Page 10 of Nemesync
“Why would someone do that to the Outfits? And why here in Vesper?”
“The one who killed him left his body near your property, with cuts that made some kind of dagger on his flesh.”
It’s like he knew who killed this Luca but refused to acknowledge it. “Again? On his body you said? This is new,” he murmured to himself, as if studying the case.
A dagger? I’ve never heard of that, but I’m no expert on revenge signs, so maybe it was some kind of messy business deal. But why here?
I entered his office and looked at him. He seemed lost in his thoughts; worry and fear were evident in his eyes. Why would he be scared? Was he stressing about the potential retaliation from the Outfits because the body was found near our house?
He met my gaze, his eyes widening, and I couldn’t comprehend why, but my father was acting strangely.
He simply nodded and asked, “Zanae, what do you want?”
I placed the file on his desk. “I just wanted to give you this before I forgot.”
A picture laid on the table. The body of this Luca is naked, dead, and mutilated.
With that, I left the office. The image of that dagger lingered in my mind. I didn’t have a clue about who could have done this, but I knew for sure that this person was completely deranged. Carving a dagger into someone’s torso? That’s horrifying. But did he deserve it? Absolutely. If Luca was treating me this way just for a few hours, I could only imagine the kind of life he led in Chicago with the women of his clan.
I began running, clearing my mind with music. I reached for my headphones, intending to block out the world, but as I noticed the eerie silence around me, I started to zone out.
Damn it, this isn’t the time.
The voices began to creep into my mind, begging me to let them run wild and scream, accusing me of guilt and fault, again and again.
I’ve learned a lot about life since I stopped using silence as a refuge. Sometimes, the scariest place to be alone in, is your own head. Our mind can be our worst enemy. Mine tends to play the role of the judge, jury, and punisher, but also the one holding me back from moving on.
The sound grew louder in the silence around me, but I refused to let them escape. Instead, I hurried to the café where my friend works. Greeting Miranda and June in passing, I attempted to drown out the screams that only I could hear.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you with your hair down,” Miranda said, running her fingers through my hair with a smile. “They’ve grown so much.”
Luna loved to brush them for me before she–.
“It’s been a while. How’s my baby today? And how are you?”
“He’s been bouncing off the walls since yesterday, and I’m too exhausted to care why.”
I smiled, imagining my little Juny running around. “Probably because he’s three. Toddlers aren’t exactly known for their logic,” I said, trying not to laugh.
“Tell me about it. Anyway, here’s your coffee.”
She handed me the mug, and asked curiously, “Tell me, why are you dressed like that? Are you going to work out?”
“Yes, I’m going to run a bit more, and then I’ll head home. Do you need anything?”
There was no answer.
Miranda seemed stressed; her gaze fixed behind me.
“Mira?”
“Listen, I’m not sure, but I think the SUV outside is waiting for you. And the scary man driving it is looking at you very weirdly,” she replied.
What? An SUV? A man? What was she talking about?
I turned around and locked eyes with the man.
His piercing green gaze assaulted me even from a distance.
