Misfits - Chapter 24 (Patreon)

Callum

I know something is wrong, the moment I step foot into my home. Call it a gut feeling, but I know. I step past every room, immediately making my way to the guest room. My footsteps are echoing off the walls, as they speed up. I push open the door, and sure enough, the room is empty. I try and calm my breathing. Try not to think anything of it.

I step away from the room, heading to my bedroom. Maybe she wanted to sleep in there. Maybe she was in the shower. Maybe she was fucking playing hide and seek. I don’t know. I’m grasping at straw after straw, trying to be optimistic before my mind takes over.

I’m basically sprinting up the hall, to my bedroom. I push open the door, fear grappling at my chest. My eyes immediately fall on the bed, where there’s a small note on my pillow. I reach out with shaky hands, picking it up. Willing it in my head not to be true.

I’m sorry.

Rue’s neat handwriting is scrawled in the middle of the note. I furrow my brow in confusion. I can feel a terrible aching in my chest. Did she leave me? She fucking left me? I can’t seem to wrap my mind around it.

“Princess,” I call out. After a few moments, I get nothing back. I drop the note, stepping into the hallway. It’s a fucking joke. It has to be.

“Princess,” I say a little louder this time. Still nothing.

“Rue!” I shout. I head into the living room, looking around frantically. The pain in my chest is growing larger and larger by the second.

“Rue!” I scream. She didn’t fucking leave me. I gaze around me, my anger beginning to flood my sanity. She didn’t fucking leave me. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. She said she loved me. She wouldn’t leave me if she loved me.

I try and keep my anger in check, but I feel myself blacking out. And I know I can’t control it anymore. I can’t keep my anger at bay.

* * * * *

Rue

A cold blast of air hits me in the face. I can’t feel my nose, I can barely see. I try my best to keep my thoughts straight, and my emotions in check, but the longer I walk, the more I’m failing.

I was an idiot. To think that I had actually found someone that cared for me. Maybe I did, but there was no way I could stay with a man that kills for fun. Or every time the phone rings for that matter. I don’t know where I’m going, but I do know that I’ll find a way to make it until the semester starts again. Its always been in my blood to survive.

Another gust of cold wind hits me, and I’m shivering. There was a women’s shelter somewhere downtown. If I managed to get there before 6, I would be fine.

My mind drifts to Cal. He may have already found my note. I feel guilt eating away at me. The last thing I wanted was to hurt him, but I just can’t be with him. The look of hurt on his face flashes through my mind. Cal claimed he could never hurt me, and he proved that to me on several occasions, but it went beyond that with me.

I knew that he loved me. And I loved him. I wanted to tell him everything was ok, and that I still love him, but the logical side of my brain was preventing that from happening. I know that what he does is wrong. And I can’t be ok with that. I just can’t.

I hear a car, coming up behind me and move away from the road, just in time to see a black limo pulling ahead of me. I slow my pace, in suspicion, and get ready to turn away. The limos window lets down, revealing an irritated-looking Vitale. He grins at me, but it’s not at all kind. It’s mocking.

“Well hello there, flower.” My heart rate is steadily rising. I know that Cal wouldn’t send Vitale after me. Cal hated it when Vitale and I interacted.

“Why don’t you get in so we can have a nice little chat?” he says. I narrow my eyes at him, trying to be brave.

“And if I refuse?” I ask. He laughs. As if it’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard.

“Let’s not find that out, shall we?” I feel a chill run down my spine, and it’s not from the cold winter air. I slowly step towards the limo and get in.

* * * * *

Vitale is watching me, as he takes another sip of his drink. He has a small smirk on his face.

“I would like to tell you a story flower.” He raises a brow at me.

“If that’s ok,” he adds. I nod my head slowly, not trusting him. The last time he told me a story he shattered my already fragile illusion of Callum. He gives a small laugh, downing the rest of his liquid and reaching for the clear vase in the minibar that held more.

“I was not always powerful. There was a time when I lived on the streets. A poor kid that was abandoned by his family. But I didn’t let that stop me from living life. I got a decent job, at a pizza joint. The joint was actually pretty decent. Until a man came in one day, demanding payment.” He laughs as if remembering the moment.

“I didn’t know the man. So I told him to get out. Even threatened him with a broom. He could’ve shot me on the spot, but he didn’t. He let me live. Told me he saw something in me, and invited me to a meeting.” He makes eye contact with me.

“Of course, I went. He offered me a position. a lifelong position in the family. His family. I thought he was talking about adoption, but no. He was talking about becoming sworn in. So I took him up on his offer. After all, I was nobody and it was a great opportunity. “

“So I worked under him for a few years, then I realized, I hated the guy. He was a scum bag and lacked any kind of real power. His lackeys hated him too. So we did something unforgivable. We killed him. And they appointed me the new leader. It was good for a while, but when others figured out what we did, they didn’t fear us. They despised us. Tried to kill us.”

He takes a long swig of his drink.

“We spent years on the run. Waiting for our deed to be forgotten. Then came the time to get our street cred back. No one was scared of us, really. We were like gnats. Annoying. Sure we tried to get respect, but in the end, no one respected us. Eventually, we had a small dip of success. We were known. Not well known, but known. Like a daily special on a menu. You hear about it only every once in a while.” He snickers as if he just said the funniest thing in the world, but I only stare at him in confusion trying to understand the point of this conversation.

“Anyway, the reason no one respected us, was because no one feared us. Sure I could make threats but I couldn’t always go through with them. The years passed, and I grew more and more respected, but it still wasn’t enough. People swindled me, I lost profits every once in a while. Things that shouldn’t have been happening. “

“Then, I met Callum. He was the answer to my prayers. He was the enforcer. The muscle I was looking for. Not only did he do the jobs perfectly, but he got me much-needed information doing it too. He lacked any kind of conscience, so any job for him was fine. He had no trouble doing it. And he grew a reputation for himself. It took him 6 months to gain fear and respect among the underground. It took me 17 years.”

“I got lucky. Callum listens to me. Sometimes. He’s like a dog. I keep him on a leash because he is so unpredictable." I narrow my eyes at him, not appreciating his analogy in describing Cal.

“I had just the right amount of control over him that is until you came along. None of us ever could have predicted it. A woman, being his weakness. It shocked more than just me. Callum believes that he is in love with you. And now that he has that misunderstanding of that emotion, he can’t keep himself in check. And neither can I.” The car is silent. He watches me expectantly, and I stare at him in confusion.

“So the point of your story is..?” I ask. He smirks at me, then his face morphs into a cruel gaze.

“The point, my innocent little flower, is that I can’t control him anymore. Only you can. And I’ll be damned if I lose him over some woman. So as long as he has this infatuation with you, you’re not going anywhere. Understand?”

I stare at him, taken aback at what he just told me.

“E-excuse me?" I cross my arms over my chest in anger.

“You can’t force me to stay with him-” Vitale is in my face before I can blink. And for the first time, I could see a whole new side to this man that I had never witnessed before.

“Oh, yes I can little girl. You should have heeded my warning when you still had a chance. Now, you’re in it.” His eyes roam over my face, obviously taking pleasure in my fear.

“Your boyfriend has killed 9 people in the hours that you’ve been gone. Without my permission. That’s bad for business.” I feel my breath catch in my throat. I shake my head, trying to understand how that was even possible.

“We currently have him, lucky for us the arriving officers are under my jurisdiction. But he won’t listen to anyone. Won’t calm down. So we need you to do it.” He says all of this so nonchalantly as if he hadn’t just shattered the protected bubble I lived in.

“Are you crazy?” I whisper.

“I can’t make him calm down after he’s murdered, people." My hands are shaking. I’m actually scared of him. Of what he’s capable of.

“We all saw what happened at the party. Cal seemed to calm down after you got to him. So maybe it will work this time.” I stare at him.

“Maybe? You’re doing all of this on a whim?” I say. He narrows his eyes at me.

“Cal is my best man. He is my muscle, and he is my enforcer. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. I am forever grateful to him for that. But if you can’t calm him down, I’ll have to kill him. And I know you don’t want that right?” He says. His voice is laced with venom.

“Can’t have a violent dog running free with no owner now can we? Someone will get hurt.”

I shake my head no, looking down at my hands. I would never want him dead. IT wasn’t in me to hate him on such a level. I hear Vitale chuckle.

“That’s what I thought.”

* * * * *

The rest of the car ride is uneventful. I can feel myself shaking with each passing second that brings me closer to Cal. I don’t know if it's fear of him, or if it’s fear that he will resent me for leaving him. we finally reach our destination, the car coming to a halt in front of a mansion.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Vitale says, walking past me and up the steps. I snap myself out of my gawking and follow suit. The house was just as stunning on the inside as it was on the outside. Vitale leads me to room after room, and that’s when I hear it. The screams. Cal's screams.

We walk into a room, and one of Vitale’s men comes toward us. He looks like shit. There are bruises on his body, and blood coming out of his mouth. I stare in shock, willing him not to say what I thought he was about to say.

“Callum.. broke Victor's arm... We had to restrain him.” He breathes heavily. Vitale nods his head next to me, and he doesn’t look happy at all. He turns his gaze to me and eyes me before a smile appears on his lips.

“You’re on, flower.” He motions for the door, I take my first step, my heart rate rising as I get closer to the door. I can hear Cal’s screams tearing through the wood. Tears begin to well up within my eyes.

What if he hates me now. What if he resents me. What if he wishes I were dead? What if he tries to kill me.

All of these questions appear in my brain as I get closer and closer to the door that was separating me from Callum. I slowly reach out to the knob, retracting my hand before I can touch the cool knob.

I would never hurt you

Cal’s words cross my mind. He would never hurt me. He proved that on more occasions than one, and even when I hit him. He still didn’t touch me. I swallow and lick my dry lips, taking a deep breath and pushing the door open.

The sight that greets me is one that breaks my heart. Cal is in the middle of the room. He isn’t wearing a shirt. It seems his may have gotten torn off since he was still wearing black jeans. His arms were restrained by his sides, and his hair was wild.

He looked like a rare animal. Beautiful, and unable to avert your gaze from him, but with each passing step, you know that he is dangerous. You know it’s a bad idea to approach him, but you can’t help yourself. You can’t stop yourself.

He’s so angry, yanking at the chains around his arms, locking him to the chair. Each time he yanks I can see the flew of his muscles and his veins. He lets out a cry filled with so much pain and anger, I don’t know whether to run or hug him.

I can hear myself breathing, and try to mentally calm myself down. He would never hurt me.

“Cal,” I whisper. He doesn’t hear me though. He’s still fighting his chains. I clear my throat and speak a little louder.

“Cal.” My small voice echoes off the walls, and Cal immediately stops, opening his eyes and meeting me with that burning golden gaze. He’s breathing rapidly and narrows his eyes at me. He looks at me with hatred. I flinch away from his gaze.

“Cal. It’s me,” I say. He doesn’t move though. He just stares at me. With such anger. I slowly step closer to him, his gaze never wavers as he follows the movement. I stand over him now, and he gazes up at me. I slowly reach out, pressing my palm against his chest. He flinches from the contact, scaring me and I immediately bring my hand back to my body.

I’ve never feared Cal more than I did at this moment. He seems to not be there. Like he’s on autopilot. Doing what it takes to survive and not feel the pain.

“Cal...,” I whisper. I reach out again, placing my palm against his chest, feeling the rapid thump of his heartbeat. His expression morphs into one of confusion. I move my palm up to his face, his skin was so warm against mine. I slowly take a seat atop his lap, leaning against his chest, and keeping my palm on his face.

“I’m here, Cal,” I whisper.

“I’m sorry.”

The room is silent, the only sound coming from my breathing. I feel Cal shaking above me, and move back so that I can look at his face. His eyes are squeezed tightly together, and I watch in utter heartbreak as tears roll down his cheek.

“You..left me...,” he says. He sounds so broken. So dead and tired. I feel horrible guilt in my chest. I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. Cal looks up, and his gaze is cutting into me.

“You said you loved me, but you left me.” He stares at me in hurt. He seems to be completely confused as to why I left. Why I would say that I love him but leave him.

“I do love you, C-”

“Don’t fucking say that.” He cuts me off. I flinch from his tone. He doesn’t yell, but he might as well have.

I don’t know what to say. Before I can respond though, Vitale steps through the door boisterous and happy.

“Callum! Good to see you back to yourself!” he shouts. He has a large smile on his face as he greets the man that made his lifestyle possible.

Cal looks up and pulls at his chains.

“Can you get these off me?”

Vitale quickly snaps his fingers and in come some of his men, some holding guns to Cal while one of the moves to unlock the chains. Cal looks around at the men holding guns at him and laughs bitterly.

“That bad huh?” he says. Vitale only laughs, moving to clap Cal on the back.

“We’ll discuss it later! Right now, you need to go home and get some rest. “ Now I understood why Vitale acted so jolly. It was his way of coping with Cal. With his fear of Cal.

Cal looks in my direction, only briefly before following Vitale out of the room. I look up, and just before they exit Vitale sends a wink my way.

* * * * *

For once, Cal is asleep, and I am awake. I stand in his doorway, watching him as he sleeps. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and he was laying on his stomach, his head slightly turned so that I could see his face. He was a stunning sight to see. His dark red hair was falling over his forehead. His lips were slightly parted as he breathed.

My gaze travels to the scars on his back that were covered by tattoos. I can’t help but wonder to myself, what could have possibly happened to him. Vitale’s threat crosses my mind. I wasn’t going anywhere unless Cal got over this infatuation with me. And I don’t think that was going to happen anytime soon.

Cal looked so peaceful in his sleep. It was impossible to imagine him doing something so horrendous. The house was a mess. There were holes in the walls, and furniture was broken. I couldn’t imagine being here when he did all of this.

“Rue.” I jump as Cal’s voice comes across the room. He’s watching me intensely. I hadn’t even realized he had woken up. I realize that I’m staring and immediately look away.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. He lets out a deep breath, sitting up in bed and holding his hand out to me. I stare at his hand, not sure if I should give in to temptation.

“Please. I just want to hold you.” He mumbles. He looks so desperate, that I give in. I walk slowly across the room, and he lays back down, pulling me into his arms. He’s silently rubbing his thumb back and forth over my shoulder. He places a gentle kiss there and lays his head down behind me.

“Cal, I-”

“Not tonight Rue. Tonight, I just want to hold you.” He says. I nod my head slowly. He was broken. I did that. I broke the one man in this world that loved me. The guilt eating away at my heart was relentless.

I feel my eyes stinging and realize that I’m crying. Cal’s arm moves up, and he wipes my tears lightly with his fingers. Even when I betray him, he still cared about my well-being. And that made the hurt and confusion all the more worse.