FIFTY FIVE
DAMON
“D-Damon?”
Of course, it was Linda. I recognized her voice even if her newly coloured hair did a great job of transforming some little details in her facial features. For instance, the twinkle in her eyes dimmed a little when she was red-haired. But the black hair brought back that sparkle which was presently filled with dread.
Looking around the gloomy area, my hands now clutching her shoulders firmly, I asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Uh…”
“Where the fuck is that bitch?” A demanding voice hollered from the depths of the mansion. And the owner of the voice soon appeared, his racing and hairy feet staggering as he tripped over a random box-shaped object that was placed close to the entrance.
Eyes narrowed, I watched as this short-haired person picked up himself and ran toward us, a warning finger pointed in our direction.
More agitated, Linda tried to weasel out of my hold but my grasp was really solid. When our eyes met, she silently pleaded, her eyes already shimmering with tears. The next second, while ignoring my growing curiosity, I was willing to let her go but the man that was after her had reached our side.
Lucius quickly stepped forward before the angry person could stretch his hand.
All efforts of the man to reach Linda were ruined by Lucius who easily pushed him back with a single touch. With flaring nostrils directed at Lucius, the man that was shirtless and covered in sweat began to speak from he stood. “Hey, bitch!” Instinctively, I pulled Linda closer. As she buried her head in my chest, Selena glanced my way. “Your job is not over!”
“What do you want from her?” Selena finally spoke while her hands dutifully adjusted the shawl on her shoulders.
Wearing the look one would give unwanted and smelly garbage, the shirtless man asked roughly, “Who the fuck are you?”
A light smack preceded Selena’s response. “Do you have to know that?”
“How did you find this place?” the annoying voice of the man retorted and Selena became visibly annoyed by his presence.
Running her hand through her roughly packed hair, Selena said, “Where is your boss?”
“What boss?”
“Are you going to act ignorant or should I cut out your tongue?”
“Wh-what?”
“I guess you don’t need your tongue.” Hands pocketed in her skirt, Selena drew a sharp breath and directed her gaze toward Lucius. “Lucius, he wants you to get rid of his tongue.” Horror filled the man’s eyes who instantly fell to the ground. Shaking his head fervently, rubbing his palms as though saying a desperate prayer. Selena who was now wearing a smirk said, “I guess we can play a game of tag with his tongue when we are done. What do you say?”
“P-please…” The voice of the man wasn’t tough and demanding anymore.
Taking advantage of the man’s vulnerability, Lucius squatted in front of him, grabbed his chin, and pried his mouth open. “Hmm…” Lucius inspected the insides of his mouth with extreme seriousness. “His tongue looks quite nice. I think it will be better to feed it to a stray dog.”
His voice trembling with incoming tears, the man instantly grabbed Lucius’s hands and asked, “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Just tell us where the boss is and we will let you go.”
“The boss is-”
“I know where he is!” Linda's shrill voice suddenly butted in, and her eyes shut tightly. Everyone landed their attention on the woman who looked more scared at that point. Slowly opening her eyes, Linda said, a bit more quietly, “ I know where their boss is.”
“Then, take us there,” Selena replied.
The women looked at each other and I sensed a little bit of tension in the air. Selena seemed to viciously judge Linda with her wide eyes while Linda wore utter confusion and it seemed like she wanted to ask me who Selena was.
Before she could do that, I grabbed her hands and gently said, “Linda, we need to find the boss.”
“But that man is…” She sighed deeply, a crease on her forehead. “He is really creepy.”
Selena scoffed from where she was, her feet now advancing toward Lucius and the shirtless man that was still filled with terror. “Darling, trust me, you have not seen creepy.”
“You don’t know what I saw in there,” Linda retorted strongly and Selena responded by waving a dismissive hand in the air. “Damon…” Linda faced me once more. “Why are you here?”
“Why are you here?” I returned her question that was filled with worry.
Eyes darting to the side, Linda appeared more hesitant and I couldn’t help but think that her search for sexual thrill led her to the deadly mansion.
“I…”
“Enough with the yapping,” Selena ordered. She had already walked past the rusty gates and she stared at the rest of us, impatience on her face and her hands on her waist. “Lead us to the boss.”
“So fucking rude,” I heard Linda mutter before she adjusted the ruffles of her short gown which failed to stay still.
Soon, we were all walking into the mansion and a pungent smell greeted us.
That was not all. The dilapidated building was a worse view from the inside. The gloomy pillars in the large lobby were decorated with parasitic vines and the grand staircase that led into the unseen innards of the grand building was covered in severe dust just like the tiled ground we were walking on was. In fact, it is really hard to tell the true colour of the ground because the light brownness of the dust overpowered it.
The shirtless man and Linda leading the way, we all began to climb the staircase as quietly as possible. Then, Selena slowed her steps and began to walk with me.
“Who is she?” came her hushed voice. Selena’s full brows were arched as her question demanded a response.
“She’s my friend.”
“You two look close,” she remarked.
“Yes.” Our eyes met briefly before I faced the front to focus on the stairs. “I have known her for a while.”
“So-”
I sharply cut through her words. “I knew her before I met you.”
“Do you trust her?”
“There you go,” I mumbled to myself, my right foot failing to take the next step. I faced Selena with a somewhat tired look in my eyes. Folding her arms over her chest, she waited for my response. “What are you trying to insinuate? Do I need to search for reasons to trust everybody in my life?”
“Isn’t it weird to you that she is in this place? The very place your brother’s murderer has decided to hide?”
“Selena, stop it.”
“Stop what?” She frowned. Then, she took a step forward. “Why are you so naïve when it comes to people?”
“Why do you have to find fault with everyone?” I returned. “Listen, Selena, it is my problem if something goes wrong in my relationship with Linda. So, stay out of it. And show some fucking respect for my existence.” I watched the side of her lips twitch. “Don’t cross your boundary just because we fuck now and then. You have made it clear that we are using each other for sexual pleasure, so don’t get involved with my life as if we are dating or long-time friends.”
“Wow…” She looked amused in a sarcastic way. “You are specifically feisty today. But you are right…” She readied her feet to resume walking. “… we don’t have a special relationship. At most I am your boss and you are that employee that gets to fuck me now and then.”
As I watched her walk ahead, my jaws tightened and I felt a strange pull at my heart which caused me to wonder if I was cruel with my words. Quickly loosening the tension within my soul, I decided to push my bothered thoughts to the side, and soon, I joined our little party who had taken a left turn.
Walking past moldy and cracked walls, we ended up in front of a huge double door that fell apart without experiencing any form of contact. Shielding our faces from the thick dust cloud that filled the air, our gaze soon fell on the sight that the weak door tried to hide from us.
The only object in the bright room was a large mattress that was without a bed frame. Sprawled on the mattress were two women who were erotically intertwined, their groins moving against each other sensually. While I was trying to adjust my eyes to the view, loud footsteps came from the left side of the huge room, and the man we were there for came into sight.
Fully naked, save for the block heels he had strapped to his feet, the erect length of his penis was exposed for everyone to see, and his face which was void of makeup wore a smirk. Suddenly, the dagger in his hand became visible.
Still yet to be aware that he had an audience, he walked to the women who were now moaning and touching each other some more. His knees kneaded the softness of the bed as he added himself to the carnal image in the enormous room.
Then, while grabbing his dick with his left hand, he began to trail the skin of the woman closer to him with the blunt side of the dagger.
“Felix,” Selena broke the heavy silence in our midst and the leader of The Pretties jolted with terror, his weapon almost leaving a permanent injury on the woman’s spine.
His well-shaped brows began to knit with nervousness as his lips tried to utter words to no avail.
Then, Selena walked further into the dirty room. The leader of The Pretties looked more frightened and I wondered if there was another reason Selena searched for the man. I just couldn’t help but think that way.
“D-dangerous Dame…” The quiver in the leader’s voice was really amusing. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
At this point, the women having sex had found a corner in the room and with great fear, they watched as Selena moved closer to the bed.
“Stand up, Felix.”
“Y-yes ma’am.” He wasted no time. Head bowed, eyes not daring to look at Selena, he began to speak and said, “I- I didn’t…”
“Oh please, don't try to feed me lies. I know who you are now working for. And I think you made the worst decision this time. How could a person you call an ally let you rot in this sad place?”
“I-”
“That’s not why I am here.” Selena turned and our eyes met. Wearing a smirk, she said, “Felix, it is time for you to pay for your sins. And you-”
“Selena!” Lucius suddenly howled with dread in his deep voice.
Before I could react to anything, my hand swiftly reached for the gun strapped to Lucius's waist. And without thinking much, I pointed the weapon at The Pretties’s leader who was about to stab Selena with his dagger and the next thing that followed was a loud gunshot.
