Chapter 50 Rosalie #2
“I’ll have everything transferred to your account.” He pushed a folder into my hands. “Here is everything you need. Copies of it all. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.”
“Thank you,” I repeated.
He nodded and backed away.
I left his office, my heart so heavy I felt like it was dragging on the ground behind me.
When I got into my car, I finally let the waterworks pour out of me. I wasn’t sure how long I sat crying in the parking garage, but the sun set and eventually the day faded to night.
The last place I wanted to go was home, so I left the parking garage and drove aimlessly through the city, the tears still flowing.
A bright neon light caught my eye. I slowed my car and pulled into the parking lot, and found it was a bar called Soltice. It said it had karaoke on Friday nights.
I parked my car, deciding I needed this.
I went to the door to find a bouncer. He eyed me for a moment before nodding and stepping aside for me.
I frowned. I’d never seen someone at the door of a karaoke bar eyeballing people before, but I didn’t give a shit. Maybe it was the gateway to the underworld. I was willing to find out.
I stepped into a dimly lit, upscale karaoke bar.
The place was spacious inside, with large, private booths featuring high walls, particularly those in the back.
A big stage with lighting, a DJ, and two bars.
The dance floor was pretty big. I assumed this place likely got a lot of business.
In fact, a large number of people were already inside.
A young guy sang onstage to a popular pop tune.
I went to the bar and wondered if they’d serve me since I wasn’t twenty-one yet.
Deciding to try my luck, I ordered a fruity drink. The man didn’t ID me. Instead, he turned and made my drink. I pushed money across the counter at him and went to the back of the bar, taking a seat inside one of the private booths. I watched people dance, make out, and sing.
I went through three more drinks, my head fuzzy, before I noticed someone watching me near the bar. I blinked as I stared back at him through the dim room, the pulsing overhead lights hiding him in shadows and flashes of light.
He seemed familiar to me, but I was getting pretty tipsy and was rather enjoying the feeling of not really feeling for a moment.
Deciding just to ignore him, I ordered another drink from a waitress and nursed it while watching another person sing.
I must have gotten lost in the music because I didn’t notice the man was now standing at my table.
“You should go sing,” he said, cocking his head to the left at me.
I tore my attention from the stage and stared at him, frowning.
“Sylar?” I slurred. He was one of Ani’s friends. His dad worked for Matteo.
“Rosalie.” He smiled. “Mind if I join you?”
I gestured to the spot beside me. He slid in with ease before waving over a waitress and ordering us several drinks.
“You look pretty as a rose,” he commented, continuing to smile at me.
“A dead rose,” I mumbled.
He laughed at that. “Those are my favorite kind.”
I cast a look at him. Hair black as pitch. Blue eyes. Tall. Muscular. Insanely handsome. He’d helped train me at Matteo’s. I’d only sparred with him once, but he scared the shit out of me.
“I heard about your guy. My condolences.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Thanks.”
“If it helps,” he said, sliding a drink at me that the waitress brought over. “The dead never really leave.”
I frowned at him as he tapped his head.
“Want to talk to him?”
“What?”
He let out a soft chuckle and leaned into me. “I can talk to him if you want. Do you want to?”
I shivered at his words. “You-You’re nuts.”
“I’ve been called worse.” He smiled. “So, do you want to?”
“Are you serious?” I asked, my head spinning from the alcohol.
“As a heart attack, little moth. Let me be your flame. Drink your drink, then follow me. Sound good?”
I swallowed, not saying a word. I didn’t even know what to say. He didn’t push the subject. Instead, we sat in silence next to one another for the next hour, both of us drinking. By the time I was done, I couldn’t see straight.
“How are you getting home?” he asked as I stumbled to my feet. He followed and caught me before I fell on my ass and pulled me against his hard body.
“You remind me of him,” I slurred out.
“I should hope so. He’s my cousin,” he replied.
“Fox…cousin?”
“Mhm,” he said before inhaling deeply. I shivered against him. “Come home with me.”
“I-I can’t—”
“A man she loves is soon to betray. It’s better if she stays. With me for the night, could set things right.”
I stared blearily at him. “What?”
“Come home with me. We’ll have some fun.”
“Where do you live?” I mumbled as he led me to the parking lot. I hadn’t brought my phone with me or anything that could track me. Honestly, I was hoping someone would take me and kill me so I could see my Foxy again.
“Here and there. Mostly there. Come, sweet girl. I’ll show you a really fucking good time.”
“I need a good time,” I slurred, making him chuckle.
“You sure about that? Where I’m going to take you, no one can hear you scream.”
“Is it the underground?”
“I would never take you to such a foul place,” he said sourly.
“Mm, is it Matteo’s?”
“No.”
“Is it Twisty Cone?” We’d made it to my car. He wasted no time taking my keys from my purse and unlocking the doors.
“While I love ice cream, I have a much better place. Get in.”
I stared up at him. “Will you kill me?”
He reached out and ran his knuckles along my jaw. “Do you want me to kill you?”
“Yes,” I whispered, a tear squeezing from my eyelid.
He stared down at me for a long time as my heart pounded.
“Get in the car, Rosalie,” he finally said softly. “We’ll see where the night takes us.”
I didn’t argue or fight with him. Instead, I slid into the passenger side. He leaned in and seatbelted me before closing the door and going around to the driver’s side. He got behind the wheel and started the engine.
“You’re short,” he muttered, adjusting the seat to accommodate his tall body.
“Sorry.”
He grunted and got situated before pulling onto the street.
“You didn’t drink much,” I commented.
“Well, I’m a bit crazy. Alcohol makes it worse, especially if I’m behind the wheel. Sometimes I just want to run people over.” He jerked the wheel to the sidewalk. A group of girls screamed as he laughed maniacally before straightening the car on the road.
I stared wide-eyed at him. “Why would you do that?”
“Do what?” He hummed to a song on the radio like he hadn’t just tried to run over pedestrians. “Do you like French fries, Rosalie?”
“What?” I put my hand on the oh shit handle as I stared at him. Memories of being forced into the car with Ian flooded my mind as Sylar drove faster.
“Stop worrying,” he said, reaching over and resting his hand on my bare thigh. “I’ve never been in an accident. Do you want to know why?”
“Why?” I choked out.
He tapped the side of his head. “Green light.”
The light ahead switched to green.
“Green light,” he said again, and once again, the light switched. This went on for several blocks, him adjusting his speed as if he knew the pattern would change.
“See? I’m a good driver,” he said. “So. French fries. Yes or no?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Mm. I had one named Kevin. Science experiment.” He looked over and winked at me. “Tasted like shit after a few months.”
“You ate your science experiment?” I swallowed hard as I stared at the road. He was going way too fast.
He chuckled. “What? Like you’ve never eaten yours?”
“Sylar, please slow down. I-I was in an accident—”
“You want to die,” he said, not slowing down. “Don’t you?”
A fat tear snaked down my cheeks. “Yes.”
“How about you try to fucking live instead?” He hit the gas, making my car surge forward as he whooped loudly, a wild grin on his face.
And the lights kept turning green.
Perhaps I was having a nightmare and wasn’t fully awake.
“You’re awake, sleepyhead,” he shouted, my tires squealing as we rounded a corner. “You’re fucking alive, little moth! Live, Rosalie. Scream with me. I do love a screamer. You know you want to.”
He was right. I did.
So I screamed for him as he accelerated.
“Fuck, that’s what I like to hear!” he shouted, sounding insane. “That’s it, baby! Scream! Let it out! Let it all fucking out for me.”
I continued to scream like my life depended on it.
Because I had a feeling it really goddamn did.