Black Romance 28 You're Back

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I didn't sleep at all, I couldn't.

Every noise made me jump, every creek made my body tense, antic.i.p.ating the door to fly open at any moment, and for one of his men to drag me away.

I couldn't stop looking over my shoulder, watching and waiting for the hammer to drop.

But nothing came.

Staring in the mirror, my eyes were puffy and swollen with dark purple rings underneath. My face was droopy, the color of my skin dull and gray from pure exhaustion. Splas.h.i.+ng my face with cold water, I wiped it clean and walked back out into the dressing room.

Vinchenzo was standing at my table, his arms crossed over his chest. "You look like s.h.i.+t, Jessie."

"Thanks, that was the look I was going for." Glancing up at him under hooded lids, my lips folded. "Are you going to stand in my way all night or do want me to get ready?"

Taking a wide step to the side, he lifted the back of his hand up and touched my forehead. Swatting him away, I glared at him with jagged angry brows.

"Just checking to see if you have a fever," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm not sick, I'm tired."

"What's wrong?" he asked with a slight smirk on his face, as if this was some type of joke. "Not sleeping well? Do you want to take a sick day?"

Crooking my jaw, I tilted my head. "Are you f.u.c.king serious? Sleeping well. . ." Letting out a condescending laugh, I rolled my eyes. "You're right, knowing this is my life should make me sleep like a baby."

Vin pressed the back of his knuckles into my table as he loomed over me. "Don't be a smart a.s.s, Jessie." His voice was cold, the playful tone erased. His words were rough and annoyed as he thinned his lips. "You know what will happen. And I know neither one of us wants that."

"Like I care anymore." Laying my face flat on the table, I pinched my eyes closed. "Go on, go tell him, let him do whatever the h.e.l.l he wants to with me. I really don't give a s.h.i.+t at this point."

I heard the soft sc.r.a.pe of the chair behind Vin, causing me to sit up quickly. Leaning back, I looked around his thick torso to see Aubrey slipping into her seat. She was moving slowly, lowering down as if her entire body was broken.

Vin glanced between us, letting his eyes settle back on mine. Moving his face to my ear, he whispered. "She's lucky she's alive, you and I both know that. Don't get her in trouble again. You're on thin ice, the last thing you want is to fall through." The phone on his hip rang, so he tugged it free, and looked at the screen. "You're on in twenty minutes, Jessie, I suggest you get ready."

Walking off, I heard him answer the call, talking quietly as he moved through the room checking on the rest of the girls.

Waiting for him to be out of ear shot, I looked back at Aubrey. She had bruises that looked like finger prints across her biceps and large red scratches on the side of her neck. There were tears in her flesh going down her back, most of them scabbed over and deep red.

"You alright?" I asked, my voice low enough so that only she could hear me.

s.h.i.+fting her eyes to look at me from the corner, there was so much pain on her face. Her eyes were apathetic and bloodshot, filled with all the terror that she went through while she was away.

I had the scars to remind me of my own defiance, and the memories to create nightmares no one would ever wish on their worst enemy.

Touching my shoulder, I ran my fingertips over the same path that Salt had stroked. My skin tingled as I remembered how gentle his touch had been when he felt the raised area.

Peering at Aubrey, I gave her a smile. "I'm glad you're back." My voice was delicate and grateful that Virgo hadn't killed her because of my foolishness. I wasn't sure how I would handle another death at my hands.

Her eyes held nothing; no silent smile, no hate filled curse words, she was just an empty sh.e.l.l. My heart broke inside, knowing that it was all my fault she had to go through that s.h.i.+t.

You ruined her. You broke her. You destroyed her.

My smile faded into a line as thin as paper. Mouthing the words, 'I'm sorry,' I let my gaze fall to my lap.

I never meant to cause her that pain. But I did. It was all my fault and I suffered no punishment for it.