Ch.24: Serves You Right

Julian stepped towards the threshold and peeked into the corridor, looking in the direction of the front-door.

"Hmmm? Who's Julian?" he said. "There's only a Lian here!"

"Julian! Cut it out!"

Julian covered his ears. "Lian!"

"Julian!"

"Lian!"

Silence for a few seconds. "...Lian, open the door."

"Lian—Oh, hahaha…"

Julian left the room and headed over to open the door, as if calling him by his nickname really was all he needed to respond. Nicholas thought he was using it as an excuse to ignore Sasha at first.

There was a faint click, and then the door swung open.

"Where are they?" Sasha asked.

"Who?"

"Valentino and the rest!"

"Ohhh, they're here with me!"

Furious footsteps thudded against carpeted flooring, and then Sasha and Julian appeared in the doorway of the living room where Nicholas, Valentino, and Milo were settled.

Sasha's hard gaze fell upon Valentino first. Her shoulders relaxed in relief, but something sinister flickered in her dark eyes, like she was happy to see him in this unfortunate state.

"There you are, Valentino."

"Hi," Valentino said.

Sasha looked at Nicholas.

"Hi," Nicholas said.

Sasha shook her head, sadistic delight turning into anger. She crossed her arms and turned stiffly to Julian. "Explain."

"Explain what?"

"Everything that's happened so far was your doing, right?" Sasha asked, then pointed at Nicholas and Valentino. "Why are these two here and why are they tied like that?"

Julian nodded. "Yeah. It's a long story! I would've preferred if you didn't know about it, but oh well. How'd you know I'm here? I threw the tracker. Is there another one? Anyway! They're here 'cause I want them with me, all of them."

That certainly needed more explanation.

"What do you mean you want them with you?" Sasha asked. "You can't just keep them here. You have work to do. And Valentino has a meeting with his cult in like three days. I have to take him."

"Work?" Nicholas said.

Julian nodded. "Yeah, sadly…" Brows slanting into an unsure frown, he cocked his head. "Oh, I didn't tell you? I work with the organization! I'm the one who gets people to join the cult, hahaha… Pretty thankless, stupid job, if you ask me, but at least they gave me food and somewhere to sleep! I was on the streets before that, you know. And if the organization never scouted me, I would've never gotten this idea to get back at my parents! And I wouldn't have known about Albert and Valentino, and I wouldn't have met you, Nicholas! So it's all good."

Nicholas gave Valentino a look. "How the hell did you not recognize Julian if he works in your organization?"

Valentino's frown was perplexed, then he shrugged. "I never had to work with him directly. I knew someone got people to join the cult, but I never cared who he was. Sasha and her men are the only ones I know well from the entire organization." 

"It's not just you," Julian said. "Barely anyone in the organization knows I exist 'cause Sasha says I'm too 'volatile.' What's that supposed to mean? I'm super easy. I never cause problems. Oh, and I think it might also be because she wanted me to replace you as the head of the cult. Obviously she wouldn't want you to kn—"

"Lian!" Sasha said.

Valentino raised a brow, unfazed. He'd already guessed Sasha was trying to replace him anyway. "Good luck with that."

"You shouldn't be happy I can't replace you," Sasha said. "It's a punishment if you think about it, a curse." A smile tugged at the edge of her lips, barely even visible. "And your own parents did that to you."

"Ah, not sure about that," Valentino said. "I like my job. It's more like my parents punished you."

This left a snarl on Sasha's face. She turned, focusing on Julian again. "I need to take them all with me. And you're coming too."

Julian shook his head. "Nope. Don't think so. They're staying here with me."

"If Valentino doesn't attend his own meeting with his cult, the bosses are gonna sense something's wrong with our work here. Don't be stupid. I told you what they're like."

"Okay." Julian shrugged. "I'll go with him. I'll make sure it gets done. Don't worry about it."

"Julian, I left you unattended for two minutes and you came up with a whole circus," Sasha said. "I can't trust you or Valentino to get the meeting done alone."

"I've been planning this for a long time, actually," Julian said. "Not my fault you didn't notice. And I won't send him with you."

Sasha opened her mouth to continue arguing, then closed it again and frowned. She glanced around the room. "Wait. Where's Albert? Isn't he with you too?"

Julian nodded. "He's upstairs."

Valentino perked up in his spot. Milo sat up on the couch where Julian had set him again, and both of them stared at him like he cradled all their hopes and dreams. Nicholas's heart raced. He wasn't sure why, but it wouldn't calm down.

"You said he's not here!" Nicholas said.

"Um, yeah," Julian said. "Look around you. Is he here?"

Well, no. Not here in this room, but Nicholas got the impression that he wasn't inside this house at all! Although looking back now, Nicholas realized he should've known Julian spoke a little too literally most times.

Valentino was already struggling to stand up. Julian approached, grabbed Valentino's arm with one hand, clutched Nicholas's arm with the other, and hauled them both to their feet. Then he calmly dragged them both towards the door, Nicholas on his left, and Valentino on his right.

"I'm gonna take them to Albert or Valentino and Milo won't shut up," Julian told Sasha. "Wait for me." Then he called for the man who had helped him with his plan, the one who'd betrayed Sasha, and Nicholas realized he might have purposely tried to remain hidden. But Julian just blew his cover. "Come take Milo upstairs!"

A few seconds later, the man came in, a sheepish look in his eyes, which he tried to make up for with confident posture.

Sasha's expression didn't change. "You've been helping him behind my back?"

"It's a little complicated."

"It's not," Sasha said. "It's really not. But I didn't expect any better from you."

"Stop talking and get Milo pleeeeeeease!" Julian drawled as he headed out of the room with Valentino and Nicholas.

Nicholas struggled to keep up as Julian led them up two flights of stairs. Julian's grip was painfully tight, as if the restriction of the ropes wasn't enough. Behind them, the man Julian dragged Milo along.

When they made it to the second floor, Julian flipped a switch, and yellow light flooded the short corridor and champagne-colored walls.

Julian walked Nicholas and Valentino to the second room on the left side, grabbed the silver knob, then pushed the door open. He nudged it further open with his elbow, then grabbed Nicholas and Valentino and walked inside. The man followed with Milo in tow.

"Albert!" Julian said, smiling. "Look, I got your children and Nicholas for you!"

Albert was sitting on a bed, shirtless, his back facing the door. In the space between his spine and right shoulder blade, a large, livid bruise grew under and around a white, bloodied bandage where the rubber bullet had pierced him.

He'd been facing the nightstand by his bed, inspecting the potted plant set on there, and when he heard Julian, he craned his neck and glanced back. He sprang to his feet, hope and happiness glowing in his eyes as they swept over Milo, Valentino, and Nicholas. Julian untied Nicholas and Valentino, and he curled the ropes around his palm.

A sort of relief washed over Nicholas at Albert's presence. It was a really weird feeling, something he'd never experienced. But it was there, and he wasn't sure what to do with it. Maybe he was just happy to see someone who wasn't a psychopath.

"Albert!" Milo said, dashing towards Albert and throwing himself against his chest. Albert curled both arms around him, ducking his head just enough to bury his face in Milo's hair. Milo cried, but it was quiet and soft, and he wouldn't let go of Albert, even when Albert finally straightened and looked at Valentino.

Valentino's eyes were glistening, and his posture was slightly tilted forward, inclined to hurrying towards Albert exactly the way Milo had, but for some reason he held himself back. He stayed stiff in his place, unmoving and unspeaking.

"Don't you wanna thank me for letting you see them?" Julian asked.

Nicholas sighed. "Just do what he says, and call him Lian. Save yourself the headache."

"I know," Albert said. "I know what he's like. He talked to me already when the three of you were passed out downstairs." Nodding gratefully at Julian, he gave him a small smile, and it was enough to appease him. "Thanks, Lian. That was really nice of you."

Julian beamed. "You're welcome! I'll be right back, okay? Just gotta settle things with Sasha first!"

After leaving, Julian closed the door behind him. Keys jiggled and clattered, and the door released a low click. Nicholas knew what this meant, but he still grabbed the knob and tried his luck. In vain. Julian had locked it. Metal bars guarded the only window in the room too, but Nicholas had expected that. This was the captors' house, after all. He'd been here before. He'd seen the bars.

"Valentino," Albert said.

Valentino's eyes grew a little wider, and then he quickly looked away. Albert took a step towards him. Valentino took a panicked step back.

"Valentino?"

"I…" Valentino wouldn't look Albert in the eyes. "I'm…" His voice was barely a whisper. Barely audible. "I thought you..."

"Shut up and come here," Albert said, laughing halfheartedly. He hugged Valentino with one arm, his other busy with Milo still glued against him.

Valentino wouldn't hug back. Most of his face was hidden in the crook of Albert's neck, only his clenched jaw visible. His muscles was rigid. For some reason, it looked like he was forcing himself to remain tense, like he was refusing to allow himself to relax. Then he tilted his face in the other direction, trying to hide it even more.

Albert finally pulled back. Understanding shone in his gentle expression, in the sincerity of his eyes. He must've understood whatever Valentino was feeling, whatever was causing this reaction. Nicholas thought it was likely guilt or shame, or maybe even disbelief. Only Albert would know the precise answer.

Albert flicked Valentino's forehead.

Valentino startled, subconsciously touching his forehead.

"Idiot," Albert said. "I told you to run."

A small smile broke Valentino's expression. "You didn't specify which direction…"

Albert chuckled, shaking his head, then his eyes settled on Nicholas, who stood furthet back.

"Nicholas," Albert said.

Nicholas nodded. "Albert."

Albert smiled gently at Nicholas, but there was something glossy and regretful in his eyes. Milo stepped away from him, and Albert held his wrist, holding it up, frowning at his bandaged fingers.

"What happened to your fingers?"

Milo shook his head. "Nothing."

"And your eye, Nicholas?" Albert said, giving everyone a proper look, taking in the dirt and the filth and the exhaustion on their faces. "Oh, God." His voice was low and apologetic. "What exactly happened?" 

Subconsciously, Nicholas brushed his fingers softly along the cut that started below his brow, crossed his eye, and nearly touched his cheekbone. Then he lowered his hand a little, fingertips smoothing over sticky, dried blood all across the right side of his face. He'd nearly forgotten about that.

"It would be a shorter story if we tell you what didn't happen," Valentino said.

"I want to know, and we have to figure out what we need to do about this situation too."

"Not sure about you," Nicholas said, "but I wanna get out of here."

And he already had an idea how. It was a little crazy, but it could work.

"Yeah," Albert said. "But first, come here. Both of you."

Valentino and Nicholas approached Albert, both bending at the waist as he beckoned them to lean a little closer.

Albert pointed at a white door connected to this room. "Look there."

Nicholas and Valentino carefully looked at the door.

"That's a bathroom," Albert said.

Nicholas and Valentino nodded.

"Shower. Right now. I wish there was a nice way to say this, but you two stink."

All the blood rushed to Nicholas's cheeks at once. He could distinctly feel his face burning up.

"N-No, I don't."

Valentino calmly took a step away from Nicholas. "That's all Nicholas, not me."

Nicholas closed his eyes, fuming, his jaw clenched.

That's it.

He grabbed Valentino's head and slammed it into the wall.

Valentino took the pain quietly, his eyes squeezed shut and his hand pressed to head as he stumbled a tiny step away from the wall. He gave Nicholas a proper what the actual hell? look, then turned to Albert, looking for backup.

Albert tutted, shushing Valentino before he could complain. "I hate to say it, but serves you right."

Valentino lowered his hand, his jaw slack with disbelief at Albert's betrayal. "Serves me right?"

Albert nodded. "Serves you right, Valentino."

"That felt great!" Nicholas smiled. "Again!"

"No!"

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