“I don’t think there is a need for an ambulance” a rough male voice echoed behind her and quickly she turned to it.
Bloodshot eyes and a sniffling nose she gently dropped her father on the luxury tile floor trying to stand up but his hand shot out catching her “Do…do…don’t g..go” more blood flowed from his mouth, a tear fell down to his neck from the tip of her nose “Dad, please I’m sorry. Please wait let me get an ambulance. I don’t know why no one is answering” she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands.
Her father’s bloody hand shot out and he held her face in his unsteady hands which she leaned into closing her eyes “I a…m sor…ry” she heard his inaudible words and she shook her head, her chin wobbling and more tears rolled down.
She was a sobbing mess “Mom left me dad. You can’t do this to me” her voice cracked as it turned hoarse, her words incoherent as her father’s eyes slowly closed, his body going limp in her arms.
She stared wide-eyed at his body, not saying anything, only the visible tears streaming down her cheek and trembling arms “No no no no…” she chanted not believing whatever her eyes did.
Her vision blurred—black dots swirling which she tried fighting off clinging strongly to her father’s body as the world dissolved around her.
Blinking her eyes open, she took in her surroundings, a room.
Milk coloured walls, four poster canopy beds, her eyes moved to the bedside table.
A cup of water and a tablet beside it.
She groaned, lifting up from the bed clutching her head.
Where am I?
She thought, trying to register what happened and how she found herself there which she did and tried clambering out of the bed but a chain rattled seizing her attention.
“What the fuck?!” She yelled “Who is there! You can’t keep me in here while my father needs medical attention. I want to see my father” she pulled her legs and it rattled more, tears glistened in her eyes.
She had cried too much and she knew that, sniffing she checked out the room more.
Nothing special and empty.
A table close to the door with a vase and flowers in it.
She didn’t know where she was, the rooms in her home weren’t this way.
She shivered with fear at the thought of being in the hands of the enemy, her mind wandered back to the sight of her father.
She had been in her bubble ball and forgot about the other people in the room, and the voice, yes the voice.
She looked at her body and her clothes and panties were intact, nothing out of place then what could they want if they didn’t take advantage of her.
Her eyes searched through the walls for a clock but they weren’t, she tried not presuming how long she might’ve been locked inside here and out of consciousness.
“Oh God, is someone there?!” She screamed for hours until her voice turned scratchy, nose red and face stained with tears before sleep overtook her.
Her eyes fluttered open to voices in the room, she moaned, impelling them to stop as she heard footsteps receding before feeling a presence close to her.
“You can open your eyes now. No one is here” her eyes opened to a man beside her, his fingers brushing her cheek softly but she could feel the roughness of his hands.
She instinctively leaned into it, the hunger for care so visible.
“Try not to stress yourself. The doctor said you are drained and need food which I brought here” hearing his voice brought back many memories to her, her brain registering what was happening.
She pulled back, scrambling to lean back on the head board “Where is my father? What did you do to him? You killed him didn’t you?” She tried not breaking as she asked the series of questions.
Scoffing, she pressed her face into her hands covering it as she said through her fingers “you’re here to kill me too right? Get on with it because you’ll be dealing with a corpse if you don’t”
“You need to eat. You are drained and as per the doctor’s instructions you need to be hydrated” he continued like she didn’t say anything, moving to the food tray by the side of the bedpost he pushed it closer to her.
Her eyes travelled from his fingers he used to grip the side of the food tray up his arms, tattooed, different drawings and writings.
He’d rolled up his shirt at the sleeves revealing his muscular arms and vein lines.
A gold necklace dangled out from his open shirt, tattoo drawings emerged out from underneath his shirt “Are you finished?” He asked and she raised her brow “Are you finished staring.
If not” he dropped the food tray “eat up before it gets cold”
She withdrew back into the headboard shaking her head “I’m not eating that. Never. I. Will. Never. Eat. That. Food” she enunciated every word.
Exhaling so quietly he tucked one hand into his pocket, running the other into his hair in exasperation “ok then. Get ready to die in hunger then we can have two funerals and get over with it”
She clambered close to him but far away to give a respectable space between them, her face “what did you say?” Hearing the word “funeral” was enough to get her attention.
“Your father’s funeral is on Friday” he bent and pushed the tray closer to her “No matter how heartless I am, I can’t kill Peter’s only child. He was a good man and underboss too but had to deviate for whatever reason. Eat up, I don’t wish to bury you with him only if you want to” he shrugged.
Tears brimmed in her eyes and she blinked them back.
She looked up to him from the bed, her voice hoarse “Will you let me go after the funeral?”
That was the one thing she needed—freedom—to know.
As much as this place was a good place she grew up in and would have loved to continue living here in this city.
It wasn’t for her.
And everything would keep on reminding her of her father and lost family.
Now an orphan.
She knew now the people her father had mingled and had connections and business with weren’t the people you could trifle with.
And that was it after this funeral, she was going to use the money she had left in her bank account or try to reach out to her father’s lawyer.
She knew him.
Take whatever he dropped off for her and leave this country for good.
She saw his jaw tic while he licked his lips then shook his head before turning his back to her “Your father said I should take care of you before he died” Sophia shuddered drawing up her knees to lean her jaw on.
“I was there when he died” her voice low, she said.
His legs moved indicating he had turned back to her “Before you came there while…you know… he asked more… like a dying man’s last wish. He begged I spare and take care of you myself”
Sophia rocked herself on the bed, her brown hair covering her face like a curtain, her body shaking with quiet sobs.
She knew this was over for her.
Lifting her head she pointed her finger to him, shaking her head and the chain rattled “No no NO and NO I don’t want to stay here, close to my father’s murderer” she snickered “Do what while being here? offer my body to you? Marry you? Become your sex toy and wane away? Never. You better let me go unless you want to deal with a corpse as I said”
She heard him breathe out “A corpse can’t attend a funeral.
Eat up.
Maybe after that we can talk about you turning into a corpse” he started for the door and she scrambled to leave the bed but the chain rattled signaling her and she screamed after him tears flowing down her cheeks “Let me go you psycho.
You murderer, you killed my father and now trying to take me too.
Let me go” sobs racked through her body as she trashed on the bed, the tray clattering to the floor.