Page 93 of Lilies from Hell

“Yes. I fell yesterday,” I reply without hesitation. I’ve spent the whole morning going over the answers I would give to curious questions about my walk or the barely noticeable marks on my skin.

“Where? In Dracula’s lap?” He asks with a loud laugh that makes me blush.

“Shut up and drive,” I say from the back seat.

A random song brings my cheeks back to normal, but it’s not until he speaks that they turn red again.

“I think he should reconsider moving in with us. At least that way he wouldn’t have to sneak into your room every night.” I start coughing when the air gets stuck in my throat and I look at him with my eyes wider than ever.

“How do you know that? Are you listening at my door?” I whisper, almost in an exclamation.

“As if I had nothing else to do,” he says amused. “I saw him climbing the walls last night like a lizard. He’s very good at it, so I figured he does it often,” he says, looking at me out of the corner of his eye and broadening his smile.

I thank the universe when we finally arrive at the gym. Once at the reception desk, I pay for today’s session and turn around, gasping in surprise when I find Sergei looking at me impatiently.

“Move quickly. There’s a queue.” His eyes expectantly urging me to move.

“What the hell are you doing? Are you following me?” I ask, arms crossed, giving him a dirty look.

“Well,” he pauses as he leans toward me. “That’s what I’m paid for,” he finishes with a mocking smile. I bite the tip of my tongue with a furious stare directly at him, suppressing a curse before finishing entering the gym completely.

I shove my gym bag into a random locker, not bothering to lock it. As I’m about to turn around, I feel a hard, cold surface bump into my lower back.

“Open your mouth and I’ll kill you right here, estúpida.”

My body tenses up. An electric current brings me back to reality, my breathing faster than before and my heart racing. The man behind me pushes me roughly when he sees that I’m not moving.

“Move.” I clench my teeth in anger and jab him in the ribs with my elbow. All I manage to do is get him to move the gun away from my body a little, but he doesn’t let go.

“Damn bitch!” he spits out angrily, grimacing in pain.

The next thing I feel is his fist slamming into my cheek with such force that it makes me stagger and let out a scream as my body shudders from the intense pain.

Then I feel him pull my hair until he lifts my head and points the gun at me. The pain in my cheek fades into the background, giving way to fear. I let out another scream when the man falls dead on top of me. Looking down, I see a fatal wound in his chest caused by a bullet. I look back, pushing the lifeless body to one side. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Sergei putting his gun back in the pocket of his pants.

“I have to get you out of here,” he says, glancing quickly around. I don’t have time to react when he grabs my wrist and drags me toward the parking lot with quick steps.

“Wait, I have to tell my brother.”

“We don’t have time for that shit now.”

I open my mouth to say something, but Jason beats me to it by approaching us.

“Where are you going? And who is this man? What’s going on?” He asks, frowning as he walks toward me.

“I’ll explain later.” Sergei doesn’t stop walking, but I manage to break free from his grip.

“Fuck no! I’m coming with you.”

“No.” His gaze now falls on the bruise on my cheek.

“Who did that to you?” he mutters through clenched teeth, his eyes burning with rage.

“I’ll explain later…”

“There’s no time, Lena, we have to hurry,” Sergei says, waiting for me a few meters away.

I start walking immediately, and when I glance back, I see Jason following close behind us with a confused but determined expression. I let out a snort that causes a sharp pain in my cheek.