Blood Bath

ELENA'S POV;

I was pretty much confused about who Derek was, and then Damon had been avoiding me. I still was vexed at the fact that he would actually do such a thing to me. But even I was shocked by my outburst. Why would he use me as his pawn? I needed to ask him some questions, he couldn't hide from me forever. I walked out of my room barefooted knowing he was probably going to be in his office, or so I thought, when I heard screaming from a room further than where I was. I knew that wasn't the torture room. Could it be something else? I felt my heart thump loud as I became worried trying to understand what was happening. I rushed towards the origin and stopped at the entrance. This wasn't the torture room, no, this was a room for death itself. My eyes widened with what I saw. The weapons that hung on the ceiling and even the red and black colour setting of the room screamed horror.

And there I saw him, leaning close to the man on the seat, while Leonardo stood, observing what was going on. My body trembled, but I couldn't bring myself to turn away from this, I wanted to understand what was going on, why was he torturing him? I barely understood why Antonio did the things that he did. Was it out of joy? Was it a pleasure for him to hurt other people? This reminded me of my abusive past, reminded me of the pain I had to go through living with my uncle and father. But this was way worse.

"Why did you do it?" Antonio spat.

"I swear on my mother's grave, it wasn't me." The victim defended. Antonio had a gun in his gloved hands and a small knife in his pocket.

"The night of the club, you dare mention that you're not one of Derek's men? Perhaps I should shoot you thirty times in the balls before you spit it out. Besides, I derive pleasure in watching others get slowly tortured."

"But...buh...ahhhh."

I gasped as Antonio shot the man in the leg. The victim groaned out of pain, as his thigh gushed out blood. Antonio rested his gloved hand on it before gripping it. I noticed as the man trembled in agony. His face expressed both excruciating torture and fatigue. His teeth were gritted and his features were red, then his facial veins were almost popping out. "It really...wasn't me." He stressed out.

"Still lying I see. What should I do next? Cut your eyes out or shoot the space in between your legs?" The victim trembled now with fear. "Just tell me the truth and I won't kill you."

"I'm already going through too much pain to be so sure about that." He stated. I believed this victim. Every word that escaped his lips I believe was true. Couldn't he just read the situation and let the poor man go? Antonio tightened his grip on the man's thigh and I jerked slightly forward to go help the man but then remembered I didn't want them to know that I was here. "Fine...I will...I'll tell you everything." He obviously couldn't take the pain anymore. I couldn't help but feel like this man was highly innocent of what Antonio was accusing him of. "And please, I have a wife and kids waiting for me. Remember what you said."

"You have my word. Speak."

"Our boss, that night, indeed tried to kill you but he got carried away and couldn't do as intended. I was indeed part of those men, but all I was asked to do was watch everything that happened and give back the information."

"Did he have any other intentions aside from that night's?"

"He has always intended to destroy the foundation you've built right from a young age. He never gives any information but I overheard him telling his closest friend what he did before he was killed." His eyes paused on Antonio's as he said the last part. "I believe he has a spy amongst your men. So it's your men that you have to keep close tabs on because they can give any information to anyone. At any time."

"I see. And does he have any mutual relationship with the other mafias that attacked my club?"

"They are the Crusian Mafias. Their head is anonymous too. Nobody knows who he is but they formed a bond with our group and since then have worked easily with us." I noticed Antonio straighten and move over to the end of the room, still not noticing me. Then instantly, I noticed the way Leo raised a gun. My eyes widened. Didn't Antonio say... "I should never have believed you." He growled with anger.

"Not holding a gun doesn't mean I'm not a threat, but think again, I'm not holding any gun, so how can I kill you? I didn't go back on my word. You just didn't ask right, especially knowing you can betray your group of mafias, you're already dead once you're out of here."

Leonardo pulled the trigger, and the bullet went off and I screamed. I stumbled backwards as the blood splashed on my body. Everything around me stopped. The blood of a human was on my body...I looked at my sleeves and shuddered with fear before missing my step and falling to the ground. Looked at the victim's headless neck, gushing a huge amount of blood. I couldn't stop my body from shaking. I couldn't help it. The bullet was not ordinary, but stray.

And it appeared Antonio and Leo had heard my scream because they stalked over to the door and were more than shocked to see me on the floor, with my hand holding both my ears. When I saw Antonio, my fear heightened, and out of terror I moved back, trying to get up, but my legs gave out, they were too weak to support my weight at the moment. I was overly terrified of him. The image of what I just witnessed was going to be imprinted on my mind forever, I was particular about that.

"Stay away from me. Don't come any closer." But he kept coming towards me. "Stop! Stay away!!" I screamed and he finally stopped, stunned at my outburst. The pain in his eyes was quite evident as he stared at me.

"Elena." He whispered.

"Don't call my name. Don't you ever call my name!" My eyes were filled with tears and I nearly sobbed. He came closer, causing me to shift even further away from him.

He stopped in his tracks. Leonardo was dumbfounded as he watched the both of us. All he did was watch us but say nothing. It was clear that they both weren't expecting me to be here.

My eyes watered. He was a monster, a bloodthirsty monster that cared for nobody else besides himself! I gently rose from the floor and stepped back from him. His now ungloved hands were filled with the blood of many innocent people. I was terrified to accept it. I swallowed.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, looking conflicted. There was nothing to do here anymore. I needed to leave, to stay far away from him. I turned to leave and he held my shoulder. I instantly tensed and he felt him take off his hands after. "I never wanted you to see this side of me."

"You mean a bloodthirsty monster that doesn't care about anyone, regardless of whether or not they have families. You're heartless." I stared at him with so much disbelief. "Just like my uncle and every other guy that I've encountered. You're no different from them."

"Even your abusers? The men that slept with you, toyed with your body and scarred you because of pleasure? You're telling me I'm like those people? You have no fucking idea who I am Elena so don't you dare compare me to those group of losers who prey on helpless women to feel better about themselves." I couldn't reply.

"You have no fucking idea how hard I research every night to get the people that have hurt you in the past. Do you have the slightest idea of how pleasured I'll feel killing each and every one of them? You judge me for what I do, but you have no fucking idea why! You don't fucking know who I am." All I could do was stare because I was dumbfounded. Him yelling at me made me shrink backwards.

"You came to ask me something right, or didn't you? You came to ask me about him right? The man I asked you to meet, isn't it? Derek yeah? Isn't that what you came to ask? About my intentions? Oh no, don't be stunned because unlike you I can read you like a fucking book."

Leonardo still didn't move or say anything and I never thought I'd be saying this, but this was the first time I noticed remorse in Leo's eyes. Did he feel bad? For me having to see what I just saw? Or just towards me? Antonio abruptly lifted me till I was hanging over his shoulder.

"Inform the men to take care of the body," Antonio ordered and didn't wait for Leo to speak before heading towards the room. I hit his back trying to make him release me.

"Antonio put me down. Please, Antonio." I begged but he refused. "Antonio..." I barely whispered. He walked into the room before dropping me on the bed. I landed with a soft thud. I instantly knew this was not my room. This was wider, larger, darker and definitely filled with more tension than anywhere else in the house. Shrinking deeper into the bed, I watched as he began to unbutton his shirt causing my eyes to widen like saucers. What was he doing? My hands trembled as he shrugged it off and dropped it on the floor. It was then I noticed the scars on his body. I'd never seen this before. He had never not even when we had sex fully undressed before. This was a new side of him, and I couldn't help but feel that he was showing me his vulnerable side. Something I never thought he would ever do to anyone.

"This is why I've never undressed fully whenever we had sex. I was concerned that you didn't have the mind to take it because of your past trauma." He said.

His body indeed had so many scars. "Most of them were caused by the person that killed my parents. I was supposed to also die on the night of the ball, but I hid myself well and you were able to grab his attention. I was a jerk for using you as a pawn, I admit I needed you to get information from him so we could use that against him." He said.

I was stunned by all that he was saying.

"Derek is my brother. He tortured me like my father did and ran away once he killed them leaving me to suffer in the hands of the FBI. A good thing that I wasn't found guilty and that's just the way it is in my world. You either kill or get killed. I'm not the kind of person you think I am."

"But the man..."

"Didn't have a wife, neither did he have kids. I did all the research I needed to do before I interrogated him. He was trying to trap me but he failed. That was why I killed him. He can't be trusted which makes him pretty much useless to me." My whole body deflated. Had I misunderstood him? I gently crawled towards him, intrigued by the scars. I guess this was his insecurity. I never knew he had one. Then I looked up at him and he was looking right back at me.

"Your brother killed your parents? And you seek to avenge their death, isn't it?" He nodded. "Why didn't you just tell me?" I asked and I noticed a smirk on his face.

"Would you have accepted?" He questioned. I rose up gently and he supported me with his hands.

"Would I have had a choice?" I said in barely a whisper before kissing him.