A woman emerges next, her shoulder-length brown hair swaying with each step she takes towards me. Knee-high boots are laced above a dark pair of jeans, her top half covered by a charcoal grey coat with a tie at the waist. In her hands is a lengthy clothing bag, which she places beside me on the bed without any trace of an expression. I now notice Ray is dressed in a full suit, despite the early hour.
“Get dressed and join me for breakfast.” Perelli has turned by the time the last word leaves his lips, his command non-negotiable. The woman remains standing by my bedside, her eyebrow arching in a challenge to fight her. Huffing, I grab the bag and stride into the bathroom, the sheet firmly in place as I go. Hooking it on the back of the door once closed, I slump into a heap on the tiled floor and rest my head in my hands. I can sense this is the final stretch of Perelli’s revenge plot, but it isn’t me I’m worried for right now. What will they do to Wyatt and why did his last glance back at me seem so filled with regret? Regret for the things we should have realised and for the feelings we should have put into words.
I pick myself up off the floor, figuring I won’t be given long to myself and hop into the shower. My hand glides between my legs, the throbbing still present as I force myself to clean Wyatt’s mess away. Watching his seed swirl down the drain, I press my fingers to my lips and hold a sob at bay. It’s not like we picked the best moment to find each other, there could never have been a happily ever after for us but at least we had last night. The most perfect night which will stay with me until I take my last breath.
Drying off, I wrap the towel around my head and unzip the clothing bag. A black halter neck dress stares back at me, silver gems forming a repetitive geometric pattern all around. Below the criss-cross neckline, there’s a gaping hole which will show off plenty of cleavage as well as having an open back. Well there’s no point moaning or refusing, so I slip the dress over my head and pull it down to the slender hem at my knees. A pair of black heels are hooked onto the hanger which I also don, brushing my hair through my fingers and leaving to air dry.
Emerging from the bathroom, the woman is waiting in the same position I left her with her arms crossed. Having removed her coat, a shiny police badge sits on her hip which I eye curiously but she doesn’t seem to notice. Sighing loudly, she crosses the room to plant me on a stool before a vanity and mumbles about ‘grooming spoilt brats not being a part of her job description’. I chew on the inside of my cheek while she dries and styles my hair into loose curls and then turns her attention to my face, the roughness of her power application making me snarl.
Finally, fully dolled up, I’m permitted to leave what I’m sure is the worst part of torture I’ll face today and find Perelli eating at a dining table by the unused kitchenette. An empty plate sits before him, his nose buried in a newspaper as I take the opposite seat and pick at the breakfast laid out for me. Half a pain au chocolat and a yogurt later, I clear my throat to grab his attention.
“What am I doing here?” Perelli looks around as if he’s only just noticed where he is, my eyes rolling impatiently. “Why am I out of the dungeon? This wasn’t in the plan I overheard you tell Wyatt.” My gut twists as I say his name, silently hoping he won’t be punished too much. I’m a dead woman walking anyway, he can lay all the blame on me and my irresistible body if that makes it easier on him.
“Have you ever wondered why a killer whale flings a baby seal around with its tails before gorging on it?” The glint in his eye shows how intelligent he thinks he is, but I’m not easily impressed. Essentially, he’s brought me here to toy with me, have a little fun before snuffing out my light. Except in his metaphor, he’s pegged himself as the predator and me as the meek pray. Hah.
“Mmmm, yet despite being the biggest creatures on the planet, the whale lazily chooses to feed on krill scavenging bottom-feeders. Is that why you pry on offspring of your enemies, because you’re too lazy to find the real deal?” His smile drops as he refuses to answer and throws his newspaper down, using the table to push himself upright. Once standing as straight as he can manage, he holds out his arm to me which I simply quirk a brow at. Pulling his cell from his pocket, he taps the touch screen before turning the screen to face me. A live stream of Wyatt is displayed, blood dripping down his bare torso but I can’t see his injuries as his head in hanging forward limply. Fuck. My heart squeezes and my hands twist around the arms of the chair, on the verge of sweeping out this malicious old man’s legs with it.
“Play along and he won’t be hurt anymore.” Pocketing the cell, Perelli offers me his arm again which I stand to accept without complaint. The crooked cop joins the room with her phone pressed to her ear just in time to step into the elevator we’ve entered, generic music carrying us all the way to the bottom floor. The hotel
