Nah, I think I’m just going to go to bed. Sleep cures everything, right?
Max: Alright. If you change your mind, let me know. I’ll be your delivery boy any time.
Thanks, Max. I’ll be fine though. Try to not have too much fun without me tonight!
Max: Yeah, you know it’s not going to be fun – Kim came in to cover your shift.
Oh sh*it. I’m sorry man. I didn’t know they were going to call her in. She usually only works days.
Max: You’re going to owe me for this one.
I locked my phone and put it on the charger. I went to the bathroom to wash my face. My neck really did look ho*rrible. My bruise was a nice shade of purple and was so deep you could see the outline of his fingers.
Ugh. How am I going to cover this up tomorrow at work? I’m going to have to wear a turtleneck. Long-sleeved turtleneck too.
I lifted the sleeves of my shirt and looked at my arms, that were also a very nice shade of purple. The contrast of the color of the bruises to my porcelain wh*ite skin was striking, which just served to make the bruises that much more obvious.
I decided not to stress about it too much. With the extensive tip that Adrik gave me, I could afford to miss a couple of shifts and still be able to pay my bills.
I heard my phone chime again and went to check it, thinking it was Max again.
How are you feeling, solnishko? -Adrik
Wait, he has my phone number? When did that happen? Well, he knew where my apartment was, so I guess also having my phone number isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. Who am I kidding, he probably has my bank account and entire record at this point. There is really no limit to the power these people possess.
I’m fine, Adrik. Thank you for asking. Tired, but fine.
Adrik: Good. You should get rest. Put arnica on your bruises – it will help them heal faster. I’m sure by now they’re quite dark.
You ain’t joking. My entire neck is purple. I’ll have to go to the store for arnica. I don’t have any.
Adrik: I’ll have some sent over. You rest. It will be there when you wake. Good night, Persephone.
Thanks. Good night.
I locked my phone again and put it on my bedside table. I sat on my bed, lost in thought. Why did I suddenly have that warm feeling in my stomach again? Why was the top guy in the mafia checking on me? Why did he send his personal bodyguards to keep an eye on me? What was really going on? What happened in that meeting while I was out of the room?
Sephie
I fell asleep some time later. It was not a restful sleep, as I felt trapped in panic-laden dreams. In one dream, I relived the events of the night before. I struggled against Anthony, to try and get away from him, feeling once again the air leaving my lungs, feeling like my life was slowly slipping away. I couldn’t talk in my dream. I kept looking toward the back room of the restaurant, but no one was coming. There was only darkness. Silence. The darkness even consumed Anthony in front of me so that it was just me, not able to breathe or move. I don’t know where I got the strength, or air, to do it, but I screamed. I screamed as loud as I possibly could.
As soon as I woke up and realized it was a dream, my bedroom door was thrown open. Two men came rushing in and toward my bed. I screamed again, still not fully awake and aware of what was happening. One man came toward me, the other checked the rest of my room.
A vaguely familiar scent filled my nose, as I felt a warm touch on my arms and the bed dip beside me.
“Shhhh…you were having a nightmare. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you ever again,” Adrik said as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him.
“Adrik?”
“Yes, solnishko. You’re okay. You had a nightmare, but it wasn’t real. You’re okay now.”
I couldn’t stop the flood of emotions that came out as I leaned into his broad chest. I buried my face in his chest and cried.
“Let it out. You’ve had a big couple of days, but you’re okay now. I promise,” he said. He ran his hand slowly up and down my back, trying to calm my raw nerves from the nightmare. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
I took a deep breath in and wiped my face. I leaned back, with my eyes still closed, trying to find the courage to go through it one more time. He reached up with his thumb and gently wiped a few stray tears from my eyes as he waited for my answer. I opened my eyes and found his deep blue eyes, filled with concern, focused intently on me. I just stared into his eyes for a few moments, not able to speak. Why did feel like I’ve known him for longer than 24 hours? Why did I feel safe in his arms?
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.