23

Izzy sat wide eyed on the sofa, clutching Jimmy’s hand as if her life depended on it. There had been a whirlwind of activity when Gates and another man had brought in an unconscious and bloody Vengeance an hour and a half ago. Now, the silence was deafening as Jimmy, Christ and Izzy waited for Dr. Henderson to come downstairs. The minutes ticked by sluggishly and still no one said a word. Both Jimmy and Christ wore hardened expressions but their eyes held the concern they both felt for Vengeance. Izzy released her death grip on Jimmy’s hand barely hearing his faint sigh of relief as she got up and dragged herself to the kitchen. Opening the fridge she took out a bottle of cranberry juice and poured herself a glass, shaking all the while. As she approached the living room, she heard soft whispers from within.

“Doc said he’ll be fine, he just needs to rest. Gave him something for the pain.” came Gates’ melodic voice.

Izzy walked into the room and three pairs of eyes landed on her.

“Can I see him?’ asked Izzy timidly, earning a look of surprise from both Gates and Christ. Jimmy gave her a small reassuring smile. “Please?” she turned her large grey eyes to Gates.

Gates shrugged his shoulders and looked at Jimmy who just nodded his head solemnly.

“Sure. Why not.” said Gates, offering his arm to Izzy, whose knees began to shake as he walked towards her.

The two of them climbed the large staircase at the entryway and made their way down the hallway to the right. Izzy let out a sigh of relief as she saw Matt and an elderly gentleman exiting a room which she guessed was Vengeance’s. Matt was deep in conversation with the gentleman but stopped abruptly at the sight of Izzy. Without any hesitation or thought, Izzy broke away from Gates and quickly closed the distance between herself and Matt. She flung herself into his arms and felt them wrap securely around her. She could feel Gates’ eyes bore into her back but she didn’t care.

“Is he alright?” sobbed Izzy as Matt stroked her hair soothingly.

“He’ll be fine in a week or two.” Said Matt gently as Izzy shook in his arms. The concern she held for someone that was so vile to her on more than one occasion warmed his heart. “I’m glad you found it within yourself to forgive him.” Izzy continued to fascinate him even more as each day passed. Aware that two pairs of eyes were watching them curiously, Matt slowly began to release Izzy.

Izzy looked up at him with a sad smile, her eyes shimmering with tears. He had no idea what had happened between her and Vengeance. The concern that she felt for him was born solely out of confusion. Confusion about the dark, twisted feelings she had for the green eyed man with venomous intentions.

“Can I see him?” asked Izzy, still looking at Matt who regarded her carefully before turning to the gentleman a few feet away from them. Izzy saw the gentleman nod out of the corner of her eye.

“Not for long, he needs to rest. The medication will soon have him drowsy, so see him now before he falls asleep.” said the gentleman sternly.

“Thank you.” cried Izzy, hugging Matt once more but speaking directly to the gentleman.

Matt dropped a kiss on the top of Izzy’s head and showed her to Vengeance’s room.

“Not long, okay Isabel?” said Matt before closing Vengeance’s door softly after Izzy had stepped inside.

The room that Izzy was in was softly lit, the dim lighting making the deep purple walls dance with shadows. Izzy felt a slight chill in the air and rubbed her arms for warmth as a shiver ran down her spine. Proceeding carefully to the bed in the middle of the room, Izzy sat softly in the chair that had been pulled alongside Vengeance’s bedside.

Izzy gazed at Vengeance’s seemingly sleeping form with shimmering eyes. He looked horrible, his face now sporting various cuts and purpling bruises. His shoulder was wrapped heavily with fresh blood free gauze. Vengeance’s colorful tattoos were now very much on display as his shirtless torso rested comfortably against large pillows covered in black silk. Izzy’s eyes roamed Vengeance’s body, admiring the multitude of artwork that covered his skin. They were breathtaking and Izzy found herself wanting to trace her fingers over his skin.

“Why are you here?” came a soft yet deadly voice that snapped Izzy out of her daydream.

Izzy looked up and saw that Vengeance’s eyes were open and staring at her with undisguised loathing. She gave him a small smile that he did not return. Izzy tried not to flinch under Vengeance’s stare.

“I wanted to see how you were doing.” Izzy said softly, her voice small.

“I’m fine. You can leave now.” Vengeance said dismissively, turning his gaze away from Izzy to stare resolutely at the wall.

Izzy fought back fresh tears that threatened to fall at the coldness of Vengeance’s voice. She knew that he was angry earlier when he had walked into Matt’s office and she knew that he was hurt. No matter how much venom he had laced the word whore with, the hurt in his voice rang out loud and clear, ringing in Izzy’s voice as she had left the room in search of Jimmy.

“Vengeance, I want to…” started Izzy only to be cut off by Vengeance.

“What apologize?” he sneered, startling Izzy by finishing her statement.

“Yes.” Breathed Izzy, her stomach knotting as the color rose in her cheeks. She was glad that the room was dim enough to hide the uncomfortable blush.

“For what exactly, being a whore perhaps?” snapped Vengeance, his words cutting through Izzy, causing her to wince at the hatred in his voice.

“You have to understand Vengeance, what I feel for you and what I feel for Matt are two totally different things.” said Izzy quickly in fear of being cut off again.

Vengeance’s emerald eyes flickered with conflicting emotions as he stared at her, his face blank. Izzy took the opportunity to get what she had to say out. She and Jimmy had discussed what she had been feeling for both Matt and Vengeance at length earlier and her friend was able to shed some much needed light on the situation. The conflicting emotions tore relentlessly at Izzy’s heart. What she felt for Matt was vastly different to what she felt for Vengeance.

“What I feel for you is sinister, wrong. You bring out something dark in me, something I didn’t even know I had inside. It scares me because you scare me. When you’re around me that darkness feels like it will consume everything that I am, and what’s worse, I want it to.” confessed Izzy, her voice strong even though she didn’t feel strong at all.

Vengeance regarded her with cold green eyes, the turmoil within him threatening to explode. He was stunned by Izzy’s confession and yet, it did nothing for him other than leave a dull buzzing in his brain. He flinched slightly as he tried to shift his position and allowed Izzy to help him as he struggled.

Izzy felt her heart rate increase when she touched Vengeance’s warm skin. He didn’t shrug her off as she helped him adjust his position but he didn’t say anything either. The silence after her confession hung heavily in the air over both of them. She desperately wanted him to respond. To say something; anything.

“You made your choice.” said Vengeance coldly after a while with closed eyes.

Izzy’s shoulders tensed at Vengeance’s words. She looked at him sadly, opening her mouth to say something and then quickly closed it, realizing she had nothing to say. She placed a gentle kiss on Vengeance’s forehead before turning to leave. Before she could make a single step away, she felt Vengeance’s fingers wrap around her small wrist.

“There’s more to him than meets the eye.” came Vengeance’s soft warning, his voice sleepy. “At least I was honest from the beginning. At least you know what I am.” His fingers slid away and Izzy left the room but not before she cast one final look at Vengeance, whose eyes were closed and whose breathing was even. Izzy felt tears slip down her cheeks as she closed the door behind her, Vengeance’s words weighing heavily on her mind.

Notes