Arthur
The boy was weak and not just physically. He was the polar opposite of his sister. I’d read that this was often the case with twins. Emotionally one was stronger, and in this case, Gaia was his protector. I respected that about her. It was evident in the way she looked at him, the way she wanted to shield him from the world. I’ve never denied that I was a monster and that I’d created some of the worst of them over the years, but as I’d watched Gaia walk back to her room after seeing her brother, I’d wished I wasn’t, just this once. Just this once I wished I was just a man, and she was just a girl.
I said I wouldn’t watch, but I did. I watched the reunion of the siblings with envy. My sister and I barely spoke. There was no love lost between us. The closest I was to her was through Gawain, her son, and one of my Cavalieri. I never felt the need to protect her, not from the wrath of my father, or from anything for that matter.
I could not even begin to understand a feeling like that. I had no feelings. My heart had turned to stone years ago. Yet I could not deny that I felt something for Gaia. I wanted her all to myself. She loved him, and loathed me, with good reason. If I sacrificed him, she would hate me even more, but did I really care about that?
“Do you think your father will come for you, Gabriel?”
He looked up at me, and for a moment, I wasn't sure he was listening to me.
“I don’t know. He -” He looked confused. “He doesn’t have a reason to.”
“But you’re his children.” I was surprised at how sure these two young people were that their father wouldn’t rescue them.”
“He is not that kind of father.” His voice was shaky, and his eyes wandered around the room. Lack of focus was one of the side effects of withdrawal.
“What kind of father is he?” I leaned my elbows on my knees and peered at him.
“Unconventional.” He said as a mirthless laugh that reminded me of his sister left his mouth.
“Gabriel, I need your help. I need to understand.”
“I shouldn't say.” He rubbed his hand up and down his arms as if he was cold. I noticed the goosebumps on his skin. At that moment, Gabriel Russo looked like a small boy, his eyes full of fear.
“Have I hurt you, Gabriel, since you’ve been here?”
He shook his head. “You’ve tried to help me.” He started tapping his foot, his eyes glazing over.
“So, I need you to help me, son.” He looked up at me, his eyes wary,but a glimmer of hope was present there.
“When we were little, he used to hurt Gaia- I don’t even know how long it went on.”
“Hurt her?”
“Yeah, he -” I could tell he was struggling with his words.
Gabriel looked up at me, his eyes hard. “He sexually abused her, molested her. I found out about it when we were six years old. She hadn’t told anyone, not even me. But I walked into her room one night. I used to hear him stumbling into her room, and I finally decided that I needed to know why. I knew something was wrong. When I walked into the room she was shivering, her underwear down. He stood above her, his pants down-”
I felt the bile rise to my throat. I knew monsters like that existed, but Gaia... I clenched my fist. That bastard would pay for that with his life.
“I didn’t let it go on, I knew it would eventually break her, that she’d never survived that.”
“How did you manage that? I mean, you were just a kid yourself.”
He hung his head. “I offered myself instead. I made him promise to leave her alone.”
I leaned back, rubbing my hands over my face. I’d hurt people, mercilessly killed people, yet I slept well at night, with not an ounce of regret. The thought of hurting a child though... The thought of my Giuliana being hurt that way made me want to go over to Russos house and finish him. I never claimed to be father of the year, I was a ruthless man, but hurting children was a no go.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.” My voice was hard. I had no comfort to offer this young man. I’d kidnapped him and his sister, held them here against their will and I didn’t think he needed to hear how devastated I was to hear what they’d been through.
“That is why I know he won’t come, because he’s never loved us. He’s never cared about us, so he sure as hell won’t risk his life for us. How do you think I ended up this way?” He motioned to himself. “I had to find a way to forget.”
I looked at his hollow face, and I was filled with rage for what those two children had endured at the hands of that monster. And with that, my mind was made up. I would hurt Russo so bad, he’d beg for death.
