Chapter 6: "Don't Get Attached"

Christian entered back into the cabin silently, shaking off his sore fist from the beating he had just administered.

“Sorrow?” Christian called as he walked into the kitchen to find Sorrow already with an icepack in her hand. He smiled gratefully and took it, sitting down on one of the chairs in the kitchen, motioning for ther to do the same.

Sorrow nodded and sat beside Christian, her stare unmoving as she glanced into his deep chocolate brown eyes that matched perfectly with his dirty blonde locks. Everything was perfect, right down to his lanky 6’4 figure. Though he was not bulked with a six back, he did have a well-toned chest. His muscles weren’t big but when it came to restraining her against him, her strength was no match in comparison.

“I’m sorry I hit you. I truly am. It’s just that with father coming tomorrow to inspect Harry, with all the other things that have gone wrong so far I need something to start going right.” Christian explained gently to her as he reached out to preen a piece of long hair behind her ears.

“Perhaps beating Harry into unconsciousness wasn’t the best direction? And you know as well as I that we are never letting him go; so what you did was a little unfair.” Sorrow told him, taking hold of Christian’s hand that was by her face and kissing his sore knuckles.

Christian smiled softly, his breath quietly inhaling and exhaling while he studied her closely. He needed to make sure she wouldn’t get attached to the prisoner like she had with Jude – and even that had ended in betrayal. He didn’t want to see her hurt again. It broke his heart almost every time.

“Sorrow? I need you to promise me something, ok?” Christian started off serious, faltering slightly when her beautiful blue eyes swayed back to him.

“Anything.” Sorrow promised, using her other hand to entwine his.

“Please promise me you won’t get attached. I just don’t want to see you hurt – especially with what happened to Jude. I know he was your friend and I’m sorry that my father-“He stopped when she tensed, knowing it was still a sensitive subject. “Just don’t get attached, I don’t want to see you hurt again. It hurts me to see you unhappy.” Christian finished lamely, rubbing her fingers tenderly.

“If you were so concerned about my happiness then you’d allow me to have friends-“Sorrow started but quieted herself when Christian squeezed down on her fingers in a gentle warning to drop the subject.

“You have me, Sorrow. I’m the only friend you need. I’m the only one who’s taken care of you for these past nine years. If it weren’t for me you would have ceased to breathe long ago. Perhaps you should have a little bit more gratitude.” Christian sneered and threw her hands from him.

Sorrow swallowed, knowing she needed to keep herself in check.

“I meant no disrespect Christian, I’m sorry.” Sorrow apologized and let her head drop down towards the ground. “I suppose I’m just lonely these days and would not mind conversation outside the organization.”

Christian looked at her a moment before standing.

“We have much to do before my father arrives tomorrow with his boss.” Christian played off coolly, taking her hand and leading her back towards the basement. “Since father is visiting and we have a guest coming, I took the liberty of setting out your clothes. I know he’s partial to the blue dress he bought you last year, which will make him happy and if he’s happy then I’m happy.”

Sorrow nodded and followed him back, opening the door to the basement.

“Oh my God, Christian, what-“He cut her off with a hand to her mouth.

“He’ll be fine darling. The blood will wash off him when we hose him down and the punches are superficial, hardly worth the worry.” Christian assured, taking his hand away and pushing her from him as he went to the right side of the room where the hose was. “Go ahead and untie him, remove his clothing and I’ll hose him down. While I’m doing that go and get the spare clothing from our bedroom. We’ll leave him tied on the ground so he at least has some room to move about if he needs.”

Sorrow nodded and set to work to do what Christian asked her to.

“What about a bed? Even Jude got a mattress.” Sorrow asked as she set to work on untying the knots from the rope that kept Harry tapped to the chair.

“Jude got a mattress because you begged father for one. After Jude’s betrayal and your bad decision; it’s safe to assume that father will not bend as easily. Harry will stay tied to the floor and anchored to the wall. That was the arrangement unless the third party says otherwise.”

Sorrow threw the rope away from the chair, untying Harry’s feet so that he was completely free from his prison.

“Help me get him to the ground? Please?”

Christian rolled his eyes but walked toward to help Sorrow lift their prisoner to the ground, hosing Harry off and soaking him to the bone before doing so.

“I’m not going to get attached, Christian. I don’t know why you’re so angry at me.” Sorrow frowned, noticing the disdainful look that Christian gave her.

“Because you’re weak, because you still have feelings for these…hostages. They are damned and we are no better.” Christian replied taken aback from the directedness of the question.

“Let us not forget, it wasn’t so long ago that you stood between me and a bullet. You were once the same.” Sorrow reasoned as they lifted Harry to the ground.

“I was young and stupid,” Christian mumbled as he watched her peel their prisoner’s shirt off. “When you’re done stripping him, I want those clothes taken outside to the pit and burned. He won’t need them anymore.”

Sorrow nodded and made haste with undressing Harry the rest of the way, throwing the dirty clothes in a pile and moving to get out of the way of the hose. She didn’t dare glance at him, although in a small about prayer, she was also glad Harry was unconscious. It would save both his humility and hers.

“I’ve been dead inside for many years, Christian. I just chose not to take it out on our hostages. They are innocent in all of this and you should know that more than most, if that makes me weak because I still treat them with humanity; then I suppose I’ll have to live with that. If it means so much to you though, you have my promise of no attachment. It won’t be like it was with Jude. If it’s truly what you wish – with it just being us, then I give you my word.”

Christian turned the hose up, spraying it with precision on the poor unconscious singer but smiled at her sentiment.

“I don’t just want your word, Sorrow. I want to see an action applied to your promise – if it means anything at all. I just don’t want to see your feelings get shattered like they did when I had to put a bullet through Jude’s head. It’s better all the same to not get attached, that way you won’t get hurt. If caring about you is a crime then I stand guilty as charged. I just-worry. Especially with this one. He’s a singer, he can spin a nice web-if you let him.”

Sorrow glanced down at Harry before turning to collect up his used clothes.

“I won’t. It will just be us. You and I against the world…like it’s always been.” Sorrow frowned but saw the light come back into Christian’s eyes and in the bigger picture of things, that’s all that mattered; keeping him happy.

“I knew there was a reason I loved you.” Christian sighed, walking to the side slightly and grazing her cheek with a tender kiss.

“And I you.” Sorrow smiled, walking out to get Harry’s new clothes and burn the ruined ones that were currently in her hands.

Christian watched her go, continuing his task of cleaning Harry off and hosing the space off that he had been left in.

When the hose finally turned off, Harry was cleaned and sparkling in the dim light. If he was conscious he might have been relieved-at least after the initial embarrassment wore off. Although being naked didn’t seem to bother Harry, being naked in front of strangers-well, that was anyone’s guess.

Sorrow returned with a simple blue button down shirt and a pair of black loose fitting stretch pants. It wasn’t exactly from In Style magazine but it guaranteed that Harry would at least be somewhat comfortable.

“Christian? Will you be honest with me if I asked you something?” Sorrow asked timidly, drying Harry’s chest off with a towel before fitting the shirt over his head. Only the first two buttons at the bottom were done up, allowing the collar of the shirt to trail down the top half of his chest, exposing the smooth skin beneath. She had to admit, Harry looked better in Christian’s shirt then Christian but she sure wasn’t going to tell him that.

“I’ve got his pants, darling. Go and get some new rope. The ones you used before is looking rather abused and we want to make sure it’s not going to give.” Christian insisted, stepping forward to finish dressing Harry as he seemed to dodge her initial question on purpose.

Sorrow paid it no mind and seemed relieved, handing Christian the pants and going to find some spare rope. There were plenty of uses for it and around there it was always in demand.

Having found some in the small laundry room she went back to Christian, seeing he had pulled Harry to the far half corner wall and had already chained his one ankle to it with a good few feet of length.

“When he wakes up go ahead and attend to his wounds. I may have under estimated a few of them.” Christian frowned, moving so Sorrow could finish her task of tying him up.

Sorrow adjusted his Harry’s body so he was lying on his chest before pulling his hands behind and started tying his elbows together, knotting the rope securely and working it down his arms to his wrists, making sure there was no slack before finishing it off by tying it a few times around his upper chest and ending it around his wrists.

“Get his feet then come to the kitchen for dinner, we have much to discuss before tomorrow.” Christian said before leaving Sorrow to her talent.

Sorrow nodded and took to tying Harry’s feet with a separate piece of rope, knotting it tightly to the black pants so he wouldn’t be able to get lose. As she rolled Harry on his back so he was lying on his hands she took to noticing how peaceful he looked. Granted his one eye was turning a dark blue, his lip was busted and his nose was bleeding but he at least wasn’t in any pain at the moment.

“I’ll be back in a few.” She promised her unconscious prisoner before giving one last look over before leaving Harry alone in the room, locking the door behind her.

She joined Christian out at the kitchen again, sitting down in the seat she had before, frowning deeply as she watched him raid the kitchen in terms of something decent to eat.

“Christian?” She asked after a moment of observation.

“Hm?” Christian mumbled, his eyes fixated in the cupboards.

“If your father were to come and hold a gun out to my head – as he seems to like to do quite often when he visits, if he were to kill me, would you feel anything? Would my life be worth-“

Christian slammed the doors to where he had been looking and turn on his heels to face her quickly.

“That will never happen. He wouldn’t kill you because you’re worth far more alive than dead. His sense of humor though is much to be desired.” Christian defended as he went to the fridge and settled on some pasta that had been made and left in there.

“He raped me when I was eleven-Christian. He took my innocence and you’re telling me that was his way of joking around? You watched him do it! How can you even play with the notion? How is that a fucking joke?”

“Shut up!” He yelled, marching to her and cupping her chin, forcing her to look into his stormy brown eyes. “My father will not kill you, he would ask me to do it first and if I refused then he would step in. If it came down to it, I would do what was necessary to protect the good of the family. If I had to put a bullet in you, it would pain me to do so because I do love you but do not try to get me to question my loyalty because you won’t like the answer. Family ties are stronger than blood. Please don’t bring up my father like that again or I will have to hurt you. Ok?”

Sorrow nodded, her eyes wide in shock.

“Good girl.” Christian smiled, going back to the fridge to continue his search, leaving Sorrow’s mind to go a million miles an hour.

Notes