Taking a deep breath, stealing one last glance at Tito with the kind eyes, I took the escort’s offered arm. He led me down the hallway, allowing time for my awkward walk, past the room with the food,right, and into pitch darkness.
* * *
The smellof chocolate seemed more concentrated in the dark. I wondered if my senses were making up for the lost one—sight. I couldn’t see a thing, but my escort seemed to know where we were going. We didn’t run into anything.
The music in this area seemed more intense, too. It was deep, pulsing, slow. The female singer sang about falling from grace for the man she loved.
It screamed loyalty. She was extremely loyal, even when love made her crazy.
I wasn’t sure how long we walked in the darkness—a couple of minutes, at least—but when we came to a stop, I felt my escort push against something. Then we entered into a space that mimicked the darkness.
The room’s walls were dark, every place to sit black velvet, and the tables the same color. It was entirely monochromatic except for two decorative additions—the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, burning with more candles, and the ceiling itself. The entire space above was created from mother of pearl.
“Would you like a drink, Ms. Andruzzi?” the escort asked, his voice husky.
I don’t know, you tell me,I almost spit out. I had no idea what was in store for me, and I was too chicken to ask. When I had committed to this, I did so with all that I had. I was going to see this through.
Set. For good. My last chance.
Take a deep breath, Mari.
“No,” I said, my voice just a whisper, the breath I had taken slipping out. Maybe it was my imagination, but the candles seemed to sway with an invisible breeze in the room, making me feel like I was in a world that existed under this one in the darkness.
My escort nodded once, his eyes glistening with the soft light. “Are you ready, Ms. Andruzzi?”
Maybe the details were best left unsaid. That way I couldn’t run.
On the other hand, what if there was some kind of protocol?
If I did something wrong, maybe they’d find out that I was lying.
Maybe not.
If I could just go with it and not stumble trying to make my way out of hell…or was I trading one for another?
Closing my eyes, I nodded.
Whatever will be, will be…
A second or two later, something soft touched my face, and a breath trembled out of my mouth. My eyes were covered by a cool silk wrap, the escort’s hands securing the tie, and even if I wanted to open my eyes, I wouldn’t be able to see.
I didn’t hear him leave, but I got the feeling he had. I was alone.
Or was I? It was hard to tell.
Was it the breath of the candles swaying, breathing, consuming the air? Or was I losing control? My breath came faster and faster. My chest felt hollow, as if there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room to sustain me. My skin felt hot. The fires licked my skin but blistered my soul.
What were they going to do to me? Or was there something I should be doing?
When I breathed in, trying to control my breath, all I could smell was chocolate, not even the perfume I’d used earlier. It almost seemed…purposely done, to throw someone off.
Everything here seemed to be done with a specific objective in mind.Stay hidden.
A soft, cool breeze seemed to enter the room, making the candles hiss instead of pant. A bead of sweat rolled from my neck between my breasts. I felt its cool race down my skin, trying to cool the burn of the fires around me.
The hands that touched me out of the darkness were warm, pleasant, but my skin contracted at the surprise anyway. Someone had entered the room and stood behind me. I felt his presence, his heat, which was different from the candles. Wilder. Hotter. His breath fanned over my skin, only making me feel…overheated.
He.
