Page 18 of The Sins That Bleed
She’s fucking crazy.
We reach the security guard, bypassing the queue and ropes, which tiggers her to step toward me. She’s as tall as I am and is in an immaculate suit that screams money. Not a single piece of lint or wrinkle to be found.
Lilith must pay her staff well, or wants to look like she does.
She looks at us over her black frames and barks, “Sirs, you need to step away from the establishment and join the queue.”
I hold my ground and grit out the words Valeska gave us, anticipating this getting us thrown on our asses. “Bite me.”
I tense, waiting for her to punch me in the face, but it never comes. She nods at me and unclips the rope. “Right this way gentlemen, Lilith is expecting you.”
Nico shoots a look my way and his brows are nearly in his hairline. How the fuck does Valeska know Lilith, and how well, if she can get a meeting on such short notice. Uneasiness washes over me, still not trusting that this will lead to the outcome Valeska dangled before us.
I can only hope my desperation isn’t leading me down a path I can’t walk back from.
The bodyguard clips the rope behind us and I hear the shouts of patrons demanding to know why we have been allowed in before them. The noise is dampened when the glass doors automatically open into a lobby.
My eyes don’t know where to look first. I could stand and gawk at the intricate details that make up the room all night. Everything is either black, red, or gold, and is worth more than I will ever see in a lifetime. The décor is Gothic, with elaborate arches and gargoyles leering down at us, as if we’ve stepped back in time to twelfth century France.
It’s breathtaking.
I check on Nico and can see the panic on his face. Oh he’s definitely going to run if anything unexpected happens. His eyes meet mine and he whispers, “Nope, absolutely not. Count Dracula anyone?” He mimes vampire teeth, but I grab his forearm to stop him running.
And to stop him from insulting Lilith before we’ve even met her.
We arrive at an elevator; it’s made to look like marble in the same colours as everything else, and I can’t help but think it looks like blood dripping through the stone. An elevator behind us dings and a group of people stumble out, laughing and joking as they end their night, but we don’t go to it.
The unnamed bodyguard, who followed us in, hits a button for an earpiece that we can’t see through her long brown hair before addressing us again. I can feel Nico getting antsy next to me and I hope the elevator opens in the next few seconds or I’ll be going in alone. I ignore the reason why as the violent need to see Valeska again rattles through my bones.
“There will be someone waiting for you upstairs.” The doors open in front of us, and she gestures for us to step in. “Goodbye.”
They close in near silence, the goodbye hanging menacingly in the air, and I hear Nico gulp. I distract myself by looking at the buttons, it appears a floor has been selected for us. My stomach flips at the sensation of moving upward at speed and I see Nico gripping the bar at the back of the cart tightly, his fear-stricken face finding mine in the mirror above it.
“Why did that sound so threatening? Princess, I’m not final-girl material. This feels wrong, and I don’t fucking like it.”
I place my hand on his shoulder in support. “Hey, take a few deep breaths for me, Nico. This isn’t a horror movie so no need for a final girl. We’re going to get some information and then get the fuck out of here. We’re in this together and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
He drags in another shaky breath before turning to me and squeezing me in a hug that is more for his comfort than mine. I rub his back until he releases me from his crushing grip, and I can see he is calmer.
“Thanks, princess, I nearly panicked there.” He clears his throat.
I raise a quizzical eyebrow before a laugh bellows out of me, which sets him off. We both know he is ready to find the nearest set of stairs and abandon this meeting. Our laughter is cut off by the doors opening on the ninety-fifth floor, where it’s deathly quiet anddark. I tentatively step out into the long dark corridor while Nico grips my hand so hard I think the bones will crack.
This is not helping me convince him to stay with me right now. With the low light sconces dotting the walls few and far between, it’s easy to think you’re seeing things that aren’t there. Nobody is waiting for us as we’d been expecting, but I can’t see a fire escape either, so the only way we can go is forward.
It gets even darker when the elevator doors close.
I drag Nico along behind me with his clammy hand in mine and make my way down the hall, expecting somebody to be making their way towards us by now. The sensation of being watched licks at my skin. Now I’m trying to stop myself from freaking out.
A low, haunting hum trickles down the hall towards us and I squeeze Nico’s hand back. The grim lullaby triggers the fear I’d felt that night in the office when I had been alone. I contemplatefinding the nearest exit or heading back to the elevator to take us down and away from here as fast as possible. Fuck this shit. Nico whimpers behind me as if in agreement with my thoughts.
The sound of our shaky breathing mixes with the sombre melody, and I suppress a shiver. I’ve seen enough horror movies to know something is about to get us. I still don’t see a way out ahead and decide it’s time to go back the way we came. Nico must read my mind because we both turn at the same time.
“FUCK!” I shout as I jump out of my skin.
Nico’s high-pitched scream seems to go on forever as it echoes off the walls around us, so long in fact that I turn to look at him with concern until he finally stops. I’d laugh if I weren’t so damn scared myself.
Laughter bubbles up from the thing, no, the woman in front of us at our reactions and she clutches her stomach as if in pain. I don’t see how scaring someone until they shit their pants is that funny.
