Page 26 of Taken By the Kingpin
“Are you well enough to see me?” she says hopefully. “I desperately need your help getting a new chart reading onto Face-thingy.”
“Of course!” I say before I can stop myself. I want this job, but I promised Sebastian… “Can it wait until tomorrow?”
“Itmustbe today. You know how time sensitive these readings are. And my audience has already missed out for a whole day. We’ll lose momentum. Isn’t that what you said?”
It is. But I can’t… I really mustn’t…
But neither can I allow myself to lose this job. Whatever Sebastian said about me running my own business, I’ve worked hard to get Priscilla to where she is, and I can’t ditch her. I haven’t quit just because I took one sick day.
“Can you come here?” Because while I want to keep my job, I’m not a complete idiot. Sebastian told me to stay, I agreed, and I meant it. I won’t cross London looking for trouble.
There’s a pause before she agrees, and I wonder what it means. Probably that she doesn’t want to pack up her charts. I give her the address I find on junk mail and she says she’ll be twenty minutes.
Just enough time to put on some proper clothes. After a bit of dithering, I choose a pale blue skater dress amongst the clothing Sebastian bought for me and smile at the way it echoes the dress I loved a couple of summers ago, but has expensive details that make it grown up. The fabric is light and silky and it floats over my body like a dream.
The phone ringing jerks me out of a fantasy about what Sebastian will do when he sees me wearing the dress. It’s Priscilla.
“Jeanette, I can get this lift to work. Can you come down to the basement car park?”
I sigh internally. This is peak Priscilla. She really is terrible with technology. I’m not the best, but even I can post on social media and use an elevator. I think about telling her to take the stairs, but honestly that’s a bit mean. We must be forty floors up.
“Sure. I’ll be right down.” I’m not leaving the building, so I’m hardly breaking my word to Sebastian.
A trickle of unease goes down my back as I step into the lift. I am technically Sebastian’s captive. Maybe he has done something so I can’t escape?
But the buttons respond to my touch and though I should feel relief, the apprehension remains. It’s just that it’s a fast drop, I tell myself as the doors slide open and reveal a silent car park. Nothing more than that.
“Hello!” I emerge and look to right and left, but Priscilla is nowhere to be seen.
Huh.
A car door opens and Priscilla gets out. “Oh thank god you’re here. Come and do this for me. I’m lost without you.” She smiles but it’s a bit… Sickly.
“Are you alright?” Something is odd, like a spot the difference image. I can’t see what isn’t as it should be.
I take a step towards Priscilla.
“Oh yes, I’m fine.” She doesn’t sound fine. “Just typical Pisces problems.”
My heart stops.
Because Priscilla isn’t a Pisces. She’s a Sagittarius sun sign with moon in Taurus.
“Priscilla, what’s going on?”
“I’ve come for you, princess.” Ross Fletcher’s voice comes from right behind me and I’m shaking with fear, real terror utterly unlike what I ever felt when practising with Sebastian.
No. This is fear of endless cold black holes and hissing red eyes. It’s dread of ancient evil like the freezing space between stars.
When he grabs me by the wrist, I act instinctively, all the work with Sebastian paying off. My head jerks back and cracks on his chin with a sickening bang that shoots pain through my skull too.
“Fuck!” But he doesn’t let me go. He tightens his grip even as I twist… the wrong way. “You are coming with me,” he hisses. “I’m having what you denied me, wife.”
“No!” I’m not being taken by that monster.
I kick out in panic and hit his leg. The force of my kick unbalances me. I crumple to the floor and something clatters as he swears again. Pain flares on my hip where I hit the concrete.
He’s still got me though, and as I look up. I know it’s useless.
