Page 21 of Justyce
I can still hear her screams from the top of the staircase. I’m going to have to rectify that as soon as possible because the last thing I want is people knowing she’s here, especially my father. Tugging my phone from my pocket I dial Acheron. He answers on the second ring.
“Boss-man, foreplay over with already?” he snickers through the line.
“Fuck off, asshole. I need you to get me someone here ASAP to build me a door.”
Acheron whistles, knowing exactly what I’m implying. “Damn, you don’t mess around, J. On it bro.” He hesitates. “Are you alright?”
Show no weakness.My fathers’ words pound through my head,and even though he’s my best friend I snap back at him, “Fine. Just get it done.”
Heading away from the temptation of Kenzi, I end the call and stalk toward the bar on the bottom floor. My mind is in overdrive as I try to categorize which way to make her surrender her soul to me. My face kicks up at the sides while an abundance of images flicker through my skull.This is going to be fun.
Chapter Eight – Kenzi
I slap the ominous door once more before giving up and turning toward my new hell. If there was ever a doubt in my mind whether I hated Justyce before, there is definitely none now. I abhor his very existence.
It’s dark and cold down here. All I want to do is sleep for days and wake up to this being nothing more than a nightmare, but since when did I ever get so lucky.
I walk over the cold concrete toward a small cot and fall onto it ungracefully. Wrapping my hands around my torso I curse myself for not putting on a jumper before smashing that fucking mirror.
The bandages on the floor catch my eyes but I don’t have any fuel in me. I’m snuffed out and completely exhausted. Laying down on the bumpy mattress, I close my eyes and refuse to take in my surroundings.
The sequence of the day passes behind my lids, and I wish I could go back to this morning before my life officially fell apart. Sad blue eyes form in my head, with my heart cracking a little when I selfishly realize that I may never see James again. It’s not heartfelt where a lover pines over her mate. No, it’s because he was safe and I hated that. Yet here I lay in a fetal position wrangled in the dangerous talons of Justyce Travino.
I’m jaded and twenty seven shades of fucked up as those stormy graphite eyes of his form in my mind, slowly singing me a lullaby with the covertness that’s always drawn me in.
Justyce is in my mind even after all he’s done tonight. I need to evacuate his every essence from my skull. I’m not a teenager anymore, and he definitely isn’t either. I pull my thoughts away from his inked chest and abs as exhaustion settles deep within my bones.
The sandman is calling my name and I feel my body growing heavy, like a slab of concrete weighing me down as sleep threatens to swallow me. Without another thought, I allow myself to succumb.
I jolt upward, awakened by the noise hammering above my head. My skull is slamming with the worst headache, and whoever is banging and clanging upstairs better shut the fuck up.
I sit up, throwing my legs over the mattress and rub my temples, urging the tension headache to subside. With each noise upstairs my head feels like a fire alarm is going off, threatening to shatter my skull.What the fuck is going on up there.
A heavenly scent wafts to my nose, cutting through the musty smell saturating the room and my stomach immediately grumbles. I’m famished. There’s not much light down here but I can clearly see the eggs and bacon along with a glass of water on a small table.
Salivating, I stand up and stagger toward the table. I reach out and then quickly retract my hand. What if he poisoned the food? But then again, why would he do that. Besides, it’s not only that that ceases me from devouring the food. It’s pride, as well.
I peer down at the water and pick the glass up. Running my tongue across my dry chapped lips, I walk closer to the door and crouch down to inspect the contents with the little light that spills in from beneath.
From what I can tell there is no drugs in the glass. I tip the it up and chug the water down. The cool liquid feels like winter sliding down my throat: cold and definitely welcoming.
Tipping my head against the door, I breathe heavily before taking in my surroundings once more. Anger like I’ve never felt before claws all over my body, strangling every piece of flesh until I feel like I can’t breathe.
I bring my left hand to my throat in an attempt to calm my breathing before I have a panic attack. I will not give Justyce the satisfaction.
When I feel calm again, I stalk toward the plate of food, pick it up and throw it at the door and scream incoherently. How did this happen? More to the point, how did I allow this to happen?
Turning away from the mess, I catch sight of a small blacked out window in the top corner of this piece of shit room. My eyes slowly adjust in the almost darkness surrounding it and that’s when I notice it’s under what looks like a really, really old shower.
Cautiously I walk toward the shower to see old tiles lining around the bottom of it. My left foot kicks out to test how stable the foundation is. When it doesn’t budge, I step up onto the ledge on tippy toes and look for a latch.
Elations pours through my veins when I find it. However it’s short lived because it won’t shift. Of course Justyce would have made sure there was no escape.
A lamented groan leaves my lips and I exhale, hating him a little more. A thought pops in my head and I scramble off the ledge to look for the cutlery that came with my food. I’m not at all surprised when I find a plastic fork. Did he really think I’d try and stab him? It’s not like I’d be able to ever get one over him. Look at me, I’m five foot five to his six and a half feet.
Rolling my eyes, I walk toward the shower again and stand up on the ledge. If I can’t escape, at least a little light will get me through the gloom and doom.
I don’t know how long I stand there scratching at the window with the lingering headache kicking my ass, but once I admit defeat, I step off and glare at the window. Not one inch of paint, or whatever is covering the window will scratch off.
