“Yes, that’s me. I–”
Before Adrian could continue, Paige appeared with his glass of water and began making amicable small talk. As he took a long, slow drink, Riley frowned.
Why was he addressing her specifically? Surely the younger sibling of his former classmate didn’t hold much interest to a detective.
Before Riley could ask the detective why he’d asked if she remembered him, another table demanded her attention. By the time she’d refilled their drinks and tended to the other customers, Adrian was gone.
Chapter Six
Riley felt a little bit odd. It wasn’t because she was having a hard time falling asleep, but because of Adrian’s visit to Mr. Eaton’s bar. Riley couldn’t put a finger on his motives—he’d said he was stopping by on business, but he’d hardly said hello and only drank a glass of water before leaving again. She didn’t know enough about the town to guess what he’d been doing, but the unanswerable questions kept her tossing and turning.
She went downstairs to find Lydia sitting in the dining room with a cup of coffee in her hand. She was reading the newspaper in the same spot their dad used to every morning, and just as quietly and peacefully.
“Sleep well? I heard you rolling around all night,” Lydia asked.
“None of your business,” Riley replied harshly.
Lydia pushed the paper away and stood. “You should try being nice from time to time. It won’t kill you.”
“Why would I be nice to someone who has only been an asshole since the day I arrived?”
“Fine. You know what? Go to hell if you want. The only thing you should be doing right now is packing your things. Why don’t you understand that I don’t want you here?”
“Oh Lydia,” Riley smiled, “when will you finally understand that kicking me out will never be an option. Get used to having me around.” Riley walked past, nudging Lydia as she went along.
That night, Lydia held her coat tightly as she walked the cold streets of LinHill. Although the wind made her shiver, she had gotten used to it. Her job demanded that she leave her house so late at night that her body was used to any kind of weather.
Her “job;” if she could even call it that. It used to be fun, something to do to leave the house, for entertainment, and to allow her ego a certain amount of worship. But it had lost all meaning when she entered an underground world. Now, every day, she felt disgusted with herself, as if she weren’t her own person anymore. The showers that she eventually took could not erase the smell and the touch that she felt on her body anymore. She passed by a few men who eyed her with hungry eyes, some of them bold enough to approach her, but one hateful look was more than enough for them to move away. A few followed her, but stopped when they noticed her destination.
The house was well-lit, colorful and as ordinary as any other. No one would guess it was home to the most contemptable human being to ever set foot in LinHill. The trio that guarded the entrance moved aside when they spotted her.
She walked inside, through the hallway to the stairs, straight toward the room at the back. She knocked once and walked in, closing the door softly. The man behind the polished wooden desk was finishing a line of cocaine as she stood in front of him, barely noticing her presence, wiping his nose absentmindedly when he was done.
“Baby, you’re here,” the man said with a slight sniffle, walking slowly toward her, his arms wide. She allowed herself be hugged, inhaling the nauseating scent of alcohol and drugs.
“Sorry I took so long,” Lydia replied as she stepped away so he could really look at her. Pulling her coat off, she felt the trespass of the cold over her and suppressed a shiver as the garment fell to the floor. The man stared at her body with hungry eyes and licked his lips. Lydia faked a smile like she faked her desire and everything else that she had to do for him.
“You look heavenly,” he said, stopping to admire her. I want you just with underwear, he had said, and she’d obeyed.
“Thank you, baby. You know this is only for you.” Lydia tried to sound as sensual as she could. Apparently, her words had been convincing, though she had to practice for hours to sound like that. Each time it worked like a charm. Each time he was more in love with her, or at least hungry to have her.
Julius Martinson was a twisted man. A criminal, but still a man. He had his weaknesses—namely, women and drugs—and Lydia had taken advantage of one of those. He was blinded by her body and the way she danced for him, the way she pretended she loved him.
“Come to me, baby,” Julius murmured, moving closer to Lydia once more so that their bodies touched.
She didn’t pull away, nor did she try to move his hands when they landed on the small of her back or his lips when they nibbled at her neck.
Lydia stopped feeling, just as she always did when they were intimate. She liked to pretend her mind and body were elsewhere, that she wasn’t being touched by a criminal like Julius, that his hands were not roaming her body, that his tongue was not sucking her ear. She was far gone.
Several hours later, both exhausted, Lydia was ready to leave. Her job of keeping him pleased accomplished, there was nothing more that she wanted to do than leave and wash away his scent. But for now, as she dressed, she needed to pretend she felt loved for a few more minutes.
“Is there something bothering you, baby?” Julius asked, sensing her discomfort.
“I’m a bit tired, that’s all,” Lydia replied.
Julius approached from the bed and placed a kiss on her shoulder. “Yeah, me too. It was a fantastic night, wasn’t
