Married Into The Mafia *Undergoing Re-editing*

Hate

--Eloise--

"Do you like it, Eli?" I gulped hard and snapped my wide eyes over to Cooper. He was beaming, eyes gleaming with excitement like a little kid. "Are you happy now? I brought your friends over to you! Now you won't feel lonely!" I was speechless. I honestly couldn't think of what to say right now. Maybe if I saw even a glimmer of insincerity in that goofy, love-struck expression of his, I'd be able to make my stand, but...nothing...he was being completely serious. And, the reality of this was what scared me so much. This boy... I can't believe this was the boy I used to be best friends with. The boy I went to school with every day. The boy I was head over heels for... I couldn't believe it...so I honestly just couldn't find anything to say in response.

"Cooper," a voice, albeit muffled, called out in shock. Everyone's eyes were on him, all wide-eyed like me. Cooper didn't even pay attention until Wendy let out another yell of his name, tears falling from her eyes. Sighing, his smile dropped a little, returning his ecstatic expression to his usual coolness. With a dismissive flick of his eyes over to hostages he used to regard as friends, he sauntered over to rip the gag from Wendy's mouth. She breathed in a huge gulp of air before speaking again in a lower, puffed tone. "Cooper...what the hell is this?! Where are we?! What the hell are you doing?!" Her teary eyes watched him as he hooked a finger under Carly's gag to tear away, as well, before tugging out Aaron's next.

"And, where the hell have you been?!" Aaron asked, a bit of panic laced in his tone. I could tell that Aaron was trying to be brave in this situation. He had always tried to hold in his emotions and be the leader when things got stressful. And, perhaps seeing Cooper and I gave him some reassurance, but this bizarre situation where I was chained to the bed and Cooper was acting like a crazy person must have him even more on edge. "What is happening?"

Despite the irritation furrowing his expression, Cooper still managed to slip a smile onto his lips as he addressed them. "You all are here to be useful one last time!" He cheered triumphantly as he tossed the gags aside. "And, I suppose, you've earned a proper send-off whilst we're at it."

"What?! What are you talking about?! What is this?!" Wendy cauterwauled in her stress-laden shriek for answers.

"Cooper, were you behind all of this?!" Aaron demanded, astutely, trying to juggle up the benefit of the doubt.

"Of course, he was," Carly interuptted with a rare injection into the conversation. Our eyes switched over to her composure. Although her eyebrows had knit together in a mixture of confusion and trepidation, she still conveyed the calmest exterior among the four of us. "I heard it in the van. They called you Connor. I...remembered once that you joked about it being one of your nicknames from back home to me. A play on words - a 'conner'...as in...con-artist," she deciphered cautiously, gaze unyeilding from Cooper's stagnant stare upon her. The irony of her explanation and its relevance now was almost laughable in the grimest sense possible. 

An inspired grin perked up the corners of Cooper's lips as he let out a hefty guffaw in amusement. "Ha! I'll admit, you have me impressed with that one! Nothing ever gets by you, does it, Carly?" He pinched her cheek as her expression contorted into one of despairing disbelief. His lack of defence against her argument was enough confirmation for her fears. "No wonder you stuck out to me compared to these jokers," he praised with insulting gesture to the other two. 

"Wh...Why are you doing this?" She breathed out in shuddering dread as Cooper left her with a pat on the cheek. "What are you?"

A cheeky chuckle tickled Cooper's throat as he backed away from her. "Well, I suppose, I should give you all some closure before you die-"

"No! Cooper!" I wretched out at the admittance to his plans. He can't kill my friends! I won't let him! This psycho just wants to punish me for what I did. But, no way am I going to let my friends take the fall for it! "Let them go! Please!"