13 ~ Brink Of Death

Brinda 

Everyone is a betrayal. No one is worth sacrificing anything for. No one can be trusted as well. Humans are the most prerequisite beings on Earth. 

Just imagine!!!

Marshall trying to kill me? Why? For what? 

Even if I did push him down the cliff, I never did that on purpose. I was meant to shoot him but I pushed him off the cliff instead. 

Now I'm starting to regret why I didn't kill him that day. I should have shot him in the head. He could have died and never thought of killing me today. 

Even the food I bought with the last dime on me is now gone. The money I had on me that I can use to get a taxi had fallen during the chaos earlier. 

Where can I go? 

Definitely not my home. If I head back home at the moment, I would literally be handing myself over to the brink of death. 

Francesco. 

Yes, Francesco. 

To defeat an enemy, you have to stay under the protection of your enemy's enemy. As they say, ‘An enemy of an enemy is a friend.’ 

I would surely head back to Francesco house. From there, I will create chaos. It is high time I get past the two useless men in my life and focus on avenging myself. 

They both had used me to gain power. Now, the Phoenix has risen. I will avenge myself. 

I walked tirelessly for thirty minutes before I arrived at Francesco's apartment. Upon getting to the living room, Francesco was seated as if he was a king who ruled a kingdom. 

“Hey, the slave is back.” He mocked, causing the room to be filled with laughter by his men. 

I just bowed my head to make him feel I was intimidated by his actions. In reality, I was smiling in between my teeth because of what I had in mind. 

I'm here for a purpose and I will fulfill it. 

“Oh… Damsel. Now I get it.” He clicked his tongue. “You hate it when I calm you a ‘slave’ which is what you are. Well, I must give you credit because you are a daring one.” He added. 

“I… I…” I stuttered on purpose. 

Francesco mimicked me for a while. “Cat got your tongue? What happened to the viciousness in you? Weren't you boasting earlier? I even thought you would be back after twenty hours but you proved me wrong. You came back in two hours! That's to show you can't live without me.”

His last word pierced my heart and I almost turned to walk out but the fear of the danger outside made my heart flutter. 

I have always been a spy but a secret one. No one knew my identity so it was way easy to cover up. 

After what happened earlier, Marshall must be doing everything to get me. Also, with the level of my fighting skills he saw today, he must have reasoned that I am not just the usual fragile girl I show the world. 

“Kneel!” Francesco commanded while I stared at him. “Are you deaf? Kneel, I say!” 

Submitting to his request, I went on my knees but with all my body rested. 

“Kneel upright.” He commanded sharply and I obliged but with a frown on my face.

“Now raise your hands up in the air.” He chimed. 

I returned a look full of pride at him and he also flashed a grin. With a mind full of disapproval, I fulfilled his wish. 

He excused his men, leaving us both alone in the living room. 

“Brinda,” he called gently as he sipped from his wine. He also sank back into the chair. “You must answer whenever I call you.” He stated the obvious which I always looked down on. “Brinda!” He called. 

“Yes,” I replied. 

“You are still unable to get the crypt key. When do you plan on retrieving it?” He asked, before he straightened his posture. 

“What exactly do you need the crypt key for?” For curiosity not to kill me, I asked the question once again. 

He sighed and gazed into my eyes for some time. “Well, you don't need to know. Or should I say… That was what I had in mind earlier but since you have shown that you can be a good person, I will tell you.” 

I nodded in response while he laughed. 

I knew he was laughing at how I look right now. I scrunch up my face. Francesco showed no interest in my signs of wanting to be released. Instead, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and lit it. 

He puffed the smoke into the air. He accompanied it by gulping a glass of wine down. I hissed inwardly. 

“I want to open The Black Book.” He said out of nowhere. 

“Black Book?” I repeated after him. “What's that?” I asked. He didn't respond as he kept staring at me. “Francesco, what the hell is The Black Book?” I asked, my heart racing already. 

Francesco finally opened his mouth. “The Black Book contains all the past histories of the Mafia families in New York and some other parts of the world.” 

I wanted to laugh as I found nothing risky in the statement he just made. “Then, how is that a problem?”

“Really, Damsel?” He let out a sigh. “Looks like you don't know what is at stake here. It can affect us both. And in a big way. Trust me when I say that.” He pressed his words. 

I felt the emphasis on his words which propelled me to dive further into the topic. “Explain better.” 

“The Black Book is in my possession. In fact, it is in this house but I need the crypt key to open it. There are some issues… Like, I need it for clarity.” He explained. 

“What do you want to clarify?” I asked. I need to know everything. 

“Keep quiet!” He fired. “You are asking too many questions. I will just give you a brief idea of what it is. The Black Book contains secrets that can harm me, harm you and also harm some other people. It can put our lives in danger too.”

My mouth rolled into an O-Shape. “My life was already in danger before. What does yours have to do with it?”

“Just wait till you know. All I want is The Black Book. How do you plan on getting it?” Francesco asked. 

I observed his attitude for a while and also his emotions. I saw them for the first time since he approached me. They were the same he had years ago. 

Now, with all the revelations he just made. He has left me with a huge task. How do I fucking find the crypt key with Marshall already on the lookout for me?

That will be more like willingly entering a Lion’s den. 

“Aren't you finished, Brinda?” My mind voice asked.