Page 4 of Nocturne

“I know no cunt is gutsy enough to pull a stunt like this on me,”

I wait for the "but," patting Ivy as she shakes behind me.

“But you being here means you know the bastard.”

I shake my head.

“No sir. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Why are you here then?” he raises a brow.

“We took a wrong turn and ended up here after hearing some noises. We thought someone might need our help.”

Maybe a police officer would have eaten up this lie. Not them. They don’t believe a word that comes out of my mouth. The boss is convinced that we are someone he mistakes us for.

“Looks like the street rats are into posh women now; with accents and big tits.” Nero leers, his eyes fixated on my boobs.

It is filthy, vulgar, and makes me want to fidget.

That is what he wants so that I can move and he can look at Ivy. I say nothing in return and instead, be mindful of any of their sudden movements.

They block the way to our only exit I know of. I am half sure that beyond these bodies there could be a back door that might or might not directly open into the ocean. To find that out, we need to run into the nightmare of hanging corpses.

I can do it if I close my eyes, but I don’t think Ivy could. There’s blood on the floor, it can slow us down or cause us to slip.

“Let us go, please.” I plead.

Ivy is crying behind me, her form shivering and shaking. I tighten my grip on her, just to assure her that I’m here. We will talk about this once we are alone and come out of this alive.

The boss’s lip curls into a sneer.

“That fucking bastard killed my heir, hung him up like a bounty and cut his dick off!”

“It has nothing to do with us.”

“Fucking lying bitch! Nero, get them.” The boss orders.

“Yes boss,” Nero grins, clapping his hands together.

Ivy lets out a small cry. I close my eyes, hating that the situation has come down to this. I hate that I am once again pushed into a corner. Once again, to survive and protect my loved ones, I need to be someone I hate to be. To either kill or get killed.

“Let us go, please,” I try one last time.

The plea is soft, a reverent wish for him not to do this.

When I open my eyes, I still see Nero walking towards us with a purpose. The boss’s hateful eyes are vying for the violence he wants to be taken out on someone innocent.

“I’m going to enjoy making you scream, blondie.” Nero laughs.

I’m going to love making you scream, doll.

The voice from my nightmare resounds inside my head. Those nightmarish months of agony, the nights spent in terror, and the horrors of their dementedness. All of it comes down with full force, sending my hands into a trigger response.

I bend slightly, shielding Ivy instinctively as my hand moves toward the holster strapped to my ankle beneath my skirt. Nero doesn’t see us as a threat—just helpless women, ripe for his taking. In his mind, he already holds all the power. I can see it in the way his depraved thoughts play across his face, his intentions vile and unspoken but unmistakable. The bulge in his trousers only adds to my revulsion, each moment fuelling my hatred and solidifying my resolve.

My fingers latch onto my gun. The small personalised one has less recoil but is an accurate measure. I don’t need a bigger magazine if I aim accurately.

I get to my knees to conceal the weapon, and Nero laughs, thinking I’m begging him now. Ivy gets down with me, still hiding her face with cries of fear. I spare the boss one look and see that he is busy mourning the loss of his successor behind us.

---