Page 9 of Unholy Cross

“Are you a new dancer?”

She shook her head no, and she noticed a few stiff shoulders eased.One woman came forward and studied her, turning Lorelei’s head to get a clear look at her cheek.

“Did that man out there with Jessica do that to your face?”she asked.

Again, she shook her head no.

The woman released her.“Come here, let’s moisturize your skin to help that bruise.My name is Sweetie, by the way.”

Sweetie pushed her onto a chair in front of a mirror.Some of the other women came over to watch, and Lorelei felt like a bug under a microscope.It was almost intimidating to have all these scantily clad, beautiful women surrounding her.

Lorelei breathed a sigh of relief.Then, as if they were a collective hive, each woman started taking care of her.One took apart her braid, brushing the long strands out.Another used some kind of tonic on her face before applying a nice-smelling face lotion, being careful around the bruised cheek.Someone else moved her t-shirt a little off her shoulder.

“Sweetie, look at this.”

The woman leaned forward and Lorelei saw her eyes widen, before flashing back to study her.

“Are you sure that man didn’t hit you?You just say the word and we’ll take care of you.”Sweetie pointed to each girl.“Each of us has been down that path.”

Knowing these women, who didn’t know her, were ready to jump to her defense caused her heart to pound with gratitude.She’d just about given up on humanity, until Cross saved her.Lorelei mimed writing and someone handed Lorelei a small notebook and pen.She quickly gave a brief rundown on what happened, and why she was with Cross.Sweetie took the notebook and quickly read it before setting it aside.

“So, this man Cross saved you from ...what was the name of that place?”

“Noble Vale,”Lorelei wrote.

“Doesn’t sound very noble to me.”She smiled and patted her hand.“You’re safe now, okay?Those assholes are long gone.Now, let’s do a makeover.Every diamond in the rough needs to shine.”

Lorelei decided not to put up a fuss.These women were being kind to her in a way she’d never experienced.They didn’t even know her, and yet she felt they took her under their wings.Someone gently tugged her hair.Two women, including Sweetie, brushed makeup on her face.Nothing glaring, but a nice subtle tone.Her new friends talked and laughed around her, but Lorelei knew they weren’t laughingather.Some of them would go out, do their set and return, taking turns rotating.

Then she looked in the mirror and saw someone she’d never met before.A beautiful woman that had lived under the service of her plainness.Her grey eyes now had depth from the eyeliner and mascara.Her hair was piled on her head in a stylish, yet messy bun.Tendrils trailed down her neck in silky waves.

She wrote,“I love this.Thank you all so much.”

Sweetie smiled and gave her a quick hug.That’s when Lorelei spotted Cross leaning in the doorway, watching her, with his arms folded across his muscular chest.She’d never seen a more handsome man, and butterflies danced through her belly each time their gazes met.She wanted to drown in the magic of his stare, but his green eyes kept a vault of secrets locked away behind them.It made her want to learn them all, to chase away the shadows clinging to him like a cloak.

One by one the women noticed he was watching, and they backed away.Lorelei stood from the chair and faced him, holding out her arms in a silent question.To know if he liked what he saw or if he didn’t.He didn’t answer verbally, but the one thing she was good at was reading people.A hungry look flashed over his face before it smoothed out once more.He was hiding behind his mask again, and she longed to rip it off.To find the man she had glimpsed every now and then since they’d met.

“Thank you, ladies,” he said.He held out his hand to her, and Lorelei went to him without hesitation.Their fingers entwined and she stared up at him, and he down at her.An electric current zapped between them, and she swore the ground trembled under their feet.“I didn’t think you could get any more beautiful, but clearly I was wrong.”

A happy flush warmed her cheeks.

“Hungry?”

She nodded and waved at her newfound friends.Cross led her down a set of stairs into the bar section of the building.The swarthy undertones were emphasized by a spotlight highlighting a woman twirling on the pole, her suggestive dancing making the men watching her hold up dollar bills.Music played over the speakers.Most of the men in the place dressed like Cross.Jeans, t-shirt, boots.None of them, however, invoked feelings of attraction.He fascinated her.Here was a man who, by the look of him, should send fear straight into her heart.Yet, he was gruff and rough, but also gentle.A walking contradiction.

He led her to the bar top and helped her sit on a stool before sitting next to her.Jessica winked as she placed a bowl of chili in front of her.She mouthedthank youbefore digging into the amazing-smelling food.The conversation between Cross and Jessica flowed over her, and it started her wondering how they knew each other.There was a familiarity between them that had her looking back and forth, as suspicion rose.The way they looked at each other.The way they leaned into one another.The smiles.The ease.It suddenly dawned on her that they were lovers.It was the only explanation for how comfortable they were with one another.Which had her thinking, was she in the way?Did she take him away from Jessica?If they were together, then how did he know about her?

The more Lorelei thought about it, she began to wonder how Cross knew where to rescue her from.How did he know about the sanatorium?Or her name?Or why he had a duffel bag filled with clothes that fit her?Perhaps she should’ve asked more questions.Maybe she should figure out where to go and let Cross get back to his life with Jessica.She sighed and rubbed her forehead.

“What’s wrong?”

She glanced up and saw Cross focused on her with Jessica down the other side of the bar serving patrons.Since she didn’t have anything to write with, she pointed at him then at Jessica and interlocked her fingers.A frown creased between his eyes, so she mouthed the wordtogether.

“No,” he replied immediately.“Jessica and I are not together.”

Lorelei cocked an eyebrow.

“We fucked each other a couple of times, but it wasn’t serious.We were both horny and unattached so why not?”

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