“Holy shit,” Kathy whispered as she took a look at my face. She was waiting outside Nico’s front door in a green tight dress. “Leo, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just haven't been sleeping, that’s all,” I shoved my hand into my jeans and I let myself into the house. Tatiana greeting me with her usual face squish and gave a dark glare at Kathy as she walked toward the dining hall. But before I could take another step toward the dining hall, Tatiana grabbed my elbow.

“Leo, ești bine?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” I gave her a fake smile and she knew instantly.

“Dacă aveți nevoie de ceva, veniți la mine.” Her hand dropped to my hand and rubbed it softly.

“I know I can come to you for anything, but really. I’m fine Tatiana,” I squeezed her hand and headed to the dining hall. I sat down across from Nico and right next to Kathy in my usual spot and couldn’t help but to smile. I looked at the clear oxygen tube across his face that wasn’t there last time and all I could think about was the bastard was finally shutting down. And it was about fucking time.

My father didn't greet me; instead he focused his attention on his sweet Kathy while I ate my cherry tomatoes in peace. I didn’t bother bringing up anything about his oxygen tank or the fact that he had called Kathy instead of me. I just enjoyed my food like there was nothing more important in the world then those damn sweet bright red cherry tomatoes.

The doorbell rang and interrupted my thoughts. I looked up at Nico who was slowly bringing his fork up to eat a piece of spinach. His wrinkled lips curled into a smile.

“Who is that?” I sat tall looking over to the hall as Tatiana headed for the door.

Nico chewed on this spinach with a full on smile spread across his face. I looked at Kathy who also knew no one ever came to dinner except us. My blood was racing so fast I thought it might burn right through my vessels. I looked over to the hallway and saw Tatiana come back with a man who looked Edgar, but it wasn't him. He was shorter and leaner with dark blue eyes.

“Go sit right next to Leo,” Nico’s voice crackled.

The man took a seat right next to me and placed a black folder on the table, never breaking eye contact with me.

“Who is that?” I addressed Nico.

“This is Eugene. Edgar’s younger brother. He’s a private detective.”

“What?”

Nico coughed while he swallowed his food. “Did I stutter?” Nico looked over at Eugene and nodded. My eyes jumped back to Eugene who opened his folder and pulled out a handful of images of Mallory.

“W-what is this?” Eugene placed each photo of Mallory in a row from beginning to end on the table. The first being a photo in her AC/DC shirt all the way to the last image of her leaving my house Saturday morning. Eugene pulled out a report page from the folder and began to read.

“Mallory Aurora Scarner. Age twenty-two. Born April 2, 1995. Sign: Aries. Height: Five foot Seven. Weight: 186lbs. Hair color: blonde, currently dyed pastel pink. Eyes: Blue —”

“Shut up!” I slapped the table, rising to my feet and giving Nico a stare that meant I would kill him if I had to. But he didn't flinch or blink, he just nodded at Eugene to continue with the list.

“Mother: Kimberley Emma Scarner. Father: Jonathan Richard Scarner. Status: Deceased —”

“Stop fucking reading!” I grabbed Eugene's collar and ripped the report out of his hand, crumpling it up and tossing it to the ground. But he didn't move a muscle. His eyes, cold and dead like winter, were filled with nothing but greed.

“Go on,” Nico coughed.

“She was on the soccer and cross country teams in high school at St. Andres High. GPA: 3.05. Graduated in 2013 and went straight to Rhode Island School of Design to get a degree in Marketing, but quickly changed it to Graphic Design. She finished this May with a 3.65 GPA —”

“Shut up,” I pulled his collar tighter with both fists, bringing his face only an inch away from mine. His eyes were more alive now, almost like he knew if he spoke again I would turn him into pulp.

Eugene opened his mouth, but closed it. There was a part of me that wished he had kept talking about Mallory. Each fact about her made my heart skip and I wanted to know more but … but not like this. Not when it was a part of Nico’s sick plan to stalk her.

Nico cleared his throat. “I warned you, Leonardo. I told you to never play games with me.”

Eugene blankly blinked at me when I threw him back into the chair with all my strength. The chair skidded across the floor, filling the room which a screech. My eyes darted to Nico’s face and I already knew what was coming.

“I was suspicious of this Mallory Scarner, especially after Edgar described her to me. Young, pink hair, piercings, a tattoo and dressing like a punk rock stoner. And I thought … ‘My son wouldn’t be into that kind of girl. He couldn’t cheat on Kathy with some fat pig who was already tagged with ink ready to be sold.’”

“Watch your fucking mouth, you old bastard!” I growled. My blood racing, my nostrils flared and my hands balls into fist as I punch the table. The plates shook under my wrath.

Nico smirked.

“I was originally going to give the job to Edgar the second I found out about Miss Scarner, but I thought since he found out about your last ‘girlfriend,’ you might get suspicious. So, I hired Eugene, who Edgar highly recommended. You tried to lie your way out by telling me she was a graphic designer and she could have been, but I didn't care. I had already hired Eugene before I found out. And Edgar had some fun telling you not to worry and then sending you that text. It wasn’t before long until I found out you weren't just fucking her, but you also lied about Kathy being your girlfriend. And what a shame. I like her.”

Nico drank his water and looked over at Kathy, whose face was white as snow. My lip twitched and I clenched my fist so hard I was digging my nails into my skin. I hated the fact that I was just a pawn in his little game called my life.

“Even after I found out about the Piccola Isola private room, I still made Eugene follow her because you’ve never been with a girl who looked like her and it interested me. I could have exposed you for what you did, what I found out, but I wanted to know more. And what I found out was that you actually care for her. Hiring her for an actual job, going to her house, and even inviting her to you mother’s house, which you’ve never done before. Was she the first woman you ever invited over? Which made me think you not only care for her, but you might even love that disgusting girl.” Nico’s eyes burned into mine as he pushed out his chin and talked through his teeth.

I grinded my teeth so hard I thought I was going to snap them all in half. His beady black eyes screamed game over.

“I saved your life, Leonardo. I paid for your rehab. I gave you a job. I did it all! And all I asked for was for you to marry a woman I approved of and provide me a son. An heir.”

“You didn't save me,” I mumbled under my breath. I looked down at the table and snapped. “You didn't fucking save me! Tatiana was the one who found me, she was the one who called 911 and she was the only one who came to the hospital. All you fucking did was throw your money around so people wouldn't find out you had an addict son. You didn't even try to help me when I got arrested. Or when I tried to burn mom’s flower shop. Or when I tried to kill myself the first time. You only helped me when you realized you were slowly dying and you needed your money to go somewhere!”

“Let’s not forget, Leonardo,” he pushed himself off the chair and stood up, trembling. “You chose this life. You chose money over your mother a long time ago. You killed your mother and you chose money over love. Like me!”

“I’m not you! I’m nothing like you!” my voice was fragile and crazed but bouncing off the walls, setting my whole body aflame like a burning building. The painful reminder that, in fact, I had killed my mom because I was a weak spoiled little shit who didn't want to lose his inheritance. Which in the end, I managed to do anyway.

“Look in the mirror, son. You are exactly like me. But this game you’re playing, this game of you trying to get your precious flower shop without following my orders, my rules, is over. You’re over. You are not getting my money, my house, my company or my flower shop. I’m not giving you another chance. It’s over.”

My body went numb. All sound, sight, taste, smell and touch combined into one monsters distorted blur. I lost. My stomach pinched together and my body trembled. I lost. My lungs were on fire while being submerged into the coldest water.

I finally lost.

“Eugene, tell Leonardo my favorite fact you found out about Mallory.”

“The lawyer, Mr. Kinop, who defended the drunk driver that killed Mallory’s parents, was one of your father's best lawyers at his first firm before NR. Mr. Kinop cut down the drunk driver’s sentence from eighteen years to only four years —”

I threw a punch into Eugene's face knocking him and the chair to the ground. His nose was covered in blood and he wiped it with the back of his hand. His eyes were no longer dead but alive with adrenaline.

“I guess I did my job pretty well,” Eugene chuckled and flicked the blood off his hand onto the floor.

I was about to beat the living shit out of him until I felt Tatiana hand around my wrist. She brought me back to reality and I noticed Eugene wasn't the one who deserved this. Nico was. But I couldn't even touch the bastard without killing him.

“Leo, let’s go,” Kathy sat up from her chair. Her were knees wobbly, her voice broken and her face still porcelain. She headed toward the front of the mansion.

I stood still watching Eugene pick himself up and fix his dark brown hair. His suit was wrinkled, his collar covered in blood and his face still sported a ridiculous smile that was way too happy for a man who had been punched in the face.

My neck creaked as I turned to look at Nico who was sitting down and adjusting his tube. “You’re going to die and no one will shed a tear. You're going to rot like your money in the bank.”

“As long as you don't have it, I don’t care.” He coughed harder through his sentence then he had done all evening. I walked away leaving a trail of scorched footprints on the way to the front door. Kathy was waiting for me, giving me a look like she had just seen a lost puppy. I hated that fucking look.

Tatiana followed me closely to make sure I was safe. To make sure I didn’t leave this house as a murder. When I got to the front, Kathy tried to embrace me in a hug, but I snarled at her. I didn't need her pity. I didn't need her touch.

“Nu te întorci. Nu te întorci la băuturi sau droguri,” Tatiana clung to my arm, begging that I wouldn't go back to my old ways.

“Kathy, leave,” I spoke with my throat and she followed my instructions without a second to think.

“No drink. No drug,” Tatiana begged again, crying this time.

“Let me go Tatiana.”

“No. No!”

“I need to be alone. Let me go.” My voice was dull and unresponsive, hiding every emotion I had bottled up inside.

She clung on my arm tighter, but I ripped myself off of her and headed out without hesitation. She didn’t try to stop me, but made sure she got a last sight of me before I got into my car. I drove for about half a mile till I had to pull over and scream at the top of my lungs. I screamed and screamed until my lungs were sore and my voice was scratchy. I choked the steering, feeling the leather heat up in my hand and all I could fucking think about was Mallory. Her pink hair, her fish-smelling cat tattoo and her stupid AC/DC shirt that always brought a smile to my face. All I could think about was how much I needed her right now. How much I needed to talk to her to her so I could finally just shatter and break down. To finally accept the fact that it was done and I couldn’t change the past or the fucking present. And that in the end, I was a pawn in the rich man's chess game ready to be sacrificed.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Mallory. It rang and rang, each second of that ring stabbed me in the heart.

Please. Please, pick up!

“Hi, it’s Mallory. You know what to do after the beep. If you don’t, just talk, it’s as simple as that and I’ll get back to you when I can. Bye!”

“I need you to pick up right now! Pick up your phone, now! For fucks sake, Mallory.” I took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly. “I need you. I really need you, more than ever. I need you to pick up before I do something stupid, Mallory. Please. Pick up.”

I dropped my head against the steering wheel and hung up after a few seconds. My hand shook and I tried to call again, but hung up before it even rang.

I need you more than ever, Mallory. I love you and I need you. I need my sunlight to survive.