Shadows In Durango

Chapter 139

*****Sofia's POV*****

The house felt eerily quiet as the minutes dragged on. The soft drone of a reality show was playing in the background, but I couldn't even focus on it.

The artificial laughter and overdramatic arguments seemed absurd against the real life scenarios brewing in my own reality.

I sat on the edge of the couch, my hands clasped so tightly in my lap that my knuckles were pulsing white.

Vincent lounged beside me, with his arm draped over the back of the couch, pretending to watch the screen, though I knew he wasn't paying much attention to it either. His jaw was tense, his eyes darting toward the window every few seconds...

Vincent's father had been gone for a fair few hours now, off on some of his "errands" that apparently couldn't wait any longer.

Before he left, he had made a conscious effort to make arrangements for tomorrow - to bring them here for the 'meeting' to which they dreadfully agreed to...

I tried not to let myself think in to it too much since I knew that it would only cause an unnecessary panic attack so instead, I decided to attempt to go with the flow.

It was better that we do this tomorrow - get it over with - as opposed to procrastinating, right?

"This is bullshit - the show I mean! How are you feeling?" Vincent's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts as I turned to look up at him, finding his eyes settled on me.

"As okay as I can be," I replied quietly with a small shrug. "Time's running out, isn't it? I just need to roll with it and pray for a miracle..."

"How do you feel about tomorrow though? You seem far too... calm for my liking. Do you think you'll be able to handle seeing them after so long?" He tests, as I lift my left hand up to rub at my drying throat...

Tomorrow...

The day in which my father and brothers would walk through that door, and everything would hinge on whether we could sell this twisted plan to them or not.

the luxury of failing anymore... this has to work if it's the last thing I

down and cry, then it will only add to our whole act, won't it? I'll just look more miserable to them, so I'm just telling myself that it's ok to fall apart when I see them..." I explain my reasoning, sounding as though I was trying to convince myself as opposed

look at it... but just know Sofia, that I'm proud of you, you know? For even agreeing to face them for the first time in a long time, that's major. I'll have your back

he'll have my back right

Woah...

up into the driveway shattered our valuable moment, as Vincent instantly twisted

released a breath I hadn't been aware

sat up straighter, moving his head around a little to peak out of the cracks in the blinds to watch

makeup and shit..." He recites, as my hands instinctively begin to knot themselves together

door was heard opening,

His father's voice booms loudly, obviously unaware that we were both only down

tone, before more footsteps are heard and Vincent's father appears in the room with us first,

was a shorter man, bald and wiry, with a wheeled case trailing in behind him. He looked completely out of place in the house, dressed in a sleek black turtleneck and slim-fitting black trousers that screamed high-end fashion. "This," Vincent's father announced, stepping aside and

glanced at the

like the kind of kit makeup artists used for professional photoshoots or crime scene re-creations maybe... that would be

gaze hard as he studied the man. "You told him what he's here for

times in the past - he knows what I get up to in my spare time, don't you pal?" He chuckles, as Sergio clicks his tongue and

tight-lipped smile, his accent crisp and unmistakably sounding French. "I understand that zis is more... delicate work, yes. But do not worry. I will make her look

A homeless dog?!

Really?!

so tense then I would have laughed out loud at how ridiculous

up, please," Sergio suddenly instructed me with a sharp clap of his hands, looking directly at me now as though

of encouragement. Reluctantly, I

his subject as I squirmed under

my face toward the light, pressing lightly on my cheekbones and jawline

half to himself. "Small frame but zis is actually a good thing! Shall I say,