44. Elanee
44
ELANEE
“ W ell, you have me hopeful. Mirabella spoke wonders of your service. So hopefully, I’ll be lucky in love as well,” Lucinda squeals excitedly. I haven’t felt comfortable returning to my office since I left Dmitri’s apartment. I’d never admit it to anyone, but I was actively avoiding being alone. I’d hardly slept since returning to my own apartment. No matter how much I tried to compartmentalize what happened with Candy, it was still too raw. The constant visual of her with a blade to my throat continued to plague my mind. She got to me. Haunted me, even now, from the grave. I’d always expected it to be The Lion, so I was surprised when she pointed the knife at me. That fighting spirit in me is still a very living thing. But once one amount of trauma came up; it flared all the old wounds alongside it.
The visual of The Lion putting a blade to my big toes, promising me it’s for my own good… My own screams echo within the memories, and the searing pain comes back with a vengeance. I see red on the floor, my toes inches away from the spot they should be.
“Miss Lane?” Lucinda queries. I blink rapidly and focus on the woman who’s leaning in over the table, staring at me worriedly. Shit. How long had I spaced out for?
“Apologies, I just remembered something.” I offer a polite smile, trying to push away the memories that haven’t appeared for months. I’m not going to relapse. I’m not giving them that power. “I’m certain I can find you the right partner,” I say confidently as the waiter comes and collects our plates. I’d hardly touched my meal. Had hardly eaten since that night. “Give me a few days, and I’ll email you a few candidates while you’re on your trip to Paris.”
She beams. “I’m so excited! It’s going to be a divine trip! Hopefully, by the time I’m back, you’ll have a few dates lined up for me.” She winks and collects her handbag. She adjusts her gold belt on the beautiful pale blue dress she’s wearing and offers her hand. “Pleasure doing business with you.”
I offer another polite smile and stand as I softly shake it. “My pleasure.”
I never understood how people could throw themselves into the notion of love. But now, having truly embraced what Dmitri, and I have, I can understand it to some degree. I’m even envious of those who can love so freely.
I watch as she leaves, and I tidy my things and prepare to leave myself.
“Elanee.” I still under the use of my name. I look over my shoulder and blanch. He shouldn’t be here. We’ve never met in the daylight. Lyle is more formally dressed than usual. I’ve only ever seen him at the club. I wasn’t due to check in until tonight. I hadn’t missed the date, so why is he here? “You’ve been summoned.”
You’ve been summoned.
The words echo as I take in their meaning.
Chills run over my skin, eliciting goosebumps. My legs go limp as I use the table to remain standing but feign casually holding onto my paperwork.
“Where?” I whisper when it was supposed to come out firm.
He points above us. “Upstairs. He’s been waiting.”
Adrenaline pumps through my veins. He’d been in the same building this whole time, and I had no idea. I look back to my empty table and then Lyle. My light beige cashmere sweater and jeans will hardly be appropriate for him, but I have nothing to change into. I snap myself out of my disorientation. And my hair? What would he say about my hair?
“Can I touch up my make-up really quick?” I ask. I want to message Dmitri that he’s here. But also, more than anything, I need to get rid of this burner phone.
“No. He wants to see you immediately.”
I swallow. “Okay.”
I make a move to finalize packing my things and put my purse on the seat. I block the view as I empty the phone onto the chair and hide it under the napkin already placed there. I try to hide my shaking. This isn’t enough. What if they find it? What if staff try to return it to me? But what choice do I have?
I tuck the rest of the paperwork into my bag and offer a polite smile. “Lead the way.”
He turns and walks toward the stairs. I count each step, trying to find a steady rhythm for my breath. I think of Dmitri and Layla. My parents. I can do this for them.
The second level of the restaurant is mostly empty. Tables that are set up lay bare with white tablecloths as one man alone sits in the middle of the room, cutting into his bloody steak. Four of his men stand against the walls. In my peripheral, the waiter is evidently terrified but remains attentive and ready to be called on.
“My little dove,” The Lion purrs. Dark brown eyes hit me with the wrath and promises of a lifetime of misery and pain. His black hair is tied up, revealing the jagged scar at his throat. He’s as broad as two men and comes at a height of six foot six, not that he’d ever stand for someone like me. Not anymore.
“You made it, my Lion.” I smile and try my hardest to be convincing. One thing I’d learned was how to encourage his ego, but not so much that he thinks it’s manipulative or forced. He expected a once-stricken love puppy, now turned into a puppet, to still play her part.
His gaze roams over me, and he swallows his red wine with distaste. “I’m surprised you get customers if this is how you present yourself.”
As expected, I take my seat across from him. There’s a plate of overflowing meat, potatoes, and gravy. My stomach turns because I’ve never had an appetite when sitting across this man.
“Eat,” he instructs. It immediately reminds me of Dmitri. The way he speaks and assumes absolute command. The two are uncanny at times. But the difference is too obvious. This man is black as night, with a dark depth that would swallow you whole. Dmitri was my light and my only ray of hope.
And even though I’d only just eaten, with years of a small stomach and diet, I pick up my fork and do as he orders.
“The city is uglier than I last remember,” he says, starting his one-way conversations. “The pollution is foul and manners needing to be touched upon.” His gaze lands on the frightful waiter, who notices his glass is now half empty. He hurries over and pours it to the top again.
“Home is beautiful, sir,” I agree. That place never felt like home, only a prison.
“It’s come to my attention that some things have been going amiss as of late here, so much so that I’ve had to come here personally to clean up the mess of my incompetent men,” he says pointedly at Lyle, standing behind me. A tension ripples through the room, and I suddenly can’t breathe. Is he going to kill him? But then Lion’s gaze falls back to me. “And I wonder if you have anything to do with that?”
Two of his men circle the room, blocking off the staircase to stand behind Lyle and me.
I continue putting the food into my mouth and chew. Swallow. “With all due respect, my Lion. I only go to the places you permit me to. I don’t know any details about the inner workings of your—” I look at the waiter. “Businesses.” Although I doubt this waiter was going to see and hear worse today.
He’s stopped eating now. Peering over his white, intertwined knuckles, he studies me. “It would appear, girl, that I think you’re a liar.” I stare at him, knowing better than to look away. He enjoys watching the subtly of change, the responses, and fear one gives him. “However, you’re not the only cunning one standing in this room, it would seem.”
I feel the color drain from my face as I fist my hands under the table. I know that tone. It’s when he’s about to kill someone.
I flinch as the two men behind me grapple with Lyle. Lyle goes to pull out his gun, but it’s knocked out of his hands within seconds. I can only see so much in my peripheral, but I try to focus on my hands to stop shaking.
“This one was found leaking information about the club you frequent,” The Lion announces as he stands with his steak knife. He leans down and sneers, and I shut my eyes as he continues speaking. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” I hate that I so easily retract into myself. That fear consumes me, and I shake from the terrorism I’d suffered all these years. “I can’t hear you, girl.”
I stutter. “N-No, my Lion.”
When I open my eyes, he smirks, and his breath smells of fresh meat. Anything I just ate threatens to come back up.
“Ah ah, you stay there.” The Lion points his knife at the waiter, who is shrinking against the wall silently. His face marred with horror.
The Lion casually takes two steps to Lyle, who can’t speak because his mouth is covered. His arms are being pulled back, leaving his chest exposed. The Lion shakes his head. “After all I did for you. This is how you repay me. But I suppose everyone has a price they’re willing to be bought out for. Because of that, you will pay the price with your life.”
In an instant, he plunges his steak knife into Lyle’s chest. I gasp, closing my eyes and wrangling my fingers together under the table. Please go away.
Go away.
Go away.
I must make myself small.
Silent.
Survive.
My hearing fades in and out of waves as I try to take control of the panic attack that’s about to take over.
“From now on, Sergey will be with you every waking hour and even when you sleep. If you feel as if you’ve acquired any form of freedom here, you are sorely mistaken,” The Lion says as he rounds the table again and wipes the knife with the edge of the tablecloth. He then casually takes his seat as if nothing had just happened. My bottom lip trembles as I watch him use the same knife to continue cutting his steak. “While I’m in town, you’ll be mine. Although much of that life and beauty has sapped from you but at least your cunt is as good as any.”
A cold shudder runs over my body, and my throat constricts. I try my hardest not to show any signs, but I know I’m doing a horrible job.
“I’m honored,” I say carefully.
The Lion still stares at me. I’ve displeased him. I hang my head, knowing the chance of a gun being placed against it is likely. Not necessarily to kill me. But to taunt and play. Or maybe this time, he really will pull the trigger. Or maybe use the same knife he’d just turned on one of his own men.
“I’ve sent you a dress and jewels. You’re expected to hang off my arm tonight. Try your hardest to make yourself worthy of my attention,” he sneers. It’s all a game.
He’s here in New York.
And I have no way of telling Dmitri.
Surely, his man who follows me, Archer, is already aware.
Right?
I go to reach for my necklace but tighten my interwoven fingers. It’d become a habit to touch the necklace Dmitri gifted me. But I refused to draw The Lion’s attention to anything so precious to me.
“Yes, my Lion,” I say as my throat constricts.
He sneers at my obedience and snaps his fingers dismissively. “We’re done here.”
At the click of his fingers, one of his guards jumps the waiter and wraps a thin chain around his throat. Within seconds, he’s struggling for his life, silently choking as he tries to fight against a man twice his size.
I try to avoid looking in his direction, staring at the steak knife to my left. Seconds. It would only take seconds to plunge it into The Lion’s chest.
“I wouldn’t try that trick twice, girl,” he growls, and Sergey’s hand firmly touches my shoulder to escort me out.
Twice. I look at the jagged scar on his throat. Because the first time I’d attempted to take his life, I’d failed.
The young waiter is slowly being ushered to the floor, and the man behind him has a splitting smile as the life dims from his eyes.
The Lion doesn’t even look in his direction, unaffected by the cruelty born from his nature.
I stand and dip my head in feigned magnitude, then turn to follow Sergey.
Just place one foot in front of the other , I remind myself, and begin to count my steps.