Page 98 of Lilies from Hell

“The girl with the dog’s name? Is that what you’re worried about?” I ask with a sly, mocking smile.

“No. You know I don’t. But damn, she was really good,” he blurts out with a bitter smile. “I think she left me for someone else. Younger or more handsome, maybe, because finding someone richer would be impossible,” he scoffs with a bitter laugh.

“I saw her talking to a police officer,” I say, lighting a cigarette.

“What the hell do you mean?” he asks, his eyebrows furrow.

I grab the duffel bag I had dropped by the door. It's still dripping blood, and the limbs are about to fall out of the bag. I leave it on the table under my father’s gaze, staining some papers.

“I should have asked you if you wanted to keep using the body before cutting it up. I’m sorry,” I say with false remorse. He stands up with a screech of the chair, avoiding looking at the bag. “And pray to the devil that your limp dick doesn’t bring us more trouble,” I murmur mockingly, raising my voice before he finishes walking away.

Then I go to the room in the dungeons where the semi-conscious policeman I saw talking to the bitch hangs from the ceiling. The ropes have rubbed his wrists raw, stripping the skin. I take out the gold knife with flowers on the handle and stab him in the throat. When I pull the knife out, I wipe it with what is left of his T-shirt, the gesture reminding me why it became my favorite.

Three years ago, in Toronto.

Age 21

I had returned home at dusk, and when I didn’t find her in our room, I went to the kitchen. When she heard my voice, she jumped a little, dropping something in the sink. Then she turned around with a forced smile, blocking my view of whatever she was doing at the sink.

“Hi,” she said in a low whisper, avoiding my eyes.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. My eyes went straight to the red stains on her pants and shirt that she had tried unsuccessfully to remove. She seemed to realize it because she became more nervous, starting to play with her wet fingers. I approached her before she could speak, seeing the blood that was still on the knife I don’t know how she had gotten, and part of the sink.

“I’m sorry. It was an accident,” she said behind me in a broken voice.

“What happened?” I asked, stroking her cheek when I saw the glint in her eyes. She was about to cry.

“I… No…”

“It’s okay, Lyubov’. You can tell me.” She wrapped her arms around my torso.

“It was an accident. I promise,” she said, her tears soaking my shirt as I stroked her back, feeling her sadness pierce my skin.

Denis burst into the kitchen to tell me that one of my men had been found dead in the basement. Lena looked at him fearfully, sensing what he had said even though he had spoken in Russian.

“No,” she whispered, grabbing my arm as I was about to follow Denis. “Don’t go.”

“It’ll only take a moment. I’ll be back soon,” I said before pressing my lips to her forehead.

“I’ll go with you then.” She took my hand in hers and squeezing it as we went down the stairs.

There, a man’s body was laying on the floor with more than one stab wound. One even went from his neck to his pelvis. His crotch was mutilated really badly and his eyes were filled with blood, surrounded by other fluids, as if someone had stabbed him there as well.

“Did you do it?” I asked, sensing that this was the reason she was so nervous. My eyes were filled with awe and my chest filled with a tingling warmth.

“It was an accident. He started it. He threatened me, I just wanted to go down to the basement. To… see,” she said beside me, her fingers beginning to tremble.

Maybe the man was just following my orders not to let anyone go down. Of course, that didn’t include threats to her. A lack of communication, I suppose.

“Accident? The man has more than six stab wounds and his intestines are exposed,” Denis said behind us. After the look I gave him, he turned around and marched toward the exit. “I’d be screwed if I ended up like that,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head from side to side before walking through the door.

Lena clenched her teeth, forgetting whatever she was going to say to divert her worried eyes to my face.

“You’re going to kick me out, aren’t you?” she asked with the same sparkle in her eyes as before once we were alone. I took her in my arms and lifted her up until our faces were leveled.

“Of course not. You did great, but next time tell me beforehand so we could do it together. It’s less complicated for you and that way I can teach you a thing or two,” I replied with a short smile. Then I kissed her cheeks and lingered on her lips. “I’m proud of you, my little demon.”

32