The Story of Blood and Roses

He didn't really acknowledge me after that moment. He glared at Cienna for a few moments, and she curled into herself as he remained staring at her. His mouth parted slightly and he licked his lips before a sneer overtook his face.

"I had a little chat with James the other day," he barked at her. She jumped back in shock, but we saw an array of emotions passing through her face. Somewhere in blurred series of emotions, I saw realization, then guilt and finally... fear.

Her eyes widened and she jumped out of the bed and tried to run out. I, on instinct, threw myself at her and pinned her to the ground to restrain her. She fidgeted in my hold and tried to kick me off her in vain. With my arm securely holding her hands to her back, I bunched her hair in my fist and pulled her head back. Her breath left her body and she whimpered as I yanked her back further cutting off her air supply.

"Do not try to run from me. Do you understand?" I growled into her ears. She choked as if to say yes, but I didn't let go of her hair. I decided that this was how this was going to happen. If she didn't have the power to have a civil conversation we would use force to take out all the information we need.

"Thank you, Mia." He nodded at me but didn't take his eyes off Cienna. "Now tell me, Cienna..." he bent his knees and kneeled down beside us. His hands were placed firmly on his knees. "Why did you do it?" When I saw that she wasn't going to answer as easily, I yanked her head back further just to make her yelp.

He waved his hands and I let her head go instantly. Her face collided with the floor of the room with a loud thud. I knew that it had hurt, but I also knew that her nose was definitely not broken. She gasped for air as the side of her head rested on the floor. She was facing towards Anthony but her eyes were screwed shut.

"Why did you run to him? Tell me!" Sobs wracked through her body as he screamed at her. I gripped her hands tighter and pushed my knee against her side. She tried to jerk away, but I held her down.

I leaned into her. "Tell him before I render your useless little body useless," I whispered in her ear. Her sobs stopped immediately, making me chuckle.

She's gonna break! I rejoiced.

"He's the only one who understands..." she whimpered.

"So you needed a fix?" Anthony reiterated calmly. I could see the fire blaze in his eyes.

"No." I presumed that it was what her strangled sob was trying to convey.

"Why?" his voice grew quiet. Flashes of the executioner who I had met when Scott was tried flash through my head. A sick sense of fascination overcomes me as I go over the ways that he could torture her. She could be innocent, but she had involuntarily let out information. She could not be trusted; therefore, she needed to be killed.

"He contacted me..." I yanked her head up as a small reminder and an encouragement to spill her gut. I'm sure she was going to start in a while.

"And?" he prompted calmly, lulling her into a false sense of comfort.

"I love him!" she screamed. I turned to look at Anthony with an impressed look. He turned to me, too, clearly not expecting the answer. "He called me and I loved him... I knew he loved me... You don't love me. You're a fool." I had never been more awestruck in my life. I had just taken a bullet because she wanted revenge for not being loved by Anthony? Was she some hormonal teenager? No, teenagers don't do this. How screwed up was she in the head?

"Are you out of your ever-loving mind?" I don't think I had ever heard him shout so loudly. I could also feel the ground shake with the intensity.

"I went to him because I needed someone. Every girl needs someone!" she tried to justify. As amusing as this conversation was I found myself looking at Anthony, who looked at me to confirm the theory that Cienna had presented in front of us. I shook my head, hoping that I had the look of disgust on my face to show him how wrong her statement was.

"Continue," he commanded when she stopped for a bit longer than he wanted her to.

"He had my friend's daughter tied up and I..." she froze in her place. Her arms gave out as if in resignation, and that was the moment I realized that she was not innocent.

"What did you do?" I asked her with all the hatred I felt towards her.

"I helped him." Her voice was strangled and it was a good thing. She knew that she had signed her death warrant. "We drank a lot, and she was always coming in the way, demanding for some extra cash so that she could buy shit. I hated her guts," she blurted out. "So, I helped him." It was as simple as that.

"What did he want?" Anthony asked.

"Her," she said. Both our heads snapped up and they stared at each other for a moment. Who was this elusive her? Even Nolan had mentioned about it.

"Who?" Anthony's hand was dangerously close to her face, his fingers shaking, itching with the need to grab hold of her jaw and force her to speak.

"WHO?" He screamed as he grabbed her jaw and twisted her head a little.

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