22 ~ Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Brinda

Francesco stormed into the living room accompanied by the few men we had left after Marshall's associates ambushed our men and hijacked the tankers. 

Now, I'm beginning to fear for my safety. If Marshall's associates could have crossed Francesco's men and Francesco left the house earlier in anger to confront his rival and still came back furious, it can only mean one thing. 

The thirst for blood was unsuccessful. What exactly happened?

“Brinda,” Francesco called out to me. 

“Yes, Don.” I answered like a willful cat, obviously not trying to anger him more. 

“Get me a bottle of wine and chilled water.” He ordered before he hurried up the stairs to his room. His men all retired to their room. 

The house was just an eerie silence. Everyone's mood has been altered by the recent happenings in just two hours. 

Bullet's life hangs in balance and Francesco just lost a lot of his men but how is that my concern? I have no connection with any of them. 

But as for Bullet, she has been a nice lady to me even though we had a pretty rough start. If she survives, I will include her in my plan of getting out of Francesco's clutches whether we die or live. 

I got to the kitchen and I served some chilled water into a glass cup. Looking closer into the fridge, I spotted a Macallan 1926 — A rare and expensive scotch whisky, costing around seventy five dollars per bottle. 

How rich is Francesco?

After dropping it into the tray, a thought crossed my mind. Why don't I just start with my plan now? If I am to escape from Francesco's clutches and force him to give me the antidote, I can't wait for Bullet. 

What if she slips into a coma or something? Francesco also cares less about her so she is more or less useless in my plan. 

I dipped my hand into my pocket and brought out my phone. I opened the pouch behind it and emptied the content in a paper into the bottle of wine after I opened it. 

Luckily, I would be the one to open the wine when I reach Francesco's room. That way, he wouldn't know I had opened it beforehand.

I smirked as I lifted the tray and turned to leave the kitchen then I saw… Bullet. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” I questioned, trying not to look nervous. Oh shoot! I forgot she woke up while Francesco was out earlier. I was actually waiting to tell him about it in the living room but I couldn't because he stormed in like an agile predator. 

She let her eyes remain stagnant on me before she rolled her sleeves and moved closer to me. “I saw you add something to the wine. What is that?” 

I laughed sarcastically, “Oh great, another time to answer a question.” 

Bullet held my arm after I tried to walk away. “Tell me what it is, Brinda?” Her tone was commanding and unrelenting. 

“Since you badly want to know, I will tell you. I added the powder form of a grinded bottle to his wine. Slowly, he will be a victim of internal bleeding. There will be no test on Earth that will prove that I killed him or the grinded bottle caused his death. This is our chance to escape.” I replied without an ounce of humanity in me. 

“Really, Brinda? You shouldn't hurt Boss.” Bullet objected. 

“Are you going nuts? I shouldn't hurt him. Someone who could give me The Deadly Nightshade to control me? Are you kidding me? He doesn't even care if you are alive or dead. I told him earlier before he headed to the Fernandez family's hideout that you might not make it out alive. Do you know his response?” I asked her but she nodded negatively. “He didn't care. He said he wasn't the one that stabbed you. He clearly showed or exhibited the behavior of a cruel man.”

“Still, Brinda. You shouldn't be doing this. How are you different from Francesco if you are also killing a human?” Bullet questioned. 

“Well, that is a question everyone of us has to answer. Haven't you killed a lot? Haven't you killed a human? Have you always killed goats, rats, chickens and other types of animals? Come on girl, this… is a survival of the fittest. Whoever comes out alive should be grateful.” I concluded before I headed towards the door. 

I can't believe I killed Vince Khumalo for this lady. What a waste of time?

“Brinda,” Bullet mentioned my name suddenly and that interrupted my movement. “Don't say I never warned you. You shouldn't be messing with Francesco.” 

“Whatever! I can't be his slave forever.” I replied before I scurried up the stairs to Francesco's room. 

Never will I be a slave to the man that had caused so much trouble and invited pain in my life and to cap it all, this same man had killed my mother and betrayed my trust in the past. 

Just imagine that I get kidnapped someday, I am very sure to the moon that the beast — Francesco Dante — won't bother to look for me. Apart from me being kidnapped, he can wake up angrily one day and shoot me dead.

What would be my gain then? Nothing! This is a case of once bitten, twice shy.

“Boss,” I called out as soon as I stepped into Francesco's room. He left the door opened which I assumed was done out of anger. 

“Do I deserve this?” I heard what Francesco said from behind. 

Yes, you do. I smiled for a minute and turned to face him. I bowed my head after I saw him shirtless and that reminded me of the day he showed up in the bathroom while I was looking for the antidote. 

“No, you don't. Everything happens for a reason.” I finally managed to get some words out of my mouth. 

“Do you really think so?” His voice revealed empathy that soothes my soul. 

I raised my head to look for the first time since I turned to face him. I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't. Right now, Francesco doesn't look like the cruel man I know him to be. He looks like an infant, not with that voice especially. 

He tightened his towel around his waist before he sat on the edge of his bed and instructed me to pour some wine into the cup. 

I felt a little reluctant and he urged me to do it like he knew I added something into it and he voluntarily wanted to drink it. 

I bet over a little and poured some wine into the glass cup which after I offered him some chilled water but he rejected saying that he will take some later. 

I watched him gulp down the wine quickly. He requested for more and I added it before he dismissed me for the night. 

Whether on Earth or in hell, we will both leave and die together.