Chapter 5
ONYX
I tiptoed around the cabin as Lucero snored like a bear in the room.
He'd stayed awake for a long time, but one of us was used to outlasting the enemy.
Okay, so my eyelids had gotten heavy eventually, and I might have dozed off for a moment, but that was only because the big idiot wouldn't let go.
He was huge, warm, and surprisingly strong, but soft in the middle, and gentle. Lucero was strange through and through.
My hands searched through every nook and cranny, but I didn't find anything. The safe was locked up tight, and it was a good one. He'd taken away all the knives in the kitchen before bed so that plan was dead. And there were no guns either.
Great. No weapons.
I continued my search, but besides the lack of weapons, there was also a lack of anything that pointed to Lucero being a pedophile.
The alarm bells that had started ringing were going full blast now.
Someone had played me. Not only had they played me, but they'd dropped me into the lap of a lunatic I couldn't seem to get away from.
"Fuck this. I need to get out of here."
It didn't really matter if he was a perv or not. Well, it did for him since I didn't have to kill him anymore, but I wasn't staying around either way. I needed to get home, hire some security for once, and look into getting a divorce.
My finger itched, and I glanced down at it.
The ring seemed to glow as moonlight streamed through the gauzy curtains and illuminated the diamond.
Jewelry was nothing new to me; men showered it on me for being pretty and sweet.
But this one was different. Lucero had known exactly what I'd like and he'd picked it out down to the final details.
I quickly snatched it off, laid it on the windowsill, and turned away from it.
What is his deal?
The man was more than a little confusing.
One minute he was forcing me down the aisle, and the next he was feeding me, making sure I was bathed and falling asleep around me.
He definitely wasn't smart, but he didn't seem cruel or even mean.
I'd only ever seen him get a little irritated when I brought up my death. Lucero confused me.
I snapped myself out of my thoughts. Whether Lucero was a problem or not, I needed to get out of here.
I tiptoed to the front door, grabbed the knob, and sucked in a deep breath.
Slowly, I turned the locks and held my breath, waiting to hear if he had snuck up behind me.
When I still heard his snoring, I cracked the door open inch by inch. It creaked and whined in my hand.
"Shut up," I hissed. "You're going to get me caught."
My heart thudded against my chest. Great, I was turning into an idiot like him.
Why the hell would I say that out loud? I wanted to smack myself on the forehead, but I kept going.
With a final, protesting creak, the door opened and I was exposed to the outside air.
I pushed the screen open just as slowly, cursing it every time it squeaked.
Carefully, I stepped onto the porch, closed the door behind me, and made sure that the screen door didn't slam.
Only once I had walked down the steps and my feet touched Earth did I let out a sigh of relief.
A cool breeze ran past me and I shivered a little.
Spring was right around the corner, but on nights like this, especially upstate, I could still feel a touch of chill.
I wrapped my arms around myself and made my way down the gravel driveway.
When I reached the gate, I looked left and right.
Nothing. Stillness.
I swallowed hard. Who knows how long it'll take me to find another person or a bus or something!
I looked down at my clothes. All I had to wear was Lucero's ginormous shirt.
That was going to make it impossible to get on public transportation, and even if I could, I had no money, no phone, no way of knowing if the lines even went back to the city. Panic flooded my chest.
No, think. Calm down. Breathe. You can't be a piece of shit right now. You need to focus !
I snapped my eyes shut and tried to sort through the mess that was my brain. Right, I had no money. No clothes. No way of getting home. What did I have? Me. I was used to getting out of even the most difficult situations. I could do this.
Can't stop now. I have to get back. It's already been too long. Need to make sure he's okay.
My thoughts propelled me forward, forcing my feet to carry me.
Sharp rocks bit into the soles of my feet, but the more I walked, the more I felt myself escaping.
The thought of freedom pushed me onward.
Thank God, Lucero had fed me. On a full stomach, I felt better than I had before.
I had energy, and that was all I needed to keep myself safe.
I spilled out onto a dirt road and my steps quickened.
Walking became jogging, then turned into running.
I looked back over my shoulder, fear gripping my heart in its icy grasp as it had so many times before.
However, that was the thrill. The knowledge that you might die and yet you could live and laugh in death's face.
A smile tugged at my lips, and I ran even harder. When Lucero woke up, I knew he would be pissed. Good. Who the fuck kidnapped someone and forced them to get married? No, I was the only person in control of my fate. I would always have control.
Always.
The distant illumination of headlights lit up the night.
I raced toward them, not moving to the side or out of the way.
Waving frantically, I didn't even scream.
If Lucero heard me, all I could imagine was that huge man chasing me down, grabbing me, and putting me back in restraints. I couldn't have that.
I stood stock-still as the car in front of me hit on their brakes and stopped. Panting, I raced to the passenger side. A woman stared back at me, her eyes wide. She let the window down a fraction of an inch.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
I put on the mask that I needed to wear.
Shaking my head, I let my eyes water. "No, I'm not okay.
He's going to get me again. Please, can you take me to the city?
I can pay you when we get there, but I have nothing.
No money, no phone. Oh God, if he finds me—" I said, my voice quivering and my breath panting.
"Get in," she said after searching my face. The door unlocked and I quickly hopped inside before slamming it.
"We have to turn around," I said, forcing my entire body to tremble, which wasn't hard considering how chilled I was. "He lives down there."
"Should we call the police?"
"No," I said quickly, a lump in my throat.
The last thing I needed was to get the police involved.
Lucero's brother had made it clear that he didn't like me, and he would have no problem hunting me down and killing me, I knew that.
I'd seen it in his eyes. When someone has the same depths that speak of murder and darkness like mine, I knew to keep my mouth shut.
"Let's just go. Please. You don't know what he'll do to me if I tell. "
The woman searched my face, her lips forming a thin line. After a nod, she reversed the car, and we sped off in the other direction. As I was carried off into the night, I glanced behind me. The road began to disappear. I was free.
Sighing, I slumped down in my seat. "Thank God," I whispered.
***
I kept looking behind me. As I stood in my loft, I did it again, as if Lucero or one of his crazy ass family members would be right behind me. A shiver raced down my spine. Even after being away from him for three days, I felt like I hadn't shaken the crazy off.
"Sir?"
My head snapped up and landed on Arthur.
I'd hired him as my personal bodyguard, and there was a security detail that now followed me around.
Before, I never would have done that. My work required privacy, but I couldn't be reckless right now.
Besides, there were no jobs. Lucero was supposed to have been my target, but I'd already figured out that it was full of shit.
I couldn't kill him without a reason. That wasn't what I did.
I sipped at my tea, and glanced at the man before me.
He was huge. I figured I would need that to go up against Lucero in case he got any ideas.
He had a serious face, and he didn't take any shit.
He would be a good asset. For now. Until I could get free and go back to the life I was destined to live.
"Yes?" I asked. "What is it?"
"I have an update." He pulled out his phone. "Lucero Marino has been spotted around town."
I stiffened. "Where?"
"His home, the supermarket, an office building, a pizza shop, and here. Mostly here."
I bristled. "What the fuck?"
"Don't worry, the front desk knows he's not supposed to step foot in this place. Unfortunately, the sidewalk is public property."
"Fuck that," I groaned. "I want this psycho out of my life!"
"We're doing our best, sir," he grunted. It was funny to hear him call me “sir” considering there was gray at his temples and in his beard , I thought absentmindedly. "There's one more thing."
No, I couldn't take one more thing. I rubbed the side of my head. There was an impending headache brewing.
"What is it?" I finally asked.
"The divorce papers that you wanted served? Every time someone tries, they can't complete it. They can't find him, or they run away. The last one said he ate them."
I blinked at him. "He fucking what?"
"Ate them," he repeated. "Needless to say, it doesn't look like he wants to sign."
I felt my eye twitch. "I'm going to kill him. Nope, changed my mind. I'm definitely ending his life."
The tea cup hit the platter a little too hard as I sat it down and it broke everywhere. I hissed as shards shot into my hand. Blood pooled to the surface before it dripped to the floor below. I groaned harder.
"I have to do something," I told Arthur. "I can't stay married to a crazy person."
"We're working on it, sir. Trust me."
There was just one problem with that: I didn't trust anyone. I shifted and paced back and forth. The days were dwindling on. Eventually, I would have to leave my house and do my check up. I was already a month late. Things had gotten chaotic so I'd put it off, but now they were complicated.
"Okay," I said as I paced back and forth. "What are our options? I know it's nuts, but what if you just let him up, keep me safe, and I can try to talk some sense into him?"
"I don't know if that's a good idea."
"Yeah? Well, I don't know what else to do!" I snapped. "I can't have him lingering around!"
Lucero was a thorn in my side. If other people saw him hanging around, then I wouldn't get to do my job. And I needed to do my job. I craved it. Even now, my spirit ached to snuff out a life. If Lucero kept bothering me, I would use him to satisfy the urge.
"Sir?"
"Bring him up," I ordered. "Get your men in here, surround the room. If he even tries something, you get him the fuck out of here."
Arthur nodded. "Of course."
My throat tightened. "Shit, this is such a bad idea."
"Yes, it is."
I glared at him. "I didn't ask for your opinion, just go get him."
When he was gone, I resumed pacing. I needed answers. Who had set him up to be killed by me? Why was he after me so much? And… how could I get him to leave me alone? What could I offer him?
I chewed the side of my thumb with one of my sharp canines. They had always been pointed since I was little, and ripping off bits of my flesh calmed me. Except today, it wasn't working.
My heart felt like it would explode.