Page 11 of Lilies from Hell

“And where do you want to go?” my brother asks, slinging one of my bags over his shoulder.

“Wherever you want, I don’t know.” He looks at me with furrowed brows.

“You’ve been really weird lately. Are you pregnant?” I turn my neck slowly and meet his gaze.

“Who am I supposed to be pregnant by?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you had a wild night and don’t remember.”

“Sure,” I say, letting out a sarcastic snort and walking across the sand.

“Before lunch, let’s go to a pharmacy and buy a test. Just to be sure,” he says behind me.

An ambulance stops on the road in front of the beach where we are, drawing my attention. Then a couple of paramedics get out urgently, holding a kind of stretcher between them. I follow them with my eyes, ignoring Jason’s calls, until I find the girl from earlier. The one who apologized for the ball. She is now unconscious in the arms of a tanned boy.

I have to stand on tiptoe to keep seeing her through all the people who are surrounding her. It’s not until someone gets in the way and blocks my view that I turn around. Maybe it was just heatstroke.

“Hey. Are you coming or what? I’m melting here.” Jason complains, holding the driver’s door with a sulky face.

While I wait for the truck in front, carrying Lance and another bodyguard, to move and let us pass, I take another look at the beach. The last thing I see before we move is a boy running toward the paramedics with a volleyball stained with something red.

05

It used to be difficult for me to sleep, but since I found her, falling asleep isn’t even an option. Knowing that she’s only a few miles away is pure agony. Her sweet vanilla scent gets into my system when I approach the bed. That hasn’t changed. I have many things planned for my little demon.

I run my fingers over her face. Every touch is like being in hell itself. I go even further, bringing my nose closer to the curve of her neck as I leave chaste kisses until I reach her ear. She, still asleep, stirs a little from the tickling sensation. She looks so goddamned angelic that I have to repress the urge to cut off her head and put it in a glass box. My gaze drifts to her lips, and I pull back a little. I trace their outline with my finger, utterly captivated by her warm skin, vanilla fragrance, and the slow rhythm of her breathing. So full of life.

“It’s impossible for you to run away from me. I’ll always find you. Even if it takes me my whole damn life.” My words are a firm, harsh statement.

My gaze flies to her stomach, now exposed, finding a piercing in her belly button. When did she get that? And what else have I missed in her life? My fingers slide across her skin, forming a line to the waist of her black silk shorts. I moisten my lower lip, my stomach turning. I’m hungry to taste her, but my madness hasn’t gone that far yet. I focus again on her face with noticeable dissatisfaction because of the painful tent in my pants.

The sunlight filtering into the room is a stark reminder that I need to leave soon. Before I go, I look at the corkboard above the desk. Photos from different years cover it, but I focus more on those where she looks younger, perhaps around ten years old, and I feel nostalgic. I want to squeeze her in my arms until her body says enough and she can’t breathe anymore. Then I focus on a picture where she is embracing a boy I don’t recognize.

I’ve barely closed my lids for over twenty minutes this morning, but that’s not why I’m in a bad mood. My head hasn’t stopped spinning with how many more she’s been able to have a romantic relationship with, overshadowing ours. That made me furious. Shit. I’m still furious, but I’ll take care of ripping the souls out of those who dared to touch her straight to hell. Having set their sights on her had put an end to their miserable lives.

“Shall we go?” I turn my head when I hear Polina, the little girl my father had brought home a few years ago, speaking impatiently from the doorway. We are not best friends, but with time I learned to bear her. Maybe even like her.

Giving nothing more than a nod in response, I walk over to my motorcycle. She follows behind me along with some of my men as I drive at a speed that borders on illegal. During the trip, her face flashes before me as a cruel illusion that almost brings me to the brink of an accident. I am not in my right mind. I still can’t get used to the effects she has on me. I’ve always known she would be my death. Maybe that’s why I tried to end her when I was a kid and barely knew her. Like an impulsive act of survival. But I wouldn’t know how to breathe without her. I had already tried, and it shattered what little remained of my soul.

Climbing the stairs to the office, I hear screams that echo throughout the entire building. The instant I open the door, everyone falls silent and lowers their heads.

“What the hell is going on now?” I mutter, putting a cigarette between my lips. I glance at the girl who is about to cower in a corner. The tight dress makes her belly more prominent. “You have to be fucking kidding me,” I say with an incredulous grimace before pulling out a knife. The man’s gaze widens, alarmed. “You can’t touch the merchandise. Under any fucking circumstance,” I warn in a calm voice.

“It’s not what you think! That bastard isn’t mine.”

“Yes, it is! You forced me,” the girl claims before bursting into tears.

She can’t be over twenty years old, but with her makeup and clothing, she looks older. The first of many things that changed when my father started handing over all his dirty business to me is the age of the women who work in our clubs. As well as getting rid of other types of businesses that still twist my guts. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee that the motherfucker isn’t still trafficking and doing whatever he wants without my knowledge.

I raise both eyebrows with a smile before taking another drag on my cigarette.

“So now you’re forcing people?” I ask, exhaling smoke, my voice more relaxed than I want it to be.

“Of course not. She’s lying. She’s covering for a client.”

“Lie to me again and I’ll sew your fucking mouth shut.”

“I’m not lying to you. I swear.” My smile widens.