by now. "Where have you been, what happened?"

"They found me, but I have met someone who can help us."

"Who?" Nico's voice was harsh and sharp as he emerged from the living room.

"Someone I've known for a long time." I mumbled and went into the bathroom to look for the box of bandages. My ribs had still not healed and they screamed at me to stop moving.

Without a word, Nico helped me to pull off my shirt and took the bandage out of my hand.

"Someone you trust?" He asked low, with his thin brow raised. I nodded and bit my lower lip as he pressed his fingers against the large bruise. "Who did this?"

"Same trio who chased us at the club." I sighed only to be met by more questions.

"How did they find you?"

I turned around with a frown and looked down at him with a tired smile, "I have no idea Nic, but we can't just sit around here and be trapped forever."

He started wrapping the bandage around my ribs. "How did you get away?"

I was silent for a while and admired his hands as they worked on the white wraps until I finally decided to spill the cards on the table, "He helped me."

He cast a quick glance at me. "What does he want as payment?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your friend." He uttered the word with a hint of what he suspected: "I can smell him all over you."

"My friend helps me because he's just that, a friend." I sighed and wished I could teleport myself back to the bed I woke up in and hide under the covers.

Dominic finished working and tied the end of the bandage before reducing the distance between us even more only to look into my eyes with a clear frustration growing inside. "I hope you're right."

"As I see it, we have two choices, either we try to fight back with Conor's help or we go to Lu."

"How can five make a bigger difference than four?" He asked, agitated and confused.

I pulled my thumb along his jawbone and gave him a pleading smile, "Just trust me."

He shook his head and answers with irony dripping from his words, "Sure, it's gone well so far."

***

Marianne strolled inside the poorly lit and cold room in which our group was to gather.

She went straight up to me and gave me a light kiss on the cheek where I sat perched on a pile of tires. "That's no ordinary friend darling." She whispered in my ear and glanced at Conor, who was standing relaxed in the end of the room, leaning with his back against the wall, patiently waiting for my little bunch of misfits to join us.

"He can hear you, Marianne, play nice."

She narrowed her eyes as she tiptoed over to him, looked up into his calm face and blew a large bubble of the turquoise chewing gum. "Hi, Wolfie. It's been a while."

He met her exploratory eyes, "Can I have some?" She shrugged and took out a pack of gum from her pocket and handed it over.

Restlessly I jumped off the tires, "Where are they?"