Page 35 of Cinder
The motel isthe worst place I’ve ever seen.
Imagine the seediest, dirtiest motel in the world and multiply it by a thousand million trillion, and that is the Blue Lagoon Motel on the county line.
I look around the room.
It’s got everything you would expect from a place that should probably be knocked down.
Threadbare bedspread on a bed that takes up most of the room.Check. Yellowed peeling wallpaper.Check. Damaged wooden nightstand with an alarm clock.Check. The musty tang of body odor and stale nicotine.Check. Matted carpet with stains I don’t want to know about.
Jesus.
It’s also my home for the next two weeks while I work at the clubhouse.
But let’s back up a bit.
After returning to the clubhouse, retrieving my mom’s watch, and Lars offering me a job, I spoke to Luca the following morning.
“I didn’t mention it, but I was offered a job working in the kitchen.”
Luca had scoffed. “You? Work? What a pathetic joke.”
I ignored him and the fear in my chest. Because I only had a few minutes to sell the idea of me working at the clubhouse.
“If I work there, I will have access to inside the club. Not just to get the recipe. But to get insider information. Can you imagine how beneficial that would be to Viktor? And to you, if I am inside that clubhouse every day. I will be invisible. I will hear things and then I will be able to pass on the information I overhear. As rivals, Viktor will see the value in this. Imagine how impressed he will be when you tell him it was your plan.”
Of course, pandering to Luca’s giant ego and unrelenting vanity worked, and my stomach roiled with disgust when Viktor congratulated him on executing a clever plan, and my brother puffed out his chest and proudly took all the credit.
Luca immediately set about putting things in play. A motel. A bunch of clothes from the thrift store. A warning to not fuck it up or else.
Viktor had his own caveats. Let anyone near my pussy and he’llcut off the pizda’s dick and the deal will be off.
Yeah, one day these men will pay for using and abusing me.
But until Lucretia and I can make it out safely, then I need to behave like their pretty little pawn.
To ensure my compliance, Luca has placed one man in each of the rooms either side of mine, and I have to check in with them every night. I’m also supposed to catch a bus to and from the clubhouse without stopping on the way. “Or I’ll know.”So he’s obviously having me followed as well.
Luca looks around the room with complete disdain. He is out of place here in his Armani suit, Rolex watch, and the bottle of cologne he’s wearing.
He glances in the wardrobe then takes a quick look at the tiny bathroom with its stained tiles and plumbing from the middle of last century. Seeing the inside of the shower, he quickly moves away as if the mold and water stains are contagious.
“This will work well.” He flashes a smile of perfectly straight white teeth. “It might make you a little more appreciative of what you have at home.”
I glance around me. Yeah, there is a big difference between the two. Home might be a sparkling mansion, but it is full of monsters. While this motel, with its water stains and sour air, gives me the tiniest bit of freedom.
Right under Luca’s nose.
A smile plays on my lips, but I fight it. Because if Luca thinks I am anything but terrified of being left here then he will pull the pin.
I swallow thickly and do my best to look forlorn. Which, let’s face it, is easy to do considering I’ve had months of practice.
Luca mistakes my silence for bewilderment. As if I’m wondering how I’ll cope in this predicament.
It wouldn’t occur to him that I’m silently high-fiving myself for getting this far.
Walking toward the door, Luca stops when he reaches me. He hands me an envelope. Inside is a driver’s license, birth certificate and a social security card.
It only took a matter of hours for one of Viktor’s men to create a new identity for me. Not a huge feat when you’re a part of a massive crime syndicate, but still swift.
