16
Evelyn
The words have barely left my mouth before the door swings open and two women step inside.
They freeze, the door half closed behind them the moment they see Luci. Fear flickers through their eyes as they share a quick glance, unsure of what to do next.
“I’m finished with her,” Luci says, his voice taking on an emotionless edge, as if reading their minds. He walks toward the door, the women hurrying to put as much distance between him and themselves as possible as they shrink back against the walls.
Luci pauses by the door, glancing back at me one last time. He opens his mouth as if to say something else, but I quickly look away.
There’s a brief second of silence before the door slams behind him, causing the other women and I to flinch.
I don’t know what comes over me as I suddenly hurry toward the other women.
“Please, you have to help me get out of here,” I plead, reaching for one of their arms.
I’m sent sprawling before my hand ever touches her skin, the sting of a slap etching its way through my cheek as I blink back tears.
No sooner than this happens then the door flies open, banging against the wall as Luci launches himself at the woman who struck me. He throws her up against the wall, his face twisted with rage, as the other woman screams in fear.
“If you value your life, you willnevertouch her like that again. Is that understood?”
The woman claws at his hand, unable to speak, before finally giving him the slightest of nods. Luci glares at her a moment longer before dropping her to the floor, and his attention switches to me.
He offers his hand to me, and I take it. Helping me to my feet, he gently caresses my stinging cheek with his thumb as he pulls me close.
“Are you okay?”
Of course, I’m not okay, but I don’t say as much. I nod my head, afraid that speaking will only betray my true feelings.
Luci cups my cheek in his hand a moment longer before turning from me to face the other women.
“This never happened,” he says, his voice taking on a hard edge. “You saw me leave, but we didn’t speak. We didn’t interact; you only know that you willnothurt this woman. Understood?”
The women stare at him for a long moment, their expressions blanking before they slowly nod in unison. With that, Luci glances over his shoulder at me before leaving the room once again, and we all listen as his footsteps fade into the distance.
One of the women finally steps forward and points toward a chair, and I quickly move to sit as gingerly as I can on it, and they set to work on my hair and makeup. I’m not about to go testing whether or not they’ll actually obey Luci.
I don’t know which surprises me more, the fact Luci seems genuinely worried about me again or that there are otherlivingwomen in this hellish place. Though, from their demeanor, maybe I shouldn’t be so shocked.
They barely make a sound, not even speaking to one another, as they poke and prod me with their various tools. The whole process takes far longer than I ever would have guessed.
I watch the afternoon sun slowly work its way over the city and down toward the horizon. My stomach twisting into nervous knots as I imagine the night to come, and whether or not I believe Dante will really show up. Especially if it’s as dangerous for him as Luci seems to think.
My mind and emotions are a mess as I sit thinking in silence. Grimacing as one of the women tug at my hair, I’m suddenly reminded of their reactions the moment they saw Luci standing in the room with me.
Why had they seemed so frightened of him? Whatever their reason, it does little to allay my own fears of trusting him … or what his role in all of this truly is.
I want to believe I’m wrong about him, that deep down he really means to help me, but he’s done little to prove himself innocent.
The door opens again, and the two women instantly step back from me, their eyes dropping to the floor as Valentine enters the room. Of course, I do no such thing as I watch him cross over to me.
He makes a small gesture with his hand and the two women hurry to gather their things and exit the room. As soon as the door shuts behind them, the corner of Valentine’s mouth lifts into a menacing half-grin.
“My, my, you do clean up nicely, don’t you,” he says, walking around the chair as he eyes me.
“I wouldn’t know,” I retort, “I haven’t had a chance to see myself yet.”