Page 32 of Neverland

“I know it wasn’t you who stole the wallets,” his voice rumbled through the darkness, dragging the cloth across my forehead.

Tears slipped down my temples. “Why did you kill her?” It sounded more like an exhale but he heard.

Dominic didn’t answer, not for quite some time. He just continued wiping my face and rinsing the cloth.

“Because I could,” he finally admitted.

I needed to vomit but couldn’t move.

Dominic Salvatore called himself God because at the click of his fingers, he could take our lives away like the world would never miss us. And he was probably right. No one would give a damn.

“Because I could.” He continued, “And I’ll do the same to you if you try to double-cross me.”

“What did I ever do to you?” I asked, sobbing as much as the drugs would allow. “What did I do for you to hate me so much?”

Dominic lowered his face, lips grazing mine before he kissed me. It was a gentle kiss for a man who was reminding me I was just a possession. “Lucy, if I hated you, you’d already be dead.”

~~~

I swayed unsteadily in the middle of the dressing room and stared at the table Blaze would use to do her make-up. Her belongings were still there, including her favorite shade of lipstick. I touched the smooth gold tube and silently cried for my lost friend.

Dominic forced my return to work only two days after the brutal murder. Of course, I couldn’t call it that, but in my head, I could call it exactly what it was. Blaze’s death would be brushed under the very carpet she died on, with most of us carrying the secret to our graves. Anton could be tortured in Guantanamo Bay prison and still not say a word against Dominic. Momma G’s devotion extended beyond what anyone could comprehend considering he wasn’t always so nice to her. And then there was me. No loyalty or devotion to anyone but consumed only with the desire to run.

I was a liability and while Dominic claimed if he wanted me dead, I’d already be dead, it was only a matter of time before he put me six feet under.

We can give you a way out.

Jason’s voice rang as a reminder. He and Simon were certain they could free me of this situation. Adamant they could get me far, far away from Dominic Salvatore.

Perhaps if I’d accepted their offer, Blaze wouldn’t be dead. What I did know for sure was, Blaze was either made an example of, or the wallets in the locker were a setup.

“That’s my spot now,” the little girl who’d been hired to replace Blaze interrupted my thoughts and attempted to squeeze between me and the table. She wasn’t dressed for drink service today, she would be taking Blaze’s set time. But that wasn’t what annoyed me about her. I didn’t know what it was, but if I could liken her to anything, it would be a snake.

“Use the one around the corner,” I snapped, solidifying my position.

“Jesus, why are you crying?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “Your friend left, she’s not dead.”

Stupid, stupid, girl.

I fantasized about making her dead when a shrill scream tore through the outside hall, echoing over the incessant hum of music. Taking Blaze’s lipstick, because it was something iconic, I left the dressing room to see what was happening. I flattened my back against the wall when two distressed girls came barreling down the narrow walkway.

“What’s happening?” I asked, reaching to gain their attention, forgetting about my injured shoulder. I doubled over in pain, my whole arm throbbing. “Shit, shit, shit!” I cursed, gritting my teeth, and fighting the urge to pass out. Pulling the short sleeve of my dress over my shoulder, I inspected the bloodied bandage. My guess was that I’d just torn open the stitches.

The girls didn’t care and continued their way to the dressing room, slamming the door behind them.

“Diamond,” Momma G called, looking frazzled and nervous, both very unlike her.

“What’s happening?” I attempted again.

Her focus remained down the hall like she expected someone to come charging through. When nothing happened, she finally addressed me. “Diamond, you need to get to the dressing room and stay there. Do you understand?” She ran past, leaving me more confused.

“Momma G!” I called, feeling my own sense of panic.

Momma G paused at the door. “And don’t come out until I come and get you,” she warned.

But it was too late for her warning. In the time it took for the door to swing open and closed, I saw a glimpse of his irate face.

“Oh, no! No, no, no, no,” I repeated hoping if I said it enough times it wouldn’t be true. But this was bound to happen. How could it not? Dominic was a fool to think Blaze wouldn’t be missed by anyone.

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