Damned: Chapter 30) Silver & Gold
The cold salty sea air shamelessly licked my face as it tousled my hair like an angry mother combing through it. On a contrary, I felt a sense of relief drift through my bones. The moon shone miraculously above aiding my steps along the slippery pathway. I knew I shouldn’t have been here yet my curiosity always dictated my decisions.
Where is she?
Where is the girl?
Those were the faint voices I kept hearing.
Oh! But the sky was so beautiful. I neared the iron railing and held on dearly as I was alarmed by the endless ocean below whose waves crashed almost vigorously against the barrier. I felt the salty water splash its teardrops towards me and I smiled as I inhaled the crispy air. My hands were too tiny to fully get a full grip of the railing and I laughed in enjoyment as I heard the voices of the old people in frustration trying to find me. I was winning! I was winning!
The sound of a sudden loud wailing startled me causing me to slip and hit my head on the wet cold iron floor.
“No!” I gasped up for air, breathing heavily, only to find myself achingly upright on a sofa surrounded by two strange men, Moville and the man I’d met earlier playing pool.
My head ached and my eyesight blurred.
“Piranha, you’re okay now.” Moe neared me and stooped to my level.
“Moe?” I unknowingly let out a sob and I felt this strange liquid substance leak from my eyes.
Tears?
No. Stop it.
I swallowed my emotions and tried to get up but everywhere hurt way too much.
“Katherine, please relax. No one can hurt you here. I promise you, you’re safe with us.” Finneas suddenly spoke grazing his kind sad eyes towards me.
One of the two strange men which stood near approached me. He was quite tall and had dark neatly combed hair as compared to the other strange man whose hair seemed to be slightly tousled yet sustain an elegant yet somewhat al dente flare while towering with a brooding expression and clad in a fine tailored suit. The man who neared me wore a neat red dress shirt and gave me a gentle smile as he knelt to my level. Something told me he wasn’t too accustomed to sharing his smiles. Before I could have spoken another word, he took my arm and reached for an injection which was in a kit at the side of the coffee table.
“Whoa there, Mr. Stranger! Let’s not start with pointing needles at each other like this.” I stated a bit startled and woozy as I looked at the massive weapon in his hand.
“Forgive me,” he gave a short apologetic laugh, “Please, you can call me Ricardo. And this Miss Donovan will be the last one I assure you.”
“You stabbed me with those before?” I panicked as Moe got up and walked to the side speaking to the other stranger.
“Maybe you can just skip it for now, Ric?” Finny worriedly interjected.
“It’d best if you get the full dose, Miss Donovan. Your health is quite at a deteriorating level. Your body tells me you’re very stressed. Have you been eating properly?”
I didn’t know what to say. I do admit however I haven’t been taking care of myself quite recently but how exactly could I in regards to the situation I was stuck in? Finny came and sat near me on the sofa.
“Don’t worry, just close your eyes and count until five and he’ll be done.”
“I don’t know about this.” I frowned clearly afraid of needles.
“Trust me,” Finny said as he placed out his hand for me to hold. Somehow, he made things seem so very calm.
Taking his hand, I closed my eyes as he counted for me.
One.
Two.
“Ouch!” I opened my eyes to see a taken-back Finneas as well.
“Ric, we said at five.”
“I know but less anticipation. Hurts less.” He replied.
“Well, I beg to differ.” I scoffed.
“You’ll feel a lot better now. Just get make sure you stay hydrated as well.”
“Thanks.” I sighed.
For a sudden moment, my mind drifted onto what had previously happened and my head pounded with the unclear memory. That man. I knew him. But, who was he? I turned to Moe who I noticed was staring at me strangely.
“Katherine,” he began curiously, “Where did you get that?”
“Get what?”
“Around your neck.”
Touching my neck, my finger grazed along a cold metallic chain and I curiously looked at the silvery pendant which had this great stallion that looked somewhat majestic in its form. Moe walked up to me and held the pendant as it hung around my neck, observing it as if he was trying to recollect a memory.
“The man who saved me,” I breathed, “He put that around my neck. I don’t know who he is.”
Moville seemed to be still taken by the necklace.
“Moe, what are you thinking?”
“It won’t make sense.” He responded, “It doesn’t.”
“Finneas and I will check the surveillance footage.” Ricardo stated, “Perhaps that can aid Miss Donovan in identifying the man.”
As they both left the room, leaving Moe and the stranger behind I frowned at the pendant until I heard Moe’s overdramatic sigh and flop on the sofa.
“Christ. What did I get myself into?” he moaned, “I need a beer.”
“I assure you, I don’t think that’s what you need.” The stranger replied to Moe as he ended his call.
Attempting to stand, the man helped me up. He had such intense grey eyes which held such a serious gaze. Somehow he seemed to be frowning his whole life I assumed.
“James had contacted me concerning your situation, Miss Donovan.”
“Oh, so it’s you he called.”
“I intend to help you however you’re going to have to help me understand a few loose ends.”
“Mr. Adrian Vandermir,” Moe suddenly interjected pointing towards him, “Do you smile?”
Ignoring Moe, he kept his attention dryly elsewhere and spoke to me, “You must have a lot of tolerance, Miss Donovan.”
“That is an understatement.” I laughed.
“Rude.” I heard Moe scoff.
Adrian poured a drink for us as we all sat around the counter while I related everything to him. If James trusted him, then so did I. After I was finished, Moe snickered.
“And this dear children is why you should never buy tampons in the middle of the night.”
“Oh shut up,” I retorted.
“Bite me, Piranha.”
“I’d rather not.”
“And the man who aided her tonight,” Adrian interjected aiming his attention towards Moville, “You know him, don’t you?”
For the first time, I noticed that Moe’s face seem to drop and his smile faded.
“I won’t say that.” He replied.
“You’re not answering my question properly,” Adrian iced.
“Then perhaps Miss Donovan will know better than I do,” Moe stated turning towards me, and for the first time, he spoke to me like that- like I was hiding something.
“What? Moe, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying this isn’t just silver and gold anymore.”
And with that, he walked out the door.
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