Deviant Fixation

by Valencia Carmelita

Completely startled I come face to face with Rachael, crouching low next to me. Except she's missing her long hair and sports a pixie cut while dressed in a very eccentric outfit, which is totally unlike her.

  "Rachael ? What're you doing here ?" I question, while assessing her garish attire in surprise. "What happened to your hair ..'

  Her smile vanishes momentarily before it returns. "Ah, you must be the friend, Katie had mentioned she'd bring along today!"

  I just blankly stare at her in confusion. She extends out a manicured hand, decorated by eccentric jewellery. "I'm Rebecca Nielsen by the way..Rachael's twin sister."

  What???

  That's when the reminder hits me, she was the other sister in the family portrait. So she was the one named Rebecca..the one referred to as traitorous by the demon that one time in the kitchen. He had accused Rachael of being just as traitorous as someone named Rebecca, which earned him a slap from Rachael.

  I slowly extend my hand out to shake her proffered one. "Um Hi..."

  She sighs and shakes her head in sudden disappointment. "I bet Katie didn't mention me to you huh?"

  "No.." I shake my head in decline.

  Abruptly, I feel someone nudge against me on the opposite side. I find Bev and Katie crouching low next to me. Serge also ducks down behind the wide table.

  What the heck is going on...

  "Errr what are you all doing here ?" I question while they huddle closer to me and Rebecca.

  "Yeah why are we all squatting behind this table ?" Rebecca agrees while bringing a hand upto her mouth to suppress her giggles.

  "That's exactly what I'd like to know!" Serge scowls. "They just dragged me here without any explanation."

  "Shhh!!" Katie warns before peering over the edge of the table. "Oh my God, it is her! Why is she here in Rebecca's section anyway?"

  "Who?" Both Serge and Rebecca ask simultaneously.

  "That bitch Ilona Vlodov." Bev mutters bitterly.

  "You serious ?!" Serge narrows his eyes while preparing to jump out. "I need to inform Vladimir!"

  "No!" Katie grabs his arm as does Bev before Katie implores. "Serge, you can't do that! Vladimir and Rachael mustn't know I'm here!"

  Serge looks to her exasperatedly. "But he has to know we found Ilona!"

  "You promised! Serge don't do this to me !" Katie entreats. "He can't find out about my secret meetings with Rebecca or Tommy!"

  Serge provides her a dejected look as he finally relents and sits back down. Katie lets out a sigh of relief as Rebecca inquires. "Who's Ilona?"

  "Just a first class bitch!" Bev states a matter of factly while peeking over the side of the table cloth. "That's all you have to know Becca."

  Confoundedly, I lean over to take a peek as well. "I don't see her anywhere.."

  All I spot is Nimra gulping down the refreshments at the coffee table like a greedy piglet while my lardy aunt Soraya joins her. They appear to be having some sort of eating competition, as I look at them with disgust. How embarrassing...

  A few paces next to them a woman with long platinum blond hair, a fancy hat and black shades, busily complains to one of the employees.

  "She's dyed her hair to blond, that's her with the huge hat and sunglasses..the bįtch has the nerve to show up here at Becca's fashion line!" Bev sneers disapprovingly.

  I can't believe my eyes as I redirect my gaze at her. It's definitely her, the figure, the stance and the sassy attitude is the same.

  What really catches my eyes is the familiar expensive Bottega Veneta handbag she normally carries around. On that handbag straps I spot the keychain filled with two USB flash drives amongst other decorative frilly trinkets.

  Immediately I'm reminded of her evil cackling while she had revealed she stored the video files of me naked in her USB keychain. The day when we had gone through her laptop, there was no evidence of my recording. It's likely she still had my clip on her USB keychain or in her phone.

  A pang of anguish shoots at my mind while I precipitously blurt. "She likely still has my recording stored in the USB keychain of her bag.."

  "Why are you guys hiding back here?"

  All five of us glance up to find Tommy standing next to the table peering down at us in puzzlement. Katie brings up a finger to her lips. "Shhh! You see that blonde in the hat over there?"

  "The one that's bickering with Mister Cortes and his employees?" Tommy questions while glancing in Ilona's direction. "She's pretty loud, demanding to speak to the manager."

  "What?! I can't have anyone ruining my fashion fair!" Rebecca frowns as she begins to stand up.

  Bev grabs her arm. "Don't ! Stay where you are! She's dangerous. We don't know what her inner motives are to be here!"

  "Yeah stay put where you are." Serge nods. Rebecca settles down grumpily.

  "What are you guys on about anyway?" Tommy questions.

  "I'll tell you everything later!" Katie promises.

  "We can't remain squatting here, how about you all follow me back to my headquarters." Rebecca offers as she begins to crawl away towards a door she must have previously entered through.

  "Perhaps you guys must be mistakened.." Tommy states curtly.

  "Oh yeah, pal? Are you in on Ilona's plan?" Serge abruptly scowls in suspicion.

  "Serge!" Katie glares at him.

  Tommy brings up his hands in defence. "Hey man, I don't know who's Ilona.."

  "Serge just shutup!" Katie hisses.

  "Come on guys!" Rebecca ushers while holding the door open. "Hurry before we're found out!"

  "I can't, I have to be at my soccer practice soon." Tommy objects and then leans down and kisses Katie on the lips as Serge makes a sordid face. When he pulls away, he concludes. "See you at uni tomorrow, babe."

  ◆◆◆

  "Katie, I don't trust that guy!" Serge provides Katie a severe look as the four of us settle into the limo.

  "Serge, give it a rest! Quit being so paranoid!" Katie frowns.

  The five minute limo ride is set in silence. Behind us trail the other three Molotov Mafia members in their own vehicle. They trusted Serge's judgment regarding a change of location. They didn't question where he was headed with us since he was higher rank than them.

  We arrive to the Aussie Fab headquarters, it's a skyscraper downtown albeit not as towering as the demons corporations. It is equally guarded by heavy surveillance and security. I am impressed that even Rebecca Nielsen is a successfully super wealthy woman.

  We depart the elevators at the very top floor in Rebecca's main office location. It is as eccentrically embellished and gaudy as her sense of fashion concerning her clothes. She has us sit in her vast comfortable visitors lounge while she has an assistant arrange for refreshments.

  "How long till you want to return to the fashion fair ?" Serge asks Katie.

  She merely shakes her head in decline. "I've already selected a gown and Freddie will pack it up for delivery if not today then tomorrow."

  "How about you Sanam ?" Serge directs the question towards me.

  I gaze down at the satin peach coloured maxi dress I'm wearing and state disappointedly. "I should have changed out of this right before coming here."

  "That's alright, sweety !" Rebecca assures. "I'll have Freddie send someone over with your casual clothes and have this dress packed for you tomorrow."

  "Thanks" I voice my gratitude.

  "We will wait till Sanam's clothes are transported here, and then we will leave." Katie informs Serge.

  "Well you guys can go ahead, I'll remain here and chill some with Becca!" Bev declares nonchalantly and Rebecca laughs while throwing a playful punch at Bev's arm.

  Rebecca focuses entirely on me. "So you're Muslim ?"

  "Yes" I nod.

  "Where you from? Your dialect sounds American."

  "My parents are originally from Afghanistan but I was born and raised in America."

  "Ah, so what brings you to Aus ? Here on vacation with family?" She queries.

  I glance in Katie,Ser
ge and Bev's direction. Katie responds for me. "She's alone and actually staying over at the manor with us for some months now.."

  "What?!" Rebecca gapes at her and then me. "You mean she's staying in the same manor as Vladimir ?!"

  Katie bites her lip and nods while Serge hides his face in his palm before peeking in my direction. Bev also looks towards me nervously.

  "Wow..are you serious?" Rebecca appears flabbergasted. "I can't believe it !"

  Why the heck are they all looking at me like that??

  "Becca please stop." Katie entreats while cautiously glancing my way.

  "What's going on?" I can't help but inquire.

  Rebecca looks at me and says. "I'm shocked that your under the same roof as my brother, considering he absolutely hates Muslims."

  "Come on, Becca, let's not get into this right now." Katie pleads.

  "No!" I snap at her suddenly. "Why are you still trying to hide things from me when I've lived with you for quite some time now? Aren't we past formalities by now?"

  Katie provides me a solemnly contrite stare. I turn towards Rebecca who's now peering at me with curiosity. "Why does your brother hate me? Why does he hate Muslims?"

  She raises her brows in astonishment as she looks towards the other three. "You guys never told her ?"

  "Rachael warned us not to." Bev explains. "She didn't want to frighten Sanam."

  "Why ??" I question in a most severe tone. I was absolutely annoyed right now by these ridiculous supposed secrets they all kept hidden from me.

  That demon had humiliated and violated me three days ago over his hatred for me as a Muslim. I had every right to know why.

  Katie begins. "It's just family secrets and we can't tell-"

  "That's it! I've had enough of this nonsense about secrets!!" My voice raises in ire as I stand to my feet.

  "Why does everyone tell me he hates Muslims but yet no one explains why? Plus, he's said and done so many bad things to me. I truly deserve to know!"

  "Woah, calm down.." Bev says, all three of them stare at my anger display in complete surprise.

  "I think Sanam deserves to know everything now." Serge remarks softly. "Becca you should tell her."

  "Yeah, Katie it's time that Sanam should know."Bev voices her agreement with Serge.

  Katie sighs and relents with a nod."Fine..go ahead Becca..tell her."

  I look to Rebecca and find her expression disheartened and embittered as she states. "Even if I told her, she should know that it still doesn't mean Vladimir is justified for hating on her just because she's Muslim."

  "Ofcourse, but you know how defiant Vladimir is. He still holds a severe grudge against you for what happened 18 years ago." Katie's voice wavers. "When the only people he should hold grudges against are those directly responsible for mum and dads death."

  Rebecca exhales a disheartened sigh and begins. "Well 18 years ago when Katie was a few months old. Our parents took us on a business trip to Dubai. I started crushing on someone there, his name was Omar El Fateen, he was the son of the man my father was negotiating business with. But we had no idea that the El Fateens were covertly involved with the Doucette mafia. At the time my mother wanted nothing to do with uncle Dimitri because she felt the Mafia lifestyle would negatively influence Vladimir who was only 12 years old then. So my mother ceased contact with uncle Dimitri. My parents made a huge mistake by doing this, they exposed themselves and us to hidden enemies of my uncle."

  "Then what happened ?" I question quietly.

  Rebecca continues. "Well I was a rebellious teenager at the time and I was very distant emotionally from my parents. I felt they only gave attention to Rachael, Vladimir and Katie. So I started sneaking around the resort with Omar to smoke hookah and weed, until my dad caught me. He grounded me and forbid to step out of the resort. But I was extremely furious with him and mum, so I managed to runaway to be with Omar."

  She pauses and pours herself a drink from a decanter, a distant bereaved look engulfing her features. "I wish I had not done that, and my parents would have been alive right now."

  "What do you mean?" I ask as I feel the room fall into a heavy melancholic state.

  "It was a trap she fell into.." Serge responds for her instead. "The El Fateens had lured her out from the tight security of the Nielsen resorts. Mr. and Mrs.Nielsen went after her with Vladimir. They found Becca held hostage. It was a really messy situation which cost them their lives. They were executed brutally by Omar's father. Vladimir was made to witness his parents death..they left him and Becca alive as a lesson to the Molotov Bratva."

  "Oh my Allah that's awful!" I utter in repleted despair. "How did you not know they were involved with your uncles opponents ?"

  "We had no clue, we didn't even know who the Doucettes were.." Rebecca shakes her head in vague disappointment. "Even uncle Dimitri found out when we did, which was unfortunately many years after my parents death."

  "It was only recently revealed when Rachael separated and filed for divorce from her ex husband Pierre Doucette.." Katie trails off. "He nearly killed her.."

  I gape at her. "You mean to tell me Rachael married the man behind your parents death ?!"

  "She didn't know, none of us knew. Over the years the Doucettes have been slowly gaining strength, they are one of the most deceitful and powerful Mafias operating today." Rebecca expounds.

  "So this is why this guy constantly tries to abduct Arielle and Charlie?" I ask as my mind tries to piece the puzzle together.

  "He's after the Molotov Mafias wealth and status, he feels he can use the children as a leverage against uncle." Katie explicates while shaking her head.

  "So now uncle Dimitri provides all of us extremely tight security even though I'm separated from Rachael and Vladimir, uncle still looks out for me." Rebecca states forlornly. "But Vladimir and Rachael won't forgive me for my grave mistake."

  All of this information was definitely making me feel queasy. I instantly remember Grigori's warning and blurt. "Grigori said I'll be targeted by Doucette once I leave Nielsen manor."

  All four of them exchange concerned guilt ridden glances with eachother before Serge replies bitterly. "Unfortunately you could be amongst their target list..you could be in danger once you step out of the manor."

  Chapter 25

  Sanam's P.O.V.

  "I'm only going through with this soirée so Vladimir doesn't suspect a thing and then I plan on running away temporarily with Tommy." Katie reveals to me as we are both preparing in her room to head downstairs for her courting banquet and ball.

  "Whaat?" Confounded, I can only but gape at her. "Temporarily running away?"

  "Yeah, it would unfortunately be temporary since Vladimir would find me easily." She rolls her eyes in apparent vexation of him.

  "So what's the point of running away if it's temporary?" I query, while adjusting my peach pink coloured hijab at the vanity mirror.

  She completes applying the last coats of lipgloss and then answers. "So that Tommy and I could get married quick and then Vladimir can't kill him for touching me because I may end up getting pregnant. So obviously my brother won't want me to raise a child without a father present."