NERTHUS
On Monday morning my head already feels less tattered.
The cut on my lips as well as the strangulation marks on my neck have come prominently on my skin and I just hope that they will fade by Wednesday. Applying my make-up and wearing a colored scarf would have to make the deal for a bit.
Exiting my apartment, I freeze for a bit and nearly find myself not able to move. Reminding myself that this is not even the worst thing that happened to me, I push myself forward.
It may not be the worst, but it happened as I felt the safest.
I only get relaxed as I step out of the elevator and see a concierge greeting me and opening the door for me.
“Thank you so much,” I say lowly as I step out and get into the waiting cab.
***
“Oh, Love! How are you doing?” I turn around to my boss walking into her office and I clear my voice, flashing her a smile.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
She sits down behind her desk and I can read her expression immediately.
“Really, I’m fine. I can work. Not that anyone seems to want me to.”
She shakes her head with a chuckle as she opens a file on her tablet.
“I don’t understand, dear. Every one of these men said that nothing happened with you and even told me that they were always happy with your services.” She sighs deeply as she looks back up to me. “Are you sure nothing happened?”
I shrug, shaking my head. “No, I assure you. There are even regulars that cancelled. I really can’t tell you what is happening.”
“Well,” she says, tilting her head to the side. “you have one engagement left on Wednesday.”
I nod and she lays her hands on her desk, “Don’t worry, love. I’m sure this is just a coincidence.”
“Maybe you want to take a little vacation. Why not move the appointment with Rodberg and got on a little trip to the mountains? Get a little break. You always worked so much anyway. Maybe this is a sign.” Her voice gets higher at the end, and I squint my eyes at her.
“What… What are you trying to tell me?”
She takes a quick look at her tablet before looking back at me. “Mr. Rodberg always scheduled a… well, a late encounter with the girls. But this time it’s for a dinner.” She moves her hand in front of her while pursing her lips. “I’m sure I can appoint Stacy this time. I’ll talk with him and explain the situation to him. I’m sure it will be alright, yes?”
She smiles at me with big eyes, awaiting my response excitedly. I don’t get why she wants to take this engagement from me at any cost. My stomach churns as I think of Stacy purring in his arms and also…
The table.
“No. I- I can… Are you trying to get rid of me?”
She takes her hands to her chest and looks hurt, while I could crumble in desperation. “No, love. No! Never!”
Still, her voice is really high pitched to sound truthful.
“How could I. You are one of my best women.”
I scoff, anger bubbling in my chest. “Yes, but I’m losing clients, right?”
“This is not what I wanted to say.”
“Then, what?”
She sighs exhaustedly, lifting her hands before letting them slump again.
“You know that I have a few friends in the force and when something happens, we like to keep an eye on aggressors or stalkers. You know, just to make sure that girls are safe.”
“OK…”
Luciana takes a deep breath before she continues. “Yesterday a good friend called me to tell me something new about Gregory Jacobs.”
My heart drops as I recognize the name of the man that stabbed me a few months ago. Instinctively, my hand touches the scar on my thigh over the material of my jeans.
“Are they already letting him out?”
My anger gets replaced by fear. And not only because he popped off as I was on the witness stand and swore that I would pay for getting him into this kind of situation. That I would pay for ruining his life. The fact that he was some friend of the mayor’s cousin, as he always told me proudly, had me wondering that he even was convicted to jail time. Even if it wasn’t that much as he only scarred me. And his defense loved the fact that I am a whore.
Seeing her expression, I sigh desperately. “Oh, no. His conduct in prison was so good that they already got them parole.”
“No, love.”
Luciana stops my rambling with her calm voice and I stare at her. “What?”
She gets up to sit down on the seat next to me and this really scares the shit out of me.
“He didn’t come out. Well, not the way you might think he would.”
“Oh, God. Did he escape?” I turn to her, clutching the leather armrest.
“No, love. He-”
“Then, I don’t understand. What happened?”
She takes another breath before she shakes her head and lays her hand on mine.
“Amber. He was attacked in prison. They said a man, they have him in solitary confinement already, stabbed him. Apparently, without any motive.”
My bottom lip shakes, getting just a whisper to slip past my lips.
“He… what?”
“Amber. He didn’t make it. He died in the prison hospital.”