“These paintings. I see myself in them.” Especially that hand sculpture.   A confession. Something I hadn’t realized myself, yet when she asks it rises to the surface on its own accord. Much like how when a siren sings, sailors throw themselves out to the open sea to hear more, only to lead to their deaths.   Jean brings out the parts of me that I have fought so hard to bury.   I’ve been swimming in my darkness for as long as I can remember, barely knowing what it feels like to bask in the light without fear. But when Jean takes my hand, warm and secure around my trembling ones, I forget.   Fighting against my better judgment, I look up to meet her eyes; amber orbs shi

He says one thing but does another. I haven’t seen Dante for days since we returned back to his estate with the promise of punishment but then he’s nowhere to be found.   When we arrived back, I was forced to walk back to our bedroom uncomfortably. Luca had pulled Dante away, saying something about how: “Our guest is feeling cooperative. I thought I’d wait for you to do the honors.”   I have no idea what that means, but it must have been serious because there was an obvious change in Dante’s demeanor, and I don’t miss the coldness in his voice when he told me to go back first.   He’d even assigned Killian to train me today.   “The boss is just busy,” Killian says as he helps me put on the weights on the bar.

“It’s just a party. How hard can it be?” ‘Me and my big fucking mouth.’ I think to myself as I make my way through a crowd of dancing bodies.    Nervous and itching in this dress Dante made me wear, I grimace when sweat-slick bodies bump into me. But the moment I hear Dante’s voice in my ear, I somehow find a semblance of calm.   “Calm down,” he says through the earpiece I’m wearing. The tiny piece, hidden by my hairstyle. “I’m right here with you.”   “Yeah, right,” I mutter to myself, sure that Dante couldn’t possibly hear me over the blasting music. Luca said they’d be somewhere in the club and on standby, but I have no idea where.  

Dante   “Drive, Luca.”   I don’t need to look at him to know he’s just as angry as I am. We failed today. Miserably. And we put Jean in danger.   “Fuck!” I yell smacking my hand against the dashboard. The pain in my palm doesn’t even do justice to what Jean went through tonight.   “Calm down, man,” Luca says. “She needs you, still.”   I send a glare in his direction. “Don’t tell me to calm the fuck down when you’re in the same state as me.” mere seconds from tearing that place b

Jean     “You ready?”   Am I?   I stare at my reflection in the mirror. The dark blue gown Dante had picked for me hugs my body in all the right places. It’s modest compared to the white gown I wore during the last party, but the slit riding up to the top of my right thigh makes it dangerous enough.   Like he had done for me before, Dante kneels in front of me to strap my thigh holster onto my left leg, exposing my legs to him.   “