ARAWN
I take another pull of my cigarette as I stand in the dark room, my void gaze still directed on the partly decapitated body of the man I once called Brother.
I might overdid it by strangling him to the extent that I severed his throat even if he was long gone.
The rage I felt was exorbitant.
Not that killing a family member would be something entirely new to me, but this kind of hurt me.
Not that it would matter.
Dario finally seems to have gathered enough courage to open the door, having a ray of light falling onto me while I’m leaning against the wall.
“Boss, we were just informed that Danny is waiting in the lobby. If you are ready to go…”
I hum, tilting my head, not tearing it away from the dead body.
“Did you inform the maids?” I ask him, seeing him nod from the corner of my eye. “Perfect.”
After remaining standing there for what seems like an eternity, I move and leave the room.
As soon as I’m out of the room, I get handed a clean shirt and a wet cloth by one of the barkeepers. The other staff members seem to have disappeared, only leaving the three of us. I change silently before moving to reach the ground floor leisurely. Dario follows me to the elevator silently, watching me as I clean my hands from the blood with the wet cloth.
We don’t say a word as we take our ride down. Only as we reach our destinations, do I let out a tired sigh. Getting out of the elevator with Dario following me closely, we pass a bunch of happily chatting maids. They are equipped with cleaning carts as well as cleaning appliances and wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb if I didn’t know what they actually were.
Disguised forensic cleaners.
I throw my used cloth into one of the bins as I’m passing by, getting a wink from one of the ladies and I chuckle.
As we walk into the lobby, my attention gets caught immediately as Danny skyrockets out of his seat, waving at me.
My eyes fall onto the red hair of the woman sitting opposite to him, making my heart skip a beat. I smirk as I notice that she has her hair pinned up, presenting her delectable neck.
“Sorry you had to wait. It actually took us longer than I thought.”
Nerthus turns around to look at me squinting her eyes, but her annoyed expression falls as soon as she sees me. I have the impression that she catches herself from saying something as she lowers her head with a sad smile.
“Don’t worry.” She gets up, straightening her skirt. “Now that you are here, I will get going.”
Danny groans disappointed, letting his shoulders slump. “Oh, come on. Let’s dine together at least.”
Nerthus chuckles, shaking her head. “Another time, baby.”
He smiles like a happy puppy, closing his eyes as she presses a kiss on his cheek.
“He is right, Amber.” I try to convince her, getting the annoyed expression she had planned for me initially. “It’s late. Let me take you two out to someplace.”
But she just shakes her head again, turning back to Danny.
“Be good, okay?” She says to him lowly, rubbing his cheek with her thumb to free it from her lip gloss.
Without saying anything else, she walks past me. After a short hello to Dario, she walks towards the exit without even taking one glance back.
“Go after her.” Danny’s whisper-shout tears me out of my thoughts.
He gestures hectically with his head towards the exit Nerthus is about to disappear through, talking through his teeth. “Let’s go get dinner.”
I laugh, grabbing his arm. “You are right, let’s get dinner-”
“You don’t understand.” He shouts, stepping back to free himself from my grip.
“Don’t make a scene now, I warn you.” I keep my voice low while he increases the tone of his, getting the few people in the lobby to stare at us.
“No, you are going to lose her.”
“Danny…” I growl, but he shakes his head.
Taking a step forward, he starts whispering again. “She came home all happy today. With some weirdo. And he was driving a sporty car. A Porsche! I told you to take her out in that fancy car of yours.”
“Danny, I already told you that the car doesn’t-”
My chest is already squeezing painfully but him not letting me talk without interrupting me is aggravating the situation.
“This is bullshit. She is totally falling for him.”
I groan, already starting to follow her back out. I have officially lost my mind as I actually sprint a little through the main entrance while hearing Danny yell after me.
“Ask her if she wants to go for pizza.”
Scoffing, I descend the stairs quickly, getting to Nerthus who is standing on the sidewalk, waiting for a taxi.
“Hey,” I say, making her turn around.
And God, it gets me every time.
“Would you mind joining me and Danny for a pizza?”
She lifts her brow, eying me up. “Pizza?”
“Yes, that’s what he wants to get.” I’m feeling like an idiot, who is asking a girl out of his league to prom.
Taking a step forward, I keep gesticulating way too much. “Listen, you can ignore me all you want. Just let me buy you dinner as a thanks for looking after him. Isn’t that why you stayed?”
“I stayed because he is underage, and” She checks her watch shortly before looking back at me. “And it’s past eleven. I didn’t want to leave him alone.”
Just as I’m about to say something else, a bellboy steps up to us, getting her attention. “Your taxi, ma’am.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“She won’t be needing it,” I say, making her glaring at me.
Taking two hundred dollar bills out of my pocket, I hand them to him. “One for you, and one for the driver. For your inconvenience.”
He bows slightly, tapping the visor of his hat. “No trouble whatsoever. Have a great night. Sir, ma’am.”
As he walks away, Nerthus lifts her eyes to the sky, pressing her tongue to her teeth.
“I can’t believe this.” She whispers, making me chuckle.
Putting my hand on the small of her back, I gesture back to the hotel. “Please, ma’am, after you.”
Shaking her head, she steps away from me before she climbs the stairs back up.
And as she walks in front of me angrily, I get the best view of her fantastic ass as she does so.