Bianca

I wouldn’t say that I hated working for Avenged Sevenfold, because I’m sure behind the evil murder and the ‘we’re going to blow your brains out for the right amount of money’ image that they portray, there are five guys who aren’t actually that bad. But they treat their staff like absolute shit if you’re not prepared to get down on your knees and give them what they want, and though I may bend over backwards to get things done for them, it’s quite clear that their gratitude is non-existent. The first day I was merely handed to them like a bag of apples being bought and sold at a market stall was when my father decided to mess with the gangs of the city in order to pay off his debts.

Without a job and without anything to give them, he dug himself deeper and deeper into his own grave until the fish began to call on the sharks and Avenged Sevenfold appeared at my house one night, a gun pressed to my father’s head and a snarling question of his last words. I had stopped them, run down from my bedroom like the terrified and admittedly stupid teenager that I was, and every dark eye had turned to me. Every night I lie awake, remembering how the leader, Shadows as he was known or Sir as I was meant to address him, walked over to me, letting Synyster hold down his ground and stood in front of me, big hands stroking over my soft skin, fingers tangling within my dark hair as he gazed at me with such an expression of lust and adoration that I almost believed he was a good man.

He’d kissed my forehead like a child and told Vengeance and Rev to get a hold of me so I didn’t try to escape. As they held me back, whispering lullaby words into my ear like I was a baby and trying to get me to stop concentrating, Shadows and Synyster had killed my father right in front of me. I still remember hearing his scream as I was escorted out to that black van they almost lived in they were in it so often, sobbing.
The only strange part was, as I wept, Rev held me all the way back to the house. He soothed my cries and carried me into the house where I slept fitfully. He’d always appeared to be the nicest member inside the house, though I could barely say the same for his outside exterior.

Stuck down in the kitchens with two of the other women that are employed in this obscenity of a house in the middle of the night, I dip my hands into the murky water I’m washing up the pile of dirty dishes next to me and grab the sponge, sighing as I fight to contain my yawn. The men are out on yet another job tonight and the three of us have volunteered to stay up just in case they need anything before they all disperse to bed and forget about the other people they have living in their own home. I can imagine one of them will have blood all over their clothes yet again, and I’ll be up until the early hours of the morning getting it out, and I’ll sleep for an hour and have to get back up again to do tomorrow’s chores.

The other two women in the kitchen with me are sex slaves, and though I myself refuse to stoop that low to put myself on the hierarchy of this household, I don’t dismiss them or ignore them. It’s like smoking; I don’t do it, but I don’t look on those who do. It’s a lifestyle choice. Alex, a tall blonde who’s backbone is probably thicker than my leg, belongs to Vengeance, who according to the horribly detailed descriptions she gives us early on in the mornings, is a demon in the sack. Her words, not mine. The other, Virginia, short and dark haired, belonged to the giant that was Rev. I preferred that coupling over the other, because the two of them were just so darn cute to each other. Unlike the others he treated Vee like his equal and didn’t mind coming down here to us and talking while he waited for her to be finished with whatever she was doing. He had offered to release her of her duties along with the rest of us, but she told him she wanted to be working, despite how much of her time it took up.

“I just hope Jimmy’s alright tonight. He said it was a dangerous job” Vee worries as she stacks the white china plates in the cupboard to my left and I nod, glancing down at the water I’ve got my hands engulfed in. I don’t think anyone up there has even looked at me twice, let alone been attracted to me, but I’ve always blushed in the presence of Synyster Gates, though I hate myself for it. Alex and Vee both know about the crush I have on him, though I’ve told them a million times it’s not a crush and do not have feelings for him, and I worry constantly that one day they’re going to spill my secret to him and he’ll think I want to be like them.
I get scared that he’s going to hurt me, though I’m promised by the others that he won’t.

None of them watched him kill their father though, did they?

“I’m sure they’ll all be fine. Their trained assassins, they could do these things in their sleep” I mumble as I scrub the dish dry and hand it to Alex, who’s stood beside me with a raggedy dishcloth, drying the soapy plates that I hand her. She just shrugs. Never one to fear for her other half, I’m pretty sure that Alex agrees with me on where I stand on this side of the conversation.
“Bianca’s right, Vee. I’m sure that the boys are just fine, they know how to do this” Alex says as she hands over the plate and I disappear into my own little world, hearing the slamming and creaking of the front door, angered yells and mutters echoing through the house as a sign that the Masters are finally home. None of us move, because if they want us, they’ll either yell for us or come right down here and drag us upstairs.

“But I still worry for him” Vee says softly, standing on her tip-toes to reach the top shelf of the cupboard. Even in her heels she barely reaches the same height as me, and we all call her our little gnome, just to pick on her a little.
“Are you kidding? All they do around here is have secret meetings, fuck other women and drink. If they can’t do this, their whole lives are built on lies” I say, handing another plate to Alex, who almost drops it, turned away from me.
“I’m just going to pretend that I didn’t hear that Bianca, because I’m not in the mood to put you in the basement tonight” a familiar voice drawls at me and I freeze, letting the bowl in my hand slip back into the dirty depths of the water. Quickly drying my hands and praying that my cheeks don’t resemble a tomato right now, I turn around and nod towards Synyster, who has a bundle of black blankets carried in his arms.

“Vengeance and Rev would like you two to go your bedrooms, ladies. Bianca, I require your assistance” Synyster says with an infamous smirk and with a wave in my direction and a sympathetic glance when the man’s back is turned, Vee and Alex disappear up the stairs to the main floor, where their men are probably waiting for them.
“So what can I help you with, Sir?” I sigh, stepping forward just enough that we’re not close, but not so I’m far away from him. He smiles and lays the bundle of blankets down on the wooden island in the middle of the kitchen, beckoning me over next to him.

“A little girl was given to me at the scene. Her mother was killed by the two men we killed- she told me to bring her home. I don’t know her name or how to take care of a child. I was wondering if…if you would help me” he asks, almost nervously and I lean forward, carefully removing the top part of the blankets to reveal a softly sleeping baby. She has tufts of dark hair on top of her head and I can only guess that she’s a few months old. Around her neck is a little gold chain and as I gently tilt up the baby’s head, I point to the charm on the end.
“Well, I can help you with the name. The charm says Athena, so I’m guessing that that’s her name” I say.

“Athena” Synyster repeats softly and his hand reaches out to stroke her cheek gently. I don’t particularly know what to do with myself at this point, but he looks over at me and then down at his feet.
“Will you come and help me Bianca? I always remember you were good with children” Synyster asks slowly, putting his hand on my arm and without hesistation I nod. With three younger siblings, I have a natural knack for taking care of children, and with ease, I pick Athena up in my arms and show Synyster how to hold her correctly.
“With young babies you always have to make sure the heads supported. She’s too small to do it herself” I say as he flicks off the kitchen lights and leads me upstairs, just like Vee and Alex had gone as their Masters summoned them.

And in a moment of madness, I feel Synyster put his arm around my shoulder to support me. Almost as if the baby Athena in my arms is ours.