The Silence That Surrounds

Louis’s POV:

I was currently upstairs with Zayn and Sophia. Needless to say Mr. Stone woke up at about the time Harry shoved the long, thick circular – ugh, scrub brush – I am going to need a scrub brush and a heavy dosage of bleach to get that memory scrubbed out of my head. Sure, I’ve witnessed plenty of things – eyes gouged out, limbs cut off – fingernails, toenails ripped from their cuticles but there was just something more violating then any of that to be shoving something up another bloke’s ass.

“Love? You’re going to burn marks in the carpet with all the pacing you’re doing.” Zayn smiled, his gentle eyes rolling over the anxious girl.

“I have a right, don’t I? I caused this, this is my fault. It’s my fault. I’m hurting my father, I hurt Dylan. I drug them into –“She was ranting, flinching as Daniel’s distant screams bled through the air like poisoned gas. It was barely making its way upstairs, though eventually the sound reached Sophia’s room with force and silenced us all.

Zayn was off the bed we were currently stationed at, his arms curling around the back of her shoulders to just under her breast in a comforting gesture.

“Did you guys not gag him?” Zayn asked, his question directed at me.

“Yeah, I gagged him with his undershorts and wrapped some bandages in and around his mouth to stop him from spitting them out. Hope Harry’s ears are still functioning, the dude screams louder than a woman. I’m so glad I took no part in having to shove that up his –“

“Okay then. So, movie anyone?” Zayn broke off my descriptive visual with a clap, trying to distract Sophia.

She only broke from his hold and turned to him, a deep frown on her face.

“It is my fault though, isn’t it? That I drug –“She asked but this time I cut her off.

“Don’t be a dumb slum, you know damn well it wasn’t your bloody fault. Daniel Stone traded YOU for a debt he falsely promised to restitute. He got YOU involved. I don’t understand how you can stand there and blame yourself for something you had no fucking control over. Use your head, flower and think it through. Shit, he called you fat, he just MOLESTED YOU, let’s not forget the bruises he left and you stand there and have the fucking NERVE to blame yourself because he’s down there and getting exactly what he deserves?! Sometimes, Sophia, you piss me off. Daniel is deserving of whatever Harrys wrath comes up with.” I growled, marching over, grabbing her arm and dragging her to the bed so she was sitting.

She didn’t say anything, her eyes resumed their position to the floor but I wasn’t making it easy on her. I forced them back into my intense blue.

“Do not start falling, do not second guess yourself. He maybe your father by blood, you may share the same genetics but a father would never do what he’s done. A loving parent protects their child and loves them for who they are – not what they become. Our gang, we take care of one another and I’m not gonna lie, flower – we have no idea how to deal with you. You were dropped in our laps and we are still trying to figure it all out but the way I see it, you were saved from a fate worse than death. You were delivered to us for a reason and now that you are official – well, you’re going to have to work a lot of these problems out yourself because we don’t get involved in the agony of others, we have our own that we deal with. Harry’s right, you are deadly nightshade because you will get others hurt. You’re dangerous but you’re lost too –hidden in a mask and shadowed by the dark. Blind to what is in front of you and bound in chains to be anything but helpless to stop any of it. Quit thinking you’re a villain – you give the rest of us a bad name because if I was Harry, I’d of shot the fucker way before the curling iron heated up.”

I took slow even breaths as I spoke, my speech even and toneless. It was as monotonous as the last speech I gave her, she doesn’t seem to comprehend the meaning of a justice that is well deserved and being the cause of an event that you had no control over.

“Dylan is my fault, I got him involved.” Sophia gulped, inching her face away from mine, her eyes on her lap.

“In war, Soph, there are casualties. Your brother is a necessary evil to strive towards winning that war. He is meant to be where he is, just as you. Stop over analyzing fate’s map, you’re never going to decipher it all. Let fate be and it in turn will take care of the rest,” I smirked and pushed her back toward Zayn, standing up to stretch. “Watch her, make sure she doesn’t have a complete freak out. I’m going to go see if Harry could use some help.”

“You can’t do that! That’s surrendering to the problem, it makes you no better then what Daniel did to me, it makes –“

I whirled around, I could feel my anger and frustration build inside my chest and I am fairly certain my eye color was almost the shade of coal because Sophia went silent again, gulping quietly, her eyes widening in fear. I wanted to control my temper for once, given as she has been put through a lot but I did not understand her reasoning for wanting us not to hurt her father.

“I want to understand the thoughts behind your head, lass. I truly do and you have precisely a minute and thirty seconds before I leave this room to explain to me why I shouldn’t go down there and relish in his misery. He’s molested you for how long?” I demanded, stepping toward her but she made the wise decision and took a fearful step back.

“I-it doesn’t matter! Please! He maybe a dick but he’s still my –“I held up my hand to again put an end to her stalling.

“How long, flower? Hm? He’s done this to you before –years before, what’s the age that it started? If you don’t tell me I’ll happily have Harry up here to interrogate and believe me my love, he will not grant your daddy peace until his breath is nearly stilled. Again, I ask you – how long?”

I watched her eyes dart back and forth. She was racking both sides of her brain, wondering where to pull the cortex from. Wisely she choose to look to the left, which meant she was going to tell me the truth.

“Three? Maybe younger –it was always normal for me. I never thought it was wrong, not…I knew, maybe? I only knew it wasn’t normal when Scar was around and my dad was always careful in how he presented himself. Scar caught Daniel the one night when he was piss drunk, he didn’t remember and I was really young, I think? I –I really don’t remember. Just that it always seemed normal. Perhaps I was naïve. I knew as I got older and the touching became less of a deal because it fell into void subject, especially at work. Too many eyes and the walls had ears so we maintained a father, daughter relationship. He taught me the business and I gladly accepted my place. That place has now been uprooted thanks to Harry and you all. Perhaps my fault was misplaced?” She questioned, stepping back again.

It took me a few moments to see what she was getting at and in response I simply smirked. Zayn watched with guarded but cautious eyes.

“You would believe that this was our fault alone? My darling, if it weren’t for your father, he would not be where he is now and you would be safe and sound in the confines of your apartment with Mr tuf tuf – or whatever the little fuckers name is. No, the fault does not herein lie on us, it goes back to your father owing us money. Money he never paid, money he would gladly keep in place of his own daughter,” I took a deep breath to try and calm down but I was choking on the very essence of the air I consumed to not knock Sophia into tomorrow. That wouldn’t be very helpful and it would most likely set us back a step; so I choose the least violent option – putting her in her place.

“Your ignorance astounds me even month’s still, my lady. Perhaps, I was being too generous? Maybe foolery runs thicker than blood in your family because you are not seeing the bigger picture. It is not always about you, it’s about setting an example. Our gang follows orders but it was Daniel Stone who gave you to us, tusked up with a fucking pink bow. So no, your blame is not misjudged but your way of thinking most certainly is.”

She looked at Zayn but he held his hands up, indicating she was left to her own battle of wits to back up her argument.

“He’s my father. He hurt me – but he doesn’t deserve what is happening to him right now. He deserves to have it end, so he can’t hurt anyone else.” Sophia murmured, glancing at the door before looking back at me. I could see the wheels turning.

“That ship has long sailed. People died because of him – more people will spill blood before this all ends. He’s hurt too many, Soph – and that is why I don’t understand your reasoning. He sold you to false terms, knowing you might die. Who can still care for a monster such as him?” I folded my arms, letting her know I wasn’t going to let her through.

“You don’t know family, Louis. You yourself said that you’ve never had a real family – never having one, you couldn’t possibly understand the ties that bind us together. You have this – this gang and that is all you know, all you will ever know. At least amongst this hell, I have Dylan, I have someone that is my flesh and blood, someone that truly loves me…you couldn’t possibly understand.” She spat, her eyes now becoming agitated. Though I did inward flinch, she did have a point. I never did understand the family concept but I knew what it meant to protect our own. To defend one another until our last breath and that is something she would never understand. She would never get the dynamics of our operation. We might not be related but you don’t need blood to lay down your life for another human.

“Perhaps you’re right, Ms. Stone – perhaps I don’t understand but sweetheart? There might one day be a situation where you call out to us and need our help and despite being an absolute cunt, the way you’re being – I will say, if it means anything at all, that it won’t change the fact, God as my witness, that I – any of us, would still answer your call. Like it or not, you are a part of this gang and you need to start coming to terms with the idea. We might not be related but you’re still a pain in the ass that I am obligated under the code of conduct to care for you as if you were and I accepted that fact the first night you were left off your chains…the first time in months that you were truly free. So don’t tell me I don’t understand family; because I understand perfectly well. It’s you who needs to reevaluate. Excuse me, I need to attend to Harry, see if he needs some earplugs and some bloody Tylenol for his headache he’s sure to have by now.” I snapped, turning to walk towards the door.

“Do you have a heart, Louis? Is there any scrap of human decency left in you? Just answer me that and you can do whatever you are going to do. I can’t stop you and I’m not going to try but we can’t pick or chose our fate – it’s not up to us, it’s up to karma. I want my father dead too but – why should It be our hands? What right do we have to take another’s life for the sake of revenge? Revenge doesn’t fix shit, look where we are – where we go. You’ve taken everything from Daniel! He has NOTHING left.” Sophia threw her hands across her chest and sat down on the bed, facing away from me.

At first I let the tense air speak volumes for me but in the end, I answered her question but I knew it was not one she wanted to hear.

“My heart is like you last name, I feel only the emotions that surround my group –my…family. Sadly, you’re right flower; human decency is a foreign concept to me but try living how the other half lives and you’ll see. As for Daniel, no, we didn’t take everything. He still has his life but not for long. Plans haven’t change, my love. Nothing’s changed. You are still indebted to us and your father was already dead the moment he fucked over Damien. So, get ready Soph – you’re in for one hell of an adventure. So I advise you to sit back, shut up and enjoy it. Quit asking us if we’re there yet. We get to the destination when we die; don’t be in a hurry to get there.” I finished, finally leaving the room to head downstairs to help Harry. So much for a minute and thirty seconds – but then again, I never was good at keeping track of time.

*

Harry’s POV:

I watched Daniel Stone thrash in his seat, loud exclamations came loudly from his mouth while the soft sizzling sound of burning flesh met my contented ears. It would be a lie if I didn’t say his screaming gave me some sort of pleasure and the smoke radiating from behind the wooden chair he sat on even more so.

In the midst of his torture, Daniel’s bladder had let go and if that wasn’t completely humiliating, blood was seeping from the gauze type bandage we had used to gag him, his boxer shorts trapped securely behind; though somehow he managed to bite through to his tongue. Thankfully, we didn’t need him to speak to sign the documents and transfer the will over to Sophia. That’s one thing we couldn’t do. Sure, we can have his estates and bank balances transferred but it needs to go through Sophia and right now, that’s the focus. I just needed to crack a Stone to get him to break.

“You know Daniel, you don’t mind if I call you that, do you, mate?” His muffled scream never depleted, so I continued. “Good because this is really important – but you’ve had that up your arse for about thirty minutes and the air is starting to smell like shit so I’ll cut to the chase,” I muttered, stepping behind him and grabbing the handle that was sticking just slightly out of his ass, the long black cord running into the wall. When we started the handle was more out but that’s what happens when you struggle, it pushes in further.

I grabbed the small visible edge with my fingers and yanked the hot scolding metal, some skin and light tint of blood accompanied the sight with a loud pop.

Cringing slightly at the sight but not disappointed by my handiwork; I turned the curling iron around in my hand and walked back in front of the monster.

“As I was saying, let me cut to the chase. You’re here in this situation because you refused to pay Damien what is owed. Now, not only did you do that but you gave us your daughter as a down payment. One you never meant to repay. Nod if I got that right.” I continued, seeing Daniel fall forward against the ropes, his head down and his eyes closed.

“Damn, it stinks down here. How long was he cooking on the barbie?”

I turned around to see Louis, a chuckle falling from his lips as easy as a raindrop from a leaf.

“Thirty minutes, give or take. Any chance of smelling salts lying anyplace about? I want to get on with it because honestly? Tomorrow can’t come fast enough.”

His smirk never faltered but something in his eyes flashed.

“You’re not the only one, H. Sophia seems to have gained some sort of conscience because she’s fighting us tooth and nail about us torturing the son of a bitch. As for consciousness, just put the curling iron on his balls. Not only will he jump awake, castration by heat. Just don’t put it on his dick, he’ll bleed out because the metal will go right through, tissue is too soft.”

Listening to Louis’s advice, I did as he told me, letting the soft flesh sizzle. It was right where the ball sack connected and with the heat, it would also cauterize. Where Daniel’s going, he won’t need them.

Several minutes of silence followed and still nothing. It wasn’t until his nuts were completely cooked through that I took the torture device from them and looked toward Louis who now leant against the door with a shrug.

“I’m not always right, mate. Anyhow, give me the curler – I have something I want to do.” Louis replied, holding his hand out.

I repeated his earlier gesture and handed it off.

“Careful with the handle, he had it all practically shoved up there. Asshole kept struggling.”

Louis laughed but was unbothered, forcing the device to his breast and placing the hot metal against it. At that point I gave him an inquisitive stare.

“He bruised Sophia in the exact same place and whether she agrees with this or not, you know he deserves it and much worse. I don’t know how she can sit there and proclaim –“

I cut him off.

“Perhaps the same reason I have yet to take a stand against Damien? No matter how everyone looks at it, I can understand Sophia’s point. She may want to kill him but she doesn’t have enough heart to pull the trigger. He is after all, still her father. Just as Damien is mine. It’s internal instinct and the moral complexity of the brain going against ourselves. Nightshade still sees him as her relative, shame he only saw her as throw away rubbish.”

The brunette agreed and switched the curler to the other breast, this time pressing it in more forcefully. I didn’t stop him, there really wasn’t a point to. However when he went towards Daniel’s eyes, I grabbed the handle from Louis, his blue eyes were filled with hate and I know expression wasn’t his strongest emotion but there was definite anger.

“Take a walk, Lou. It’s not going to do us any good if you blind the git.”

He growled and balled his hand into a fist, bringing it into Daniel’s eye before punching him square in the mouth, a sharp crack filled the air – from the sound, Louis had broken Daniel’s jaw.

“Take a walk, he’s no good to us dead!” I demanded lowly, guiding him out the door but not before he turned back and spit in Daniel’s face, leaving this time on his own accord and leaving me to shake my head before resuming my guard on the prisoner.

*

Many hours later, though I lost track of how many exactly; a pair of light footsteps were heard entering. I already knew who, even before she came into sight.

“It’s late, flower. What are you still doing up?” I asked, the casualty in my tone must have shocked her because she stopped just behind me.

“I couldn’t sleep, bit hard when your own ears are ringing from someone else’s pain, don’t you think?” She responded timidly.

I thought a moment, before shrugging.

“Perhaps but that is neither of our concerns. We get the documents transferred, we go home. It’s that simple. His retribution is earned justly. Is there a reason for your visit or are you going to try and Jimmy Cricket my conscience into seeing some moral light? Because if that’s what you’ve come about, you’re wasting your breath.” I warned, not even turning around to see her reaction. I felt it and that was all I needed.

“Actually, I thought you may be hungry. May I come closer?” She asked, her light footsteps venturing forward in caution. Which left me to shrug, that was answer enough for her and she met me at the side of the chair, handing over a plate of the stew, laced with thinly cut strips of lamb.

I took the plate gently from her fingers and grabbed the fork that laid on the side. I didn’t voice anything and she didn’t appear to expect acknowledgment of the gesture but I gave a low ‘thank you’ and began to eat.

“You’re welcome. I-is he asleep?” Sophia whispered and I laughed in response. Her curious nature would get her in trouble one day.

“Something like that, nightshade.”

She nodded and began to make her way back into the lodge but I stopped her from exiting completely.

“For what it’s worth Sophia, if you had been my daughter…or sibling, I would have paid to get you back. Daniel Stone doesn’t deserve someone as decent as you and I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise, I’ll try harder but this is the way it is in our group now, the way it has always been. I hope that one day you can understand but if it matters, I know your sentimentality towards family all too well. I suffer with it too but I’m not a nice guy, Sophia. We have a code and you have my men – myself even, if I’m being honest at a standstill. We don’t feel, we don’t second guess and we certainly don’t hug. The rules are no different for you as they are for me and I need you to start respecting them. I need you to toughen up because once we head back home, things need to change; they have to.”

I felt the angel and devil on my shoulder once more but I forced them both to shut up. I didn’t need an eternal battle, not again.

“I understand, Harry. I’ll try, you have my word.” She murmured, her footsteps fading to the door before she turned around one more time. “Goodnight and… thanks, it does mean a lot to know that someone cares, even when they pretend not to.”

With that she was gone.

“I cannot wait for tomorrow –please God, make it come already.”

Notes