With the help of the dresser pressed against my door, I was able to lock myself in my room for two days straight.

Well, more like the help of Dario not caring enough to demand my door be kicked down. Nonetheless, it was still a welcomed break from him and his flip flopping mind games.

I still had my plan to return back to my normal life and in order to achieve that, I needed to be in the right mindset to withstand his charms and threats. Which meant I needed as much time away from him as possible.

Even though Dario didn't seem to mind, there was still someone who decided to intrude upon my voluntary seclusion.

The doorknob shook and jangled, before my dresser pushed back due to the force of my door opening.

"You start without me?" Sonny asked disapprovingly. A tray of food filled his hands, causing him to use his shoulder to push the dresser back against the door.

"Ya, not my fault you took forever." I directed my eyes back to the TV screen, mostly due to the image of a shirtless Stefan Salvatore.

He plopped himself beside me, the bed shaking in response. "You know how long it take to pull toes off man?"

"If you want me to eat anything, then you probably should leave the details at that," I said.

he nodded and we both reached for sandwiches, focusing on the episode.

"Why they go there? I don't trust professor. They need to kill him." Sonny pointed.

"They're trying to retrieve the cure to vampirism for Elena."

"Why Elena need cure? Blonde girl turn to vampire, she don't complain."

"Because the world of the Vampire Diaries revolves around Elena Gilbert." I shushed him before he could continue with his comments and questions.

As I took my last bite of the steak sandwich, Sonny turned his head, staring at me.

"Sandwich good, yes? Dario-" He paused. "Dario don't like stuff like this. He eat berries and nuts like squirrel."

We laughed, getting ready to start another episode when a knock came at my door.

"Sonny, I need to talk to you." Dario's voice echoed through the door.

Sonny hopped off the bed, pulling the remote out of my hand. "You wait this time."

I was going to wait either way because the minute they began talking, I held my ear up to the door, intending to listen to whatever might be said.

"How's it going in there, is she eating?" Dario asked.

"Si, she eat all food I bring," Sonny said.

Dario concerned about my eating? And it somewhat sounded sincere. I didn't know how to feel, so I tried to quickly put it behind me.

He was probably like the witch from Hansel and Gretel. Trying to keep me fed so he could kill me and feast on my body.

"Excellent, now go back in there and keep her company," Dario said.

Okay, I didn't quite have an explanation for that, but I'm sure it's all apart of some sinister scheme.

I ran back to my bed just before Sonny returned. When he did, we watched another episode before deciding it was a good place to take a pause.

"I go back soon. Need to handle business for Dario," Sonny said.

"Why are you all so dedicated to him, I mean, how much does he pay you guys to do his bidding?" asked.

"Dario pay very nice. I have big-big house in Italy," he smiled, "but I don't do it for money."

"Don't tell me you do it cause you have a passion for killing and torturing." I found myself a little nervous to hear his answer.

"You very funny," he laughed, nudging my shoulder. "no, I do everything to protect Dario, because he do everything to protect me. He look mean and scary, but inside, he good man."

This is the second time I've heard someone call him a good person. it's not like I thought he was the devil reincarnate, I've just yet to see him through the praise-worthy lens everyone seemed to be wearing.

"Well, what made you consider him a good man? What event opened your eyes and unlocked your undying loyalty?" I stared at Sonny, wanting see if I could uncover more about Dario's intentions. I so quickly attached him with the image of a ruthless and dangerous mafioso, debating back and forth if there was more to him. Maybe there was?

"Me and Dario, we friends for very long time. He and Dominic born here, but go back to Italy when they six-years-old. We from small town called Avellino, east of Naples."

Avellino. The name caught my attention and brought me back to the dinner party last week. The rift between Dario and Dominic has to do with something that happened there. I stashed it at the back of my head to remember when more information unveiled.

"We go to school together, where we meet. I'm big man, and I was big kid too, so other kids either scared of me or they laugh at me. Dominic laugh, but Dario do neither. He say, they can laugh and they can run, but when I walk into room they will notice, and that make me powerful. I have all confidence after that."

"Then he become my best friend. Dario's papa, Gianni, he make him and Dominic fight a lot to see which one stronger. So me and Dario go to mountains and practice fighting. I show him how to use strength, he show me how to use technique and skill. But the men there, they very dangerous and do more than make wine in the mountains. We play around one day when these men start fight about drugs. They pull out guns, and me and Dario start to run away. We run so quick, we don't even put shoes back on. Then boom! We hear gun go off. I stop running and begin to feel back pain, and when Dario check, his hand come back covered in blood. They shoot me. Dario say we have to be quick so I go to hospital, but I loose so much blood I get dizzy and can't run."

"I start to fall, so he use his arm and hold me. And let me tell you, Dario don't have no muscles like now, he was skinny like snake. He drag me and walk so quick he don't watch where he go, which cause him to step on glass and cut his foot. He start loosing blood too and he get so tired from holding me, he barely breath. I get scared we both going to die, so I beg him to leave me, and come back with our papa's. Dario refuse. He say, if he leave me I bleed and die, and if we die, he want us to die together on our way home. I pass out then, and wake up in hospital. Dario wrapped his shirt around me and get me all the way home by hisself, that's what I find out. He save my life and I never forget."

"Oh, wow." I took in his story. There was definitely more to Dario, I suppose.

Sonny shook his head, "I know you scared and want to run, but Dario don't lie. Dominic will kill you like you nothing. Dario crazy sometimes, but he protect you, trust me."

"If you say so." There was a part of me that didn't believe him purely due to my refusal to put my guard down, but another part of me did believe him, did believe that Dario was protecting me to some degree. I still felt I was better off protecting myself from both of them, though. 

"I have to go," Sonny rose up, taking the empty tray's "Be nice to him. He don't trust people, but I think he like you." He winked, exiting the room.

***

After Sonny left, I found trouble falling asleep. I thought I was tired, but no matter how many times I shifted and turned, my brain refused to relax enough for slumber to overtake me.

The worst part of not being able to fall asleep was the quiet and ominous feeling of no distractions. My mind wondering freely towards thoughts and feelings I tried to keep buried.

I was too antsy. My body buzzed with energy that needed to be released after days of doing nothing in my room.

I pulled a pillow over my face, screaming into it before I got myself out of bed. If I wasn't going to sleep, there was no point lying down.

It was a little after two in the morning and I was tired of watching TV, so I decided it would be safe to go down to the gym to blow off some steam.

I grabbed a scrunchy, putting my hair into a high ponytail, then headed out .

The trip down to the gym was easy. There was no sign of life, and I'd become so familiar with the house that I could find my way through it blindfolded.

After warming up, I spent a few minutes on the treadmill. It got my blood pressure moving, but didn't provide the release I wanted at the moment.

My eyes landed on the punching bag hanging by the far side. I had no experience boxing, though I always wanted to get into it. Whether I knew what I was doing or not, I knew just hitting something repeatedly would feel good.

I grabbed a pair of gloves by the dumbbells, struggling to secure and tape them down, before I finally succeeded.

I lifted my arm, connecting my fist to the bag in slow punches. I hit a strike with one arm, raising the other to hit another immediately after.

As I got into the rhythm of things, my frustration began to seep into my forceful movements.

Boom. The sound of my punch echoed throughout the space. That was for Dominic forcing me to feed him soup while he was getting a blowjob.

Boom. That was for Dario holding a gun to my head on my first night.

Boom. That was for Dominic trying to kill me after I slaved away two years of my life working for him.

I punched and I punched, beads of sweat rolling down my face in quick succession.

"Keep your wrists straight and elbows down."

I jumped back, Dario's raspy voice pulling me out of my violent trance. I must've been so focused on hitting the bag that I didn't notice him entering.

He stood evenly with his arms crossed, causing the muscles under his black t-shirt to flex. His jaw was set tight, and his eyes bore into mine intrusively.

"What?" My mind went blank, focusing on his large frame maneuvering towards me.

"I said," his breath fanned across the back of my neck as he held my arms from behind me, "Keep you wrists straight and elbows down. Don't want to sprain anything, now."

Goosebumps rose to the surface of my skin from his proximity. I hated how comfortably he invaded my space, and I hated my bodies reaction to it.

I took a few steps forward, creating some space and continued on, taking his advice into account.

"Keep your feet steady. Maintain that balance," he moved to hold the bag steadily in place.

"What are you, a part-time boxing coach?" No matter how hard I punched, his body didn't move from the impact. It was like he was a cold piece of stone.

"I want to see your moves. If you have any at all," He said.

"oh, I have plenty of moves and I could easily try them out on you instead of this bag."

"Okay, so hit me," he let go of the bag, taking a step back.

I paused, my eyebrow arching up in surprise. My threat was meant to be very empty and nonthreatening, the last thing I expected was Dario squaring up with me. But I wasn't one to turn down a challenge.

"Just don't go crying to your mommy when I beat you up."

His eyes suddenly dropped before he recovered with his default deadpan expression. It was a quick drop, but not quick enough for me to not take notice. 

Did I hit a sour spot?

"I can take a hit, Ms. Aden. Whether from you or an eight-hundred pound bear."

"Be careful, you're starting to sound a bit like Sonny now," I said.

The muscles in his face twitched, turning into a grin. I could have sworn I might have even heard a faint laugh.

The sight was encompassing.

What I've learned from my stay here so far is that there were layers to human emotions. Many complex and contradicting layers that were completely normal, because we're complex human beings. It was the only explanation for why my emotions shifted from hate-to anger-to full on attraction, sometimes in the span of seconds, when it came to this infuriating man in front of me. 

"Help me take these off," I held my gloved hands forward. "I don't want to punch, I want to wrestle."

He obliged, awarding me with another sight of his perfectly aligned teeth.

After he pulled a few mats to the middle of the gym, we stood parallel, his arms back across his chest and mine on my hip.

"So who's gonna make the first move?" I asked.

"I don't hit women, Ms. Aden."

"You're just gonna let me slap you around for a little while? don't tell me you're a submissive." I hiked up my leg, attempting to gently push his chest, since it was as far up as my legs could reach.

Before I could even make contact, he grabbed it forcefully turning my ankle at an angle that caused me to lose balance and fall straight on my ass.

"If you can beat my speed and strength, you've earned the right to hit me as you please. And if you're referring to my role in the bedroom," he ironically laughed, "then I'll have you know that I'm very aggressive and dominant when it comes to pleasing a woman."

A scoff came out of my mouth as I pointed my finger towards the back of my throat in a gagging motion. It did a good job of hiding the hitch in my breathe I'll say. 

I pulled myself back on my feet, lifting my arm to strike, knowing he would immediately stop me. As he raised his leg to take a step forward, I hook my foot against the back of his calves. He tripped forward in what should have been a triumphant moment for me, if he hadn't taken me down with him.

"Fuck," I heard him say. Both of us tumbled down almost in slow motion. He adjusted himself, falling in a way that led to a more brutal fall but allowed him not to collapse on me.

I rolled over, moving onto him before he could get back up. His skin was soft but his muscles were rigid. There was no way I'd admit how good it felt being on top of him, and no way I'd reach under his shirt to caress his solid abs, despite how much I wanted to.

"It seems you do have some courage." He breathed.

I could feel his chest rising and falling under me. "You surprised?"

He made no attempt to remove me nor switch out of the position we were in. "Well, you're not someone who seems to thrive when faced with challenges."

"What do you mean?" My playful mood dropped immediately.

"Back when you were trying to get away the other night. Yes, at first you were vulnerable, but you were placed in the position of power the minute you grabbed Niko's gun. Instead of doing what you needed to do to survive, you hesitated and completely gave up, cowardly allowing yourself to be defeated."

I could feel the slow simmer of my blood boiling.

"So sparing someone's life makes me a coward? And what would you have done if I shot and killed him? You would've dragged me back, just to run after me in those woods with your shotgun instead."

Before I knew it, he flipped me over, landing on top with swift ease.

I angled my elbow, striking his Adam's apple. The hit caused a grunt to vibrate through his throat.

"Maybe if you took a risk, you'd have been successful. You can't let fear cripple you. If you don't push yourself, especially in an uncomfortable situation, then you'll never accomplish anything." He held my arms down my side, using minimal strength to keep me from moving them.

"I take plenty of risks. I'm so fucking tired of everyone in my life always writing me off because my ambitious didn't align with my circumstances. My own parents had no faith in me. They didn't think I should even bother with community college much less go to university , but guess what? All of your doubts and criticisms only fuel me. I will accomplish plenty because I know when to push myself and when to hold back. And in that situation, my body rightfully told me it was best to hold back from firing at Niko."

I caught my breath, cursing to myself when slow realization hit that I let out more than I should have. He did not need to know a single thing about my relationship with my parents. I shouldn't have even let him get under my skin so easily.

His eyes grew wide and he dropped his intense gaze, relaxing his grip enough for me to get out from under him.

I sat up with my knees to my face, wanting to hide in a corner.

"I didn't mean to offend you, it was just an observation." He spoke up after a moment of silence.

"Oh, ya? Since we're making observations, I think true cowardice and evil is trying to kill your own brother." I didn't like being in a state of vulnerability and wanted to fight back.

The moment my words hit, his eyes skipped from kind straight to devilish. 

"You know nothing," He said. 

"Then enlighten me."

"Do you take me as some born and bread sadistic monster? Do you think I go around salivating at the thought of killing any and everybody, including the man I shared a womb with? Dominic forced my hand. I gave him so many chances, but he gave me no choice this time. He has to die."

I was inching closer and closer to more information. It seemed I knew how to hit his gut just as he knew how to hit mine.

"For what?" I asked.

"For murdering our mother and baby sister." His voice rose in volume in a terrifying manner that caused me to scooch back.

I could feel his rage pulsating through every word, along with the deep shade of crimson his face turned into.

My mind reeled, another piece of the puzzle filling in. This was just another confirmation that Dario was more complex than I thought. His actions may be very foreign to me but some of his reasons were justifiable.

"Um, I'm sorry for your loss." My voice nervously came out quieter than I expected. 

The redness crept from his face and a look of sorrow took over. "I don't claim to be a perfect man. My father left me with two things to take care of in this world. Our business, and most importantly, the family and I failed him. So it's my mission to avenge them, no matter the perpetrators relation to me."

"I understand," I said.

I had this overwhelming need to reach over and comfort him, in a way. I didn't know why. This had just been another example of our constant flip-flopping emotions.

Right as I was about to pat his back, he got up, sliding his hand through his hair and getting himself back into his usual demeanor in the snap of a second.

He held his hand out to help me off the ground. "Pack your bags and try to get some rest, we're leaving for New Jersey in few a hours." He didn't wait for me to respond, and turned to head out the door. Just as he reached it, he turned back around. "And Ms. Aden."

"Yes?"

"You're beautiful, you're skillful, and you're bolder than most people I've come across. I too believe you will accomplish anything you put your mind to."

He was trying to mind-fuck me alright, and I was afraid he'd very likely succeed.