chapter 18: Special New Year

Autumn
I didn't mind sacrificing my life for the gangs. Even if it was just Silver, I would still obey Lennox. After all, I was the queen of both gangs.
"Did you tu��turn the bomb off?" I coughed in between.
Blood was oozing from my mouth. My whole body ached.
After I reached the Becketts' Armament Company, Lennox's men held me at gunpoint. I swiftly got here with them. They didn't tie me. Instead, they had placed me in a dark room. A freaking dark room. I was even afraid to open my eyes again because of my phobia.
After Lennox got here, he had beaten me with a whip. I couldn't even move an inch; my whole body was aching.
"I keep my words. I turned the bomb off," Lennox let out. "Damn. I enjoyed beating you. I still have a few minutes in my hand, so..."
I whimpered as the whip came in contact with my skin again. I didn't want to see the light anymore. The darkness caused me pain, but it hid the wounds too. My tears were flowing like a stream as Lennox continued hitting me.
Ian. I am so sorry. I had to do this. If I ever survive, I'll try to make it up to you.
I started thinking of the happy moments, to forget my pain. It started when Ian wished me 'Bad Birthday' when I turned five. Since then, he has never stopped troubling me.
I hissed in pain.
No, Autumn. Let him hit you. Think about good memories.
As we grew up, it started to extend to the point, I wanted to strangle him to death.
A smile formed on my lips.
The marriage bomb did blast us, but we never let it affect our lives. Yet, Ian showed a lot of care. He hardly expressed himself. When he stopped meeting Alana, I knew he cared for me a lot. Even when he was about to say 'Alana' over the phone, he said 'Alino' after seeing me. He was afraid of me reacting that way again.
Mom and Dad were right. Marrying me off to Ian was better than me marrying someone I barely knew. Besides, I didn't have to adjust. Ian didn't even try an inch to change me. He was okay with the way I was.
"Did you faint, my favorite student?" I snapped out of my stupor, realizing that he stopped hitting me.
Lennox's phone rang, which he answered. "What? You caught him, right?" I was listening curiously. He continued, "Fine. Check him properly. There must be a tracking device or something. You found three of them? Very good. Do one thing. Bring him in this room. He should live his last days with his wife."
My breath hitched hearing this. Ian was here, wasn't he? Shit. Why would he do that?
"Your love brought him here. Oh, I feel so bad about having to kill this cute couple. You do realize, it's all because I want to rule the Silver and the Shadow. I kill the leaders and I rule the gang," he let out, turning towards me with an evil smirk. "I just wanted to rule the Shadow at first. But since Ian is here, I can rule the Silver too."
He said before walking towards the door, "Have some romantic time, while I prepare for your death." I heard his footsteps drifting away. Moreover, I could feel a familiar presence. The vibe I would get when Ian was nearby.
"Get in, you bastard!" someone yelled, and he was thrown into the room.
"Ian?" I called out at last, even though the darkness was suffocating me. I was shivering in fear.
"Autumn? Where are you?" he asked with a tense tone. His voice filled my heart with warmth. "Don't worry, I am here."
I sobbed. "I don't know where I am."
"Okay. Just keep talking to me, alright?"
"I can't even breathe properly."
"Autumn, what did he do to you? Keep talking."
"I feel suffocated here. Lennox brought me here and he said that he would kill me to rule the Shadow. Now you are here, he will kill you too and take over the Silver. Why did you come here, Ian? Why?" I was instantly pulled into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, inhaling his familiar scent. "Ian, I am scared."
He stroked my hair. "I am here now. We will get out soon. Don't worry," his words were slowly soothing me.
I wept, "It's so dark here."
"So what? Your knight in shining armor is here. See, I am illuminating." I laughed through my tears at his remark. He pulled me on his lap and confided, "You are very brave, Autumn. You sacrificed yourself for the mafia."
"I am not brave. Not even a little bit. I still fear Lennox," I whispered.
"What happened with Lennox?"
I took a deep breath. It was time for him to tell the truth. "When we were sent to the training, Lennox gave you a task and he told me that he would teach me shooting. You were already an expert in that cause you always wanted to be a mafioso. But I didn't. You know, my parents said that after training, if I didn't want to join the Mafia, they wouldn't force me." I continued as he listened quietly, "Lennox took me to a place away from your vision. He told me that my parents said I didn't want to join the mafia. He said that he totally supported my decision. He researched on both of us before agreeing to train us. So he knew about Montez."
"Did Lennox kill Montez?" he asked all of a sudden.
"No." I closed my eyes and let out, "I did."
He questioned in disbelief. "What? Why?"
"He told me to call Montez as he wanted to meet him. I hesitated but nonetheless dialed him. He didn't call me, Ian. I didn't know Montez was going to Harvard that day. He never said anything like that. So, when I called him, he got there. He knew everything about the mafia, so he was okay with it."
I paused for a brief moment. Everything flashed in front of me like I was living in that moment.
"All of a sudden, people came and tied Montez. I asked what they were doing," I cried. "Then Lennox handed me the gun. He told me that women could never be perfect leaders because they had a weakness. If I want to be a gang leader, I have to kill my weakness."
"Autumn, you don't have to tell, if you are not��"
"No, Ian. I have to let it off my chest. I never told this to anyone. Not even my mom and dad." I started again, "I didn't want to shoot Montez. He was my boyfriend, for God's sake! But Lennox threatened me that he would kill you and Montez both if I didn't shoot him."
That was the truth.
"Later, he said that I didn't have to kill Montez. I just had to shoot his arm, by closing my eyes. As I was bad at aiming, Lennox also said that he would point the gun at Montez's arm for me. Just his arm."
Lennox said that I had to feel the person in front of me by closing my eyes, before shooting.
"I didn't want to lose you or Montez. I thought I just had to shoot his arm. As I trusted Lennox, because he was my trainer, I had to shoot." I closed my eyes.
He asked curiously, "Then what happened?"
"When I shot him and opened my eyes, the bullet pierced through his head. I killed him, Ian. I killed my boyfriend." I placed my head on the crook of his neck. "I killed Montez William. He didn't go missing. I killed him."
"Why didn't you run to me?"
"I ran to you, Ian. After I saw his dead body, I ran to you but Lennox was faster than me. I hid in the nearby box so that he couldn't find me but I failed. He found me." I trembled at that memory. "When you called me, I was about to scream, but he put his hand over me. He tied and tortured me in a dark room."
He mumbled under his breath, "But he told me you were practicing shooting."
"There was nothing but darkness in that room. No source of light was found. He electrocuted and hit me until I agreed to never say this to anyone. He said women shouldn't have weakness and he destroyed my fear too."
I hugged him tighter than before. "That's why I was afraid when you called him back to train Lia. What if Lia faces the same trauma as me? I was the first woman he has ever trained. I didn't want Lia to go through the same. When he came, I thought he would try to kill you as well, thinking of you as my weakness. But��" he cut me off.
"But he is here to rule the underworld this time." He murmured, "Is that why you joined the mafia? Because you had no reason to not join?"
I nodded. "That's why I decided to become the deadly leader." I asked softly, "Will we ever get out?"
"Don't worry. We just have to wait until Steven gets in here."
"Steven?"
"Yes. I have a tracking device so he will find me." I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. Even in the darkness, he could understand my confusion because he said, "Don't get confused, Wifey. I know during training Lennox said to always keep three tracking devices with us. But I am one step ahead. I have five."
I sighed in relief. "Thank God."
"He already tortured you, didn't he?"
I chuckled. "What do you think? He would keep me in one piece? Just thank the God that I am still not dea��"
Before I could complete the sentence, quickly he put a finger on my lips. "Never talk about that." I could feel his intense gaze on me. I didn't need light if Ian was there. I knew I would be safe with him.
He wiped my almost dried tears. "Everything will be alright. I wasn't there with you at that time, but now I am. Lennox won't survive in this long run." He muttered, "I thought you were just uncomfortable with him. But��crap it! It's all my fault."
"No. It's not your fault. I didn't tell you anything from the beginning, so��"
The door creaked open.
"I guess you lovebirds had enough romantic time," Lennox said aloud. "Haven't you shared the New Year's kiss yet?"
New year? It was already midnight, wasn't it?
"Happy New Year, wifey." Ian kissed my cheek.
"Happy New Year, my dear husband," I whispered back. Well, even if I die today, I don't mind.
I had my first new year with my husband after the wedding. I made a lot of happy memories. I shared my past, which I had within me for seven years. What else do I need?
I might even die in my husband's arms. If so, I will be at peace. I smiled at that thought.
"Bring it on, Lennox Gibian. Kill me," I said as confidence boosted within me. I managed to stand up. Now, this darkness was nothing for me. I continued, "Just do me a favor. Promise me you won't kill Ian. Let him go and he will hand you both the gangs. I convinced him to do that."
"What are you�� " I interrupted Ian.
"Hush, Ian. I will handle this."
Lennox let out a humorless chuckle. "Your lover put fuel in your tank, didn't he? The woman is talking now."
"Kill me."
"I will torture you first, before killing you." As soon as he said that, the touch of the whip hit my flesh again. I clenched my fist, trying to bear the pain.
However, the next whip didn't hit me, even though it was meant for me. I saw a tall figure standing in front of me, taking all the blows. Lennox thought he was whipping me and continued to do so.
I stood there in shock.