DARTS AND QUARTERS

"Your sister?" Cassandra asked and Bully nodded. She found it baffling that he has a sister and yet he gave women this gruesome treatment with his master.

"She is dead," he said slowly and dropped the towel in the bowl. That made Cassandra's heart fall.

"Panda, I'm so sorry about that."

Bully peeked at her and his face twitched up in a lopsided smile that didn't last. "Why do you keep calling me Panda?"

"Because you are as cute as a panda."

Bully reached into the first aid box to take out things he needed to treat her wound and she watched him. She was getting into him gradually and really wanted to hear about his sister and how she reminded him of her.

"So, was your sister this hard-headed?"

"Oh, so you know you are hard-headed. Alina was way too stubborn. But she was a strong girl who thought she could become a man."

"Wow, she must be an interesting person."

"Yes, she was. I loved her so much. We were the only children of our parents." Billy put the band-aid to her cheekbone and her lower lip. "She was always challenging me and wanted to go into the army just like me. My father was an Army General."

"Wow."

"I was training to join the army and Alina wanted to join too, but my dad wanted her to become a doctor. She trained anyway and had me fight with her out of my father's sight. One day, an enemy jet attacked our territory unawares. They destroyed a lot of us and Alina died saving some soldiers. She had every chance to escape with the other women that were being taken away from the back gate, but she chose to remain with the guys. I lost my family in that fight." Bully's eyes were now staring far away as he recalled the memories. Cassandra knew it was really a sad memory for him because of the painful look on his face.

"I lost my dad and my sister and barely left with my life. I don't know why but I was the only survivor there."

"You survived because you have not met me yet," Cassandra joked and it made Bully smile.

"I managed to get away from the ruckus and the ruins that used to be my home, but I wasn't going to survive because I was badly injured in the invasion. That was how Eros found me. He found me lying by the roadside and he helped me into his car."

"He helped you?"

"Yes, he was just a boy then. He was not more than fifteen. He was not a mafia then, he was just Don's only son. He was an adorable kid."

"How old were you then? You certainly look older than Eros."

Bully shrugged. "I am not much older than he is. I was eighteen then. He has not always been like this."

"So, what happened?"

Bully bowed his head and inhaled deeply. "A lot happened. He is not even the only child of the Don."

"What?"

Bully nodded before he spoke again. "I shouldn't be saying all this to you..."

"Bully, I really want to understand." Cassandra placed a hand on his big, strong arm.

"He has other female siblings whom his father refused to acknowledge because they were women. His father was more brutal than Eros."

"Wow, this is a new revelation."

"Eat your food. Sometimes, when I see you fight, it reminds me of Alina and it makes me want to protect you, but my hands are tied here and this is the little help I can offer."

Cassandra reached for his face and place her hand on his cheek. She felt him shudder under her touch. "Thank you for letting me know who you are."

"You have to eat to gather enough strength for your next fight," Bully teased.

Cassandra snickered. "Next fight indeed. What of Grandma Adella?"

Bully stood up. "She traveled earlier today. There is a recruit in the building."

"Recruit? Like a new man to kidnap girls?"

Bully was walking to the window now. "We don't kidnap girls. We take them as ransom."

Cassandra chewed. "It's the same. You take them against their will."

"Then their parents shouldn't borrow money and put them in such positions. Most of the men that borrow money from Eros use it for useless things like gambling and drinking."

"Like you don't gamble?"

"Eros doesn't but his father did and he always took women of other men for payment."

Cassandra nearly choked. "That is..."

"Gross," Bully finished. "Eros' father was a tyrant."

"I shouldn't expect anything less from his son then. Following well in his father's footsteps."

"I am not trying to paint him good, but he is just an angry young man."

Cassandra ate her food without saying anything anymore. Was he going to justify his character with that? They always have a petty side story.

"We can play that game if you want," Bully offered when the silence lingered longer between them.

"What games?" Cassandra's eyes widened in anticipation.

"You said you could beat me in those games the other guys play at leisure."

"Oh. Darts and quarters?"

"Exactly."

"I like to take on new challenges. I am pretty sure I will beat you to stupor."

"I like your boldness and confidence," Bully smirked.

"Shall we?" Cassandra asked excitedly.

"Are you sure you want to drink? You will get drunk."

"Leave that for me to decide. By the time I wipe your ass, we will see who has the last laugh."

"Wow, I'm so scared right now. You must be a pro in these games."

"Try me and see." Cassandra was a complete ignoramus when it comes to those games, but she had to make Bully happy.

Bully winked at her and walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. She was getting closer to her plans and soon enough, she would have him trust her and she can escape from him, but he would be punished for that. The thought was beginning to make her have divided thoughts.

Bully returned not long enough with the dartboard and the alcoholic drinks and glasses. He hung the dartboard on the other end of the room and kept the drinks and glasses on the table while Cassandra sat watching him. When he was done setting the dartboard, he turned to Cassandra.

"What is it going to be first? You choose."

"Let's start with the darts first," she said and stood up from her seat, bouncing from side to side. "Bring it on."

Bully handed her some darts and motioned her to go first. She scowled at him.

"You go first."

"Nah, ladies first." Cassandra turned to face the dartboard and huffed. "The aim is to hit the target. Right at the center."

"Alright." Cassandra threw her dart, it hit the dartboard and fell to the floor.

Bully burst into laughter. "You don't even know how to throw a dart. Drink up."

Cassandra smiled. She didn't know why seeing him laugh made her smile. She grabbed the shot Bully had filled with alcohol and gulped it down. She squeezed her face as the drink stung down through her throat to her belly.

Bully threw his dart and it hit right at the center, he looked at Cassandra who was still bearing the burn of alcohol in her chest, and winked. She wasn't used to taking alcohol and she was sure she didn't have a good tolerance for it.

"Who is the boss now?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Hitting one target doesn't make you a boss yet."

"Try again, boss lady," Bully said with mockery in his eyes.

Cassandra dropped the shot on the table. "You have challenged me enough." She picked another dart and closed one eye, pointing the dart to the board. "Alright, one, two, three..." She threw her dart. It hit the board this time and stuck, but it was at the edge.

Bully started to laugh again. He was just a big baby and probably laughed a lot.

"I smell treachery here. You gave me all the crooked darts and took the good ones."

"You can have mine. You know, braggarts will always blame others for their failures."

"Really?" Cassandra grabbed his darts and gave him her.

He poured her another shot which she gulped down immediately and waited for Bully's turn. As Bully set himself to throw the dart, she screamed.

"Look who is at the door!"

Bully threw quickly and spun to see no one at the door before he got what she had done. "You cheated."

"No, I didn't." Cassandra raised her hands in the air with a mischievous smile. "Everything is fair in love and war."

"Oh, war..."

The door opened and Javier walked in. Both of them stood there looking at him. He looked from Bully to Cassandra and back to Bully.

"We are having a good time, are we?"

The drink has already started its effect on Cassandra. She yelled at him. "Get away!"

Javier's brows furrowed and he looked at Bully in askance. "Have you been soaking her in alcohol?"

"Not my doing," Bully said.

"I am not drunk," Cassandra said aloud to no one in particular.

"For that, I am going to wipe your ass. Give me that come on, challenge me, a better contender." Javier took a dart from Cassandra's and threw it and it stuck at the center.

"Panda has not drank his wine!" Cassandra yelled.

Bully raised his hands in surrender and poured himself a shot of wine and gulped down.

They played a few more times with Bully taking the lead and they entered the quarters game. By the middle of the game, Cassandra was dead drunk but kept saying she wasn't. She felt like easing herself, stood from the table abruptly, and staggered over to where she thought was the bathroom door. Then she kicked something and fell forward. Someone grabbed her. She was certain it wasn't Bully because the scent of the person was different.