NERTHUS
As soon as we start to drive into the neighborhood where Danny lives, I get a horrible feeling. Scooting closer to Danny in the backseats, I loop my arm around his, leaning my head against his shoulder. “Maybe it was a bad idea,” I murmur, but he shakes his head.
“It’s going to be great. You’ll see,” he says elatedly.
I would like to believe it. But even though Aleksei is stoically driving the car as if we were going to buy daisies, Giulio’s leg that keeps jumping up and down is freaking the shit out of me. “You can all prepare yourself for him killing us all.”
He turns around to us in the backseats as Aleksei chuckles, “And you princess will pay for your survival dearly.”
“Stop being scared rabbit,” Aleksei stops the black SUV right in front of a bustling building. The beats are so loud that they were already audible as we turned into the street.
My heart beats into my throat as we get out, Giulio’s words resounding over and over in my head. The street as well as the illuminated building are full of young people who are hanging around parting.
“Are you sure that this is a good idea?” I ask Danny again as we push into the building through the crowd hanging around on the steps.
“Sure!” he shouts, turning towards me with a grin. “This is my neighborhood. They won’t come here.”
Pointing to the other side of the street, he indicates a group of four men who are smoking and discussing. “His men are everywhere as well.”
I sigh, accepting the hand he is holding out to me, and we enter the building, followed by Giulio while Aleksei stays in the car.
The house is stuffy and crowded, making my danger radar blare up in alarm. I gulp letting me drag further up the stairs. The more we advance onto the upper floors, the more the rooms and hallways get clouded by smoke. Arriving at the tenth floor, we finally walk all the way down to the hallway to find his friends and I panic instantaneously.
The door stands open as strange jazz tunes mixed with reggae beats get carried out of the apartment with the smoke, while scantily-clad women hang around in a state of trance, the men smoke and if they aren’t gaming they are trying to convince the women about their luck flirtatiously.
Seeing the white traces on the small table, I pull Danny back. “I can’t be here, Danny. I don’t want Arawn to be angry at me. Let’s go to a club.”
“Relax,” he smiles. “They are okay.”
Turning around, I catch him going further into the room again, “No, no, Danny. You don’t understand. I am not allowed to be here. I could lose him!”
“What?” He distorts his face, shaking his head. “He loves you, what do you mean about losing him?! I’ll talk to him if he gets angry.”
Pressing my tongue to my upper teeth, I scoff, “Sure, and you are going to tell him what?! His love isn’t that unconditional when it comes to drugs, Danny! And you know that! Only that you are still too addicted to care. But I’m not risking the only man I ever loved for this shit. So, we are going to get our asses out as quickly as possible.”
“I’m not addicted!” he hisses, getting into my face. But I roll back my shoulders, standing my ground. “You just forgot how to have fun and let go!”
I click my tongue, about to counter him as I get interrupted by a strange tone of voice.
“Heeeey, yoooo, Danny-boy!” A slender and tall guy who screams abuse from a mile away reaches us with his arms spread wide.
My heart drops as the realization of my stupidity kicks in full force, and Arawn’s gorgeous face with his expression distorted by rage appears in front of my inner eye.
“Danny,” I whisper just before the idiot reaches us. “We have to go.”
Danny just grins, gesturing to his friend while my entire body screams at me to get the fuck out of here. “This is my friend Marcus. Marcus, this is Amber. I told you about her.”
“Oh, yeah,” Marcus smiles stupidly, his eyes totally glassy at how high he is. “The cool sister is also smoking hot.”
“Yeah,” I push down the urge to shudder in disgust. “But so sad, we have to go.”
I grab Danny’s arm and am just about to drag his stupid ass back out as Marcus grabs my arm as well, pulling me back. “Come on. Why so unchill? Do you need me to help you to get off a bit?”
Forcing down the bile rising in my throat, I let go of Danny, stepping into Marcus’ face. “Let me go! Now!”
“Oh, wow!” He lifts his hands, chuckling. “Chill!”
Turning around, I push Danny towards the stairs. “Out!”
Danny groans, throwing his hands around his body childishly.
But think of it… He is a child.
“Why are you like this?” He yells, his face morphing into a grimace. “How can you embarrass me like this in front of my friends?!”
“Danny! Do you want to know what embarrassment really feels like?” I scream back at him, making him shut up. “You will be getting your ass out of this house right now. Or I’ll call Arawn and get him to do it for you!”
“Who are you? His mother?” Marcus snorts, making me glare at him.
“Oooh, I’m certainly not his mother, but by the time I’ll be done getting your ass whooped, you’ll wish I were!” Turning towards Danny who is looking at me with wide eyes, I gesticulate with my hands. “I’m not kidding Danny! Out! Now!”
With a last defiant glare, he crosses his arms, remaining standing on his spot. Guilo scoffs, starting to descend the stairs, and I follow him as fast as I can on my heels. “Fine, Danny. You wanted it this way.”
“Why are you always treating me like a baby?” he wails as I finally reach the outside of the stuffy house, filling my lungs with fresh air as if I had been drowning seconds ago.
He followed me, accusing me of ruining his life all the way down. “Because you are, Danny!” I say, looking at him with a sad expression.
“You are my baby!” I say a bit quieter. “And this place is awful. And dangerous! You deserve better than all this.”
Marcus appears on the front steps of the building, laughing like the creep he is, “What is it, Danny-boy? Wanna have fun or are you going to run after mommy?”
I shake my head, distorting my face in disgust, while the stoned crowd laughs with him. “See? He is just being mean because he is losing power over you. What would Arawn think of you playing his puppet in such a situation?”
Danny lifts his hands, grabbing his hair desperately. He clenches his teeth as he looks back and returns to lay his eyes on me. As he doesn’t say anything and just seems to be getting consumed by his panicky and desperate thoughts, I try to push him again.
In the hopes of making him fall in the right direction.
“Let’s go home, Danny! Maybe we can get Arawn to get us Pizza for dinner.”