Vicious 10 (Patreon)

author's note: I just wanted to thank every single of you. We have quite a few new people! I hope you enjoy all the writing! let me know what you think!

word count: 2.1K

Four days had passed since Harry had dragged her down into the darkness of the dungeon. Four long days since she had felt the warmth of the sun on her skin. The air down here was cold, damp, and heavy with the musty scent of stone and decay. Food and water were brought to her, but they did little to ease the weight of her confinement.

Y/N shivered as she huddled in the corner of the damp cell, the chains around her wrists and ankles digging into her skin. The darkness seemed to press in on her from all sides, suffocating her with its suffocating embrace.

Her mind raced with thoughts of escape, of freedom from this prison that Harry had condemned her to. But each time she tried to move, the chains held her fast, a cruel reminder of her captivity.

The days blurred together into a haze of fear and despair. She lost track of time, of how many meals had been brought to her, of how many times she had cried out for help only to be met with silence.

At night, when the dungeon fell into an eerie silence broken only by the distant sound of dripping water, Y/N found herself consumed by dread. The shadows seemed to come alive, twisting and shifting in the darkness, whispering taunts and threats that echoed in her mind.

But despite the darkness and the cold, Y/N refused to let despair consume her. She clung to a flicker of hope, a small ember of defiance burning within her. She knew she had to stay strong, to endure, until the day came when she could break free from these chains and the man who had put her here.

"How long are you going to keep her downstairs?" Charlie's voice cut through the tense air of Harry's office as he paced back and forth, his concern evident in his furrowed brow.

"As long as needed," Harry replied curtly, his attention focused on the packages that had arrived at the house. Some contained thinly veiled threats, others held payments or favors owed.

"Calm down, Charlie. She isn't dying down there," Lex interjected, his voice tinged with annoyance. "We've had people genuinely hurt, surviving for months in those cells."

"She isn't just anyone, Lex. She's Federico's daughter," Charlie retorted, his worry deepening. "Keeping her locked up down there only raises the risk of sparking a war with the Italians."

Harry paused, his jaw clenching as he considered Charlie's words. The implications of his actions weighed heavily on him, the potential consequences looming large in his mind.

"We can't risk it," Charlie continued, his voice firm.

Harry remained silent for a moment, the gravity of the situation settling heavily upon him. He knew Charlie was right, but his pride and anger clouded his judgment.

"We'll see," Harry finally replied, his voice hard. "For now, she stays where she is."

Charlie nodded, a sense of unease settling over him as he watched Harry continue to sift through the packages. Deep down, he knew that the longer Y/N remained locked away in the dungeon, the greater the risk of irrevocable consequences. But convincing Harry of that was another matter entirely.

“What the hell is this?" Lex exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief as he pulled something out of the box addressed to Harry.

"It's a finger," Charlie replied grimly after examining the piece. The finger was meticulously manicured, adorned with a large diamond ring. Lex recoiled, dropping the grisly item back into the box and rummaging through the contents in search of a note. However, there was nothing to be found except for a phone.

"I don't understand. Is it a threat? Did they kidnap one of us? What is it supposed to mean?" Lex's questions hung heavy in the air, his confusion mirrored in the faces of the other men in the room. "Completely clueless about this one."

"Send the phone to be unblocked and searched. Get rid of the finger," Harry ordered, his voice hard and decisive. The situation was becoming increasingly unnerving, and he knew they needed answers quickly.

Charlie nodded, his expression grim as he carefully collected the items from the box. The severed finger, with its ominous ring, was a chilling reminder of the dangers lurking just outside their doors.

After delivering the phone to a member of the IT team, Charlie couldn't shake off the unease that settled in his gut. He knew he wasn't supposed to go down there, into the dark chambers where Harry kept her locked away. The risk was immense—being caught could mean facing the same fate or worse. But he couldn't bear the thought of Y/N suffering such harsh punishment for attempting to escape.

With a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching, Charlie made his way down the narrow staircase that led to the underground chambers. The air grew colder and damper with each step, the darkness enveloping him like a suffocating shroud.

Finally reaching the heavy iron door that sealed off Y/N's prison, Charlie hesitated for a moment. He could hear the faint echoes of her sobs from the other side, sending a pang of guilt and sympathy through him.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Charlie reached for the latch and slowly pushed the door open. The dim light of a single bulb flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows across the stone walls.

Y/N was curled up on the cold floor, her knees drawn up to her chest as she shivered in the dampness of the dungeon. The sight of her in such a vulnerable state struck a chord deep within Charlie.

"Y/N?" he whispered softly, his voice barely audible in the oppressive silence.

She looked up, her eyes wide with surprise and a glimmer of hope. "Charlie?" her voice trembled, tears glistening in the dim light.

Charlie knelt down beside her, ignoring the gnawing fear in the pit of his stomach. "I brought you something," he said quietly, holding out a blanket and a pillow.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she reached out to take it. “Thank you…” she began, her voice catching in her throat.

How are your wrists?" Charlie asked softly, his eyes filled with concern as he noticed the bruises and swelling.

"Painful," Y/N replied, her voice barely above a whisper, her gaze fixed on her injured wrists.

Charlie reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tube of gel. "Here," he said, offering it to her. "This should help with the pain."

Y/N took the tube gratefully, unscrewing the cap and squeezing a small amount onto her fingertips. The cool gel soothed the ache as she carefully rubbed it onto her wrists, sighing with relief as the pain began to ease.

"Thank you," Y/N murmured, her eyes meeting Charlie's with gratitude. "Why are you helping me? I thought you hated me.”

"I'll come down tonight if I have a chance," Charlie said, changing the subject. "Maybe I'll bring you something different than oatmeal for dinner."

A small smile tugged at Y/N's lips. "I'd appreciate that," she said, her eyes softening with warmth.

Charlie nodded, a sense of determination in his gaze. "Hang in there, Y/N. We'll find a way to get you out of here."

With those words of reassurance, Charlie turned to leave, his footsteps echoing faintly in the dimly lit dungeon. Y/N watched him go, a flicker of hope growing in her chest. Perhaps, with Charlie's help, there was a chance for escape after all.

Later that day, during dinner, Lex burst into the dining room where Harry was dining alone.

"Boss, the phone is from someone named Gina Rossi. She recently got married to a guy named Augusto Rossi. Turns out he used to attend college with none other than Federico Castellano," Lex shared, handing over the papers to Harry. "There are multiple chats between Giana and Y/N. They're apparently best friends."

Harry's eyes narrowed as he scanned through the documents, his mind racing with possibilities. "So... it's her finger? Giana's?" he asked, a cold edge to his voice. “Why would he sent it here? We don’t even know her”

"Y/N and Giana were planning to escape the night she went out the window and we found her in the woods. But after that night, they've had no contact whatsoever," Charlie explained, his eyes serious as Harry glanced up from his meal. "Apparently this Augusto guy is a real piece of work. I'm guessing she got caught, and things haven't been going too well for her since then.”

Harry's jaw clenched as he absorbed this information. He had suspected that Y/N wasn't acting alone in her escape attempt, but the extent of her connection to Giana and Augusto surprised him. The thought of her planning this with her best friend, not for some lover, but for freedom from him, ignited a mix of emotions within him.

Regret crept in, unexpected and unwelcome. He had believed her escape was for a man, for love or desire, but now he saw the truth. It was about freedom, about escaping the life he had offered her. The realization hit him like a physical blow, stirring up a tumult of conflicting feelings.

Anger flared first, a hot surge of resentment at her betrayal. How dare she conspire against him with someone he didn't know, someone who could pose a threat to everything he had built? But beneath the anger, there was a hollow ache of regret.

Regret for not seeing it sooner, for not understanding her motives. Regret for chaining her in the dark, cold depths of the dungeon, treating her like a criminal instead of a woman he had cared for in his own way.

Harry stood from his seat, the chair scraping loudly against the floor in the silence of the room. He paced the length of the dining hall, his mind whirling with thoughts of what to do next. He couldn't let this betrayal go unpunished, but he also couldn't deny the strange mix of feelings that stirred within him.

The image of Y/N, defiant and vulnerable, haunted him. He could almost feel the softness of her skin under his fingertips, the warmth of her breath against his neck. The memory of their moments together, the stolen glances and shared touches, lingered in his mind.

"Find out everything you can about this Augusto Rossi," Harry ordered, his voice low and dangerous. “I want to know if he has any type of current business with Federico and find out about Giana’s family and who they are” Lex and Charlie nodded before leaving the room.

Harry remained seated, his appetite gone as he pushed around the food on his plate. The conversation with Lex and Charlie had left a sour taste in his mouth, the image of Y/N chained downstairs haunting his thoughts.

He couldn't shake the feeling of regret that gnawed at him, each bite of food becoming more difficult to swallow. The realization of what he had done, of how he had treated her, weighed heavily on his mind.

The once appetizing meal now seemed tasteless, the clinking of utensils against plates echoing in the otherwise silent room. Harry found himself lost in thought, his mind drifting back to Y/N and the desperation in her eyes.

The image of her chained in the dungeon flashed before his eyes, the memory of her pleading eyes and muffled cries sending a pang of guilt through him. He had acted out of anger, out of fear of losing control, but now he saw the consequences of his actions.

Pushing the plate away, Harry ran a hand through his hair, frustration and regret mingling in his thoughts. He should have handled the situation differently, should have given her a chance to explain herself.

But now it was too late, and he was left with the weight of his decisions pressing down on him.

Harry walked with heavy steps, the weight of his actions pressing down on him like a leaden cloak. He couldn't deny the mess he had made, the damage he had inflicted on his relationship with Y/N, and the repercussions it would have on his awaiting marriage.

As he reached the door to the dungeon, his heart clenched with a mixture of dread and regret