When she’s done, she steps away to inspect her work.
“She needs jewelry,” a man says from the door.
At the sound of Hulk’s voice, a repulsive shiver crawls through me.
She scowls. “I’m not done.”
I turn to look at him. He’s wearing a dark suit and white shirt. It’s so strange to see him without the ski mask that, for a moment, I think the image is a mirage and not real.
But then he speaks again. “Hurry up.” His tone is brusque. “We leave in five.”
His black hair is pulled back from his face and tied into a man-bun, exposing a broad forehead and a sharp nose. In the darkness, I never got a good look at his eyes. They’re a nondescript brown, made a little more noticeable by the long lashes framing them.
Catching my gaze, he grins.
I look away quickly.
Oxo takes a pair of pearl earrings from the make-up box and fastens them to my ears. She does the same with a short pearl necklace that she clips around my neck. They didn’t take the ring on my left hand. Seeing that the diamond is worth a lot of money, I find that strange. Mind you, they did take the Rolex Dante had given me.
An odd unease stirs in my conscience at the thought of the watch. There’s something about the expensive gift I don’t like, but before I can ponder the thought, Oxo removes a vial and a hypodermic needle from the box.
Startled, I lean away from her when she comes closer.
“It’s just something to give you a little energy boost,” she croons. “Nothing to get worked up about.”
Not giving me time to protest, she grips my arm and jabs the needle into my muscle. A moment later, a wave of nausea hits me. Clutching my stomach, I fold double.
“Don’t worry.” She clucks. “You’ll feel better in a minute.” She presses a swab of cotton wool on the puncture mark the needle has left. “As strong as a horse. You’ll see.”
The man’s footsteps fall behind me, coming closer. I try to suppress a shudder and fail.
He stops in front of me, watching me with cold eyes and a menacing smile. “Now you’re going to take me to that bank and give me the necklace.”
I look at his hands, noticing the gloves. A picture of another pair of gloves drifts into my mind. They’re cupping my face where I’m trapped in a snow globe. The warmth of those hands seeps through the butter-soft leather, penetrating my cheeks. A scary, honest look burns in Dante’s eyes as he promises he’ll fix everything that’s wrong.
The woman steps behind me and fiddles with my hair. A sharp prick at the back of my head makes me jerk. The spot where she jabbed me burns as if my skin is on fire.
A wave of heat rushes through me, waking up every cell in my body. I’m vibrating from within, the fire inside me not only ignited by Dante’s touch but also by his intentions.
Fingers flick in front of my face. “Tatiana.”
The voice is all wrong.
I look up to find Hulk staring at me.
“It’s the drug,” Oxo says. “It must be kicking in.”
“Are you sure it’s going to work? I don’t want her to fucking faint or OD on me.”
“The dose wasn’t that high. I gave her just enough so she can walk on her own. The plan won’t work if you have to carry her into the bank, will it?”
“How long is this shit going to last?”
“She’ll crash in a few hours, so that buys you enough time.”
“What if they question her?”
“Like I said, I just gave her enough for a physical high. She’ll be lucid enough.”
