Page 8 of Lourdes & the Mafia
He sniffs with derision. “I don’t know you.”
The floor beneath me sways as the adrenaline comes crashing down and every ache and pain I feel suddenly overwhelms me. “I—I—”
“I said getout.”
“You got strong arms, buddy?” I ask breathlessly.
“What? Why?”
The world around me blurs. “Because I’m about to faint.”
And then everything dulls to blackness.
Kane
Thewomanwhoburstinto the club announces she’s going to faint.
And then she does just that.
Her body collides to the floor with a painfulthud,and I watch with disinterest from behind the bar as she goes down and doesn’t get back up again.
The ice in the glass clinks together as I set it down with a sigh.
Fuck me.
I just wanted a night of silence without the screeching of demons and the cries of the tortured filling my every fucking minute. I thought the club during day hours would be the perfect place for a bit of peace and quiet, and then…
Shehappened, waltzing through doors to ruin my fucking day.
I stare at her prone form from where I’m standing.
Did she really expect I’d catch her? From all the way over here? What is this, a James Bond movie? Did she think I’d jump and slide over the bar to reach her before gravity did its job?
My eyes travel over her body. She’s in pajama shorts and a tank top. Odd attire for traipsing the streets, yet I won’t pretend to understand the fashions of humans or women in general. They’re a strange breed, women.
This one is covered in blood and her breathing comes out labored. A quick scan and I’ve assessed every injury her body sports, and yet not even a sliver of pity fills me. Annoyance, more than anything else. Curiosity? It’s not there.
Red touches the bright pink shorts and white shirt, the colors a stark contrast against her rich brown skin and black curls. She’s still. Too still, and the coils curtain her face, making it impossible for me to discern her appearance.
I contemplate just teleporting away and leaving her here, but the shit storm that could cause would be more trouble than it’s worth. Our club is neutral territory, and it’s written in the laws of the criminal underbelly that whoever spills blood or harms another within our space will meet a swift end. And while she was technically harmedoutside,it still would be fucked up of me to let her die on our floor.
With a sigh, I round the counter and make my way over to her. I tilt my head, staring down at her.
Should I toss her into an alley or…? Seems more fitting she die out on the street where she came in from, I’m sure. At least it would be far away from me.
Speaking of…
A presence outside my doors has my head snapping up. Several figures hover near the entrance. Staring up at the sign.
Hesitating.
Fuck. I came to escape work and I just feel like I’m drowning in problems everywhere I go.
With annoyance and rage pulsing through my veins, I appear in a gust of black and red clouds in front of the door, startling the four figures back.
They are clad entirely in black, not at all conspicuous beneath the harsh glare of the Caribbean sunlight.
Foolish fucking mortals.
