Chapter 9: Pure Intentions

Sienna

I remember a time when I begged to be bored and watch T.V all day. But after doing it for a week, it's terrible. Dom said he and Theo would look into where Felie might be. That was days ago. While I wait, I've been watching T.V. and I've talked to a couple of the other people who live here. My Commanders agreed that it'd be best to keep my identity a secret until my time is up. I had no objections. My purpose is to now serve my Commanders until I die peacefully with Felie by my side.

Communication has been little. Sometimes they'll come talk to me, but that's just to check that I haven't run away. Gina brought me food, but after hearing I don't need it, she never came back. I've been in this room, stuck with the voices, screams and cries. It's almost as torturous as my time with Edgar.

No. My time with Edgar was incomparably awful. I realize now that he's done awful things, and he needs his life taken away. He will be the last person I kill. And I'll do it as Sienna.

A knock startles me from my Edgar killing fantasies, and I turn down Spongebob. It's a dumb kids show, but I love it. I need something as ridiculous as the sponge.

"Come in," I call out. The door opens to reveal Dominic. He walks in and stands in front of the bed, effectively blocking the T.V.

"We found it," he says, seeming self-satisfied.

Joy floods through me, but then I correct him. "You found her." He only rolls his eyes and takes a seat at the end of the bed.

"There's an auction tomorrow," he continues. "Your sword is on the list, and I got us invites."

I smile and pat him on the back. "Good job, Commander Dominic."

He looks at my hand suspiciously before getting up and walking to the door. "We're going shopping."

"Why?" I ask, getting up and following him.

His ebony eyes run up and down my body. "You need a dress for the night, and you can't keep wearing Lisa's clothes."

I look down at the clothes the nice girl, Lisa, gave me. She's a little on the big side, so the shirt flows with the extra material, and the drawstrings shorts are tied around my hips. It's better than Gina's clothes, which would cut off my circulation. She's way smaller than Lisa, but you can still tell they're twins.

Lisa and Gina are the twin sisters of Theodore. Dominic has a younger brother named Matt who talked to me once. He's pretty cool. Dean has two younger brothers who look completely different than him, and one of them has the same cocky personality as Dean. I haven't met the other one. And then, there's Cole. He doesn't have any family. My heart had twisted when I heard that, and I wanted to ask why, but Dominic said it isn't his place. Afterwards, he put everyone on my Protected list, showing me pictures instead of making me meet them. I mean, how would we have explained the glowy eye thingy?

Dom and I go to the elevator where we move down two floors. This house is huge. It has six floors and a basement. Each one of my Commanders has a floor with their respective siblings. So, Cole has a whole floor to himself. I stay on the second floor. They informed me that when some gang members' families get heat, they stay here. I found it sweet that they were willing to help, but also reckless and stupid. Someone could easily be a rat and tear this whole organization down with one bomb. Heck, Edgar almost did it the night they found me.

We walk down a hallway with photos littering the walls. I don't get time to see them because Dominic speeds walks past them, causing me to hurry up to catch him.

"So what's the plan?" I ask while we drive down the long road with nothing but trees around us. It's the perfect serial killer setting.

He side-eyes me, before responding."Well, we go there and you get your sword back. Easy peasy."

"You're gonna bid for it?" I question.

A beautiful chuckles flows from his lips. "Where's the fun in that?"

His unexpected playfulness makes my insides twist. So far, Dominic has been nice and done what's necessary. He only talks to me to inform me. Even now, he's only taking me shopping because he has too. But, that comment wasn't necessary. And the beautiful smile he gave wasn't either.

"So I'm gonna have fun tomorrow?" I ask, smiling deviously. I never get an answer because we're pulling up to a dress shop. I jump out the car as soon as he's in park. I love dress shopping. Trying on different materials and differentiating how you feel when you're in them. It's amazing.

We walk in and he grabs my hand, leading me to a rack in the back. It has a tag with 'Dominic' written on it. I look at him in question and he has an excited smile on his face. He starts rummaging through the dresses before turning back to me.

Catching my confused state his smile turns sheepish and he folds his hands in front of each other, twiddling with his thumbs. "I might've called ahead and asked for a few dresses. I just..." he coughs obviously uncomfortable, "I wanted to be prepared.

His flustered state makes me soft inside, and I give him an enthusiastic smile, trying to match his former energy. "Good. 'Cause I love dresses, but I am not good at picking them out for myself," I say honestly.

His face brightens and he runs through the dresses, occasionally grabbing some and handing them to me. When he grabs a bright pink one, I cringe.

"Uh uh no," I refuse. "Not that one."

He turns to me and rolls his eyes. "Please tell me you're not a girl who hates pink, so she can say she's not like other girls."

I huff, offended, "I actually like pink, just not that in your face 'Look at me' pink. A nice, soft, baby pink would do."

His eyes run down my body before meeting my eyes. "All eyes are gonna be on you no matter what type of pink you wear," he says tenderly.

I chuckle before realizing what he said. He... complimented me. My face heats and I glance around for an escape.

"Commander Dominic," I speak, grabbing his attention. "We have enough dresses." I hold up my arms, showing all the fabric. "Imma go try them on."

He nods his head and grabs the clothes and my hand, leading me to the dressing room. I open my mouth to tell him I'm capable, but he's pushing me through the curtain without a word.

I try on the dresses swiftly and efficiently deciding to only show him the ones I truly like. But when I get done, I realize I can't choose between the ones I like.

"Here," Dominic says, handing me a baby pink dress. His eyes are closed, and his face is flushed. It's adorable.

I grab it quickly, saving him from his embarrassment. Then, I hold the dress out, seeing that it's a cocktail dress. I slip it on and immediately feel beautiful. It has see-through lace throughout my chest, showing just the top swell of my breasts. It's transitions into a baby pink fabric covered in white lace around my torso, that's fitted around my waist. I love the flare of the bottom that stops just above my knees. I can imagine me holding my sword and the wind blowing the material around me.

I pull the curtain back with a huge smile on my face. "This is the one!" I exclaim and he turns around with a broad smile before faltering. His eyes scan my body up and down making me stand perfectly still. I watch him gulp before he speaks.

"You look amazing," he whispers. He steps closer, his face inches from mine, and my heart goes wild. I try to slow my breathing as to not accidentally huff on his face.

"Thank you," I whisper back not wanting to disrupt...whatever this is.

We stare into each other's eyes before he pushes me back into the dressing room and closes the door. I let out a sigh at being free from his spell. I strip from the dress and put back on my oversized clothes. When I get out, he takes the dress from my hands and walks to the cashier wordlessly. I groan behind him at the thought of him being awkward about this.

He gives it to her and then walks off. I stand confused for a moment before following him to the shoe section.

"Size." He says. He's back to only talking when necessary.

"Nine."

He nods his head and starts looking at heels. Another groan slips out at how my feet are going to pay for this in a couple of days.

He pulls out some silver heels with straps cross crossing. There's stones covering all the straps and I wonder briefly how would they look with blood splattered on them.

I'm not planning on kill anyone. Just seriously injuring. They touched Felie. And besides, I haven't fought in a while and though I hate killing, the accomplishment of incapacitating your component is exhilarating.

He buys the shoes without me trying them on and we get back into the car. A nice, awkward silence suffocates the car.

"You hungry?" He grumbles. Probably mad that he's forced to acknowledge me.

"I don't need to eat, remember?" I decide to grumble right along with him.

He stutters but continues. "Yeah well I'm hungry. Let's stop to eat and then we can finish clothes shopping."

I don't respond and stare out the window as we pass many different stores. I watch the people walking along the sidewalk. Some in hurries and others walking leisurely. All of them, immersed in their own world. Everyone, selfish and only thinking about themselves. I think about the one time I decided to be selfish. To have something all to myself. My life doesn't belong to me. Neither do my will nor my actions. But I had something that was all mine. Until-

"We're here." Dominic says breaking my depressing thoughts.

We walk into the dimly lit place. There's slow jazz playing and real candles are on top of tables. It gives a romantic feel and I can't help but think that I've never been to a place like this. I've never experienced the thrill of a first date or a boy who wants to impress me.

"Mr. Vasile, lovely to see you again. A table for one?" A woman with a shaved head and gorgeous makeup asks. She has rosy cheeks and her eyeliner's sharp enough to cut someone. I've never been taught how to do makeup and I've never felt the need to wear any. But, looking at her flawless glittery eyes and blinding highlight, I'm getting urges.

"Not today, Dana. I've brought a guest."

Her eyes flicker to me and she gives me a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Dana. Any friend of Mr. Vasile' is a friend of mine." Her voice is warm and sincere. It almost saddens me that I'm not a friend of Dominic's and therefore am not her friend.

"Hey, I'm Sienna."

She gives another smile and grabs the menus and walks away beckoning for us to follow. We end up at a private booth with me sitting across from him, a candle in between us. The light puts shadows across his face making him look sexier than the adorable man in the store earlier.

He opens up the menu and puts it in front of his face essentially ignoring me. I almost forgot the tension between us.

"Commander Dominic, why have you brought me here?"

He sets down the menu and I finally have his attention. "Call me Dominic."

That shocks the poop out of me. I've only ever called one other Commander by their first name. And it ended up with a broken heart.

"I can't be so informal," I object.

"What's the harm in it?" He seems to be genuinely wondering.

That makes us seem like we're close. Like we're friends. When we're not. You hate me and it'll do my mentality good to remember that.

I don't voice any of my thoughts. Instead, I shrug my shoulders. He goes back to looking at the menu, this time it's flat on the table.

"I love this place," he speaks up, "It's like a retreat. It's so soft and calm and the environment is so different than my everyday gang leader life. I needed this." His last sentence is whispered as he looks me in the eye. As if begging me to believe him. I don't know why I wouldn't.

"So what are you gonna eat?" The atmosphere's thick, it seems to always be like that around him. I have to constantly break it.

"Well I always get lamb chop and some rice. But I think I'm gonna try this chipotle bowl instead. I need a little spice in my life."

I chuckle, "Yeah with me you're gonna be getting a whole lot of spice." I mean it as in they'll get heat from other gangs, but he takes it another way as he chokes on his water. I repeat my words in my head and my face heats.

Well if he wants to....

"So I know you don't have to eat. But you don't ever just do it for fun?"

I sit back and frown. No. I only ever get supplements when I'm injured. Other than that, no one ever offers food.

"No. I never got around to it I guess."

A small smile paints on his face. "Well, I'll order you a chipotle bowl and we can try something new together huh? Let's say we go all out and get dessert too."

The joyous vibe I got from him in the store is back. And I find myself nodding along with his plan.

*

"How'd you become gang leader?" I ask on our drive back to the house. It's around 9 at night and I'm exhausted. Shopping for normal clothes with Dominic took 10 years off my life. He wanted me to have anything and everything. He bought me five jackets even though it's summer. I played with the idea that I'd make it to next winter but that's laughable. This mission wouldn't take long.

"I'm not gang leader. We're all equal in leading." He says which is interesting and wrong.

"You may vote on stuff together, but you're slightly higher than them. I mean, they all look to you for guidance. Especially Commander Theodore. He absolutely adores you."

He side-eyes me and smirks. "You gathered all of this from a week huh?"

"Yep," I say with no hesitation.

"I suppose it's 'cause I was most adamant about making a gang. They all followed and helped. But, I don't want to be a sole leader."

"How noble of you," I say. I don't know if I'm honest or sarcastic. Both. "Well then, how'd the four of you become gang leaders?"

"We took over an original gang. The Prefera."

"I'm impressed by your ability to do that. But, minus five points for morals. Couldn't you have just left that gang alone?"

He pulls up to the house and into the garage. He turns off the car but doesn't unlock the doors. He takes off his seatbelt and pins me with his black eyes. "Gina and Lisa were forced into prostitution for them. When Theo found out, he tried to help them by hacking the gang's banks accounts and taking away all they had. He got caught and was forced to work for them. When I heard this, I decided we had to help him. So Dean broke into and stole from the gang leader's son and he got initiated. Cole beat up some members and got initiated. I pretended to be homeless to gain the leader's trust and be taken under his wing. We all got in. Originally, we were gonna threaten them all into leaving all of us alone. But in the criminal world, you can't do that. So I put a bullet in the gang leader's head and we took everything."

I'm speechless at his confession. His intentions were...pure.

"Don't assume anything, Sienna. And watch what you say."

With that parting statement, he gets out the car and goes to the trunk. I feel guilt wash over me at assuming stuff and I through a tiny tantrum. Then I get out the car to help with the bags. I spent time with Spongebob for the rest of the day.