Page 59 of Kings of Lust
I think that I was on my second glass— not that I could even count to two after the first one anyway, when the air in the room got too impossible to breathe. The smoke of the cigars or the heavy perfume had nothing to do with it. Just my three demons, always watching over me.
I needed some air and the cold atmosphere outside could bring me back to my feet in no time. The trouble was how the hell was I supposed to even walk outside when everything around me was slowly spinning?
After a few calculations on how to get from point A to point B, avoiding point C, I found my courage, and the moment I spotted a straight corridor I began pacing towards the front door. I was a soldier on a mission, finding the only free aisle to pass while dodging the bullets. Or in my case, the people, because I wasn’t sure that if someone were to walk in front of me, I would still have the time to avoid them and not to walk straight through them.
Mission finally completed!
My stiffened legs managed somehow to carry me to the garden, making the almost freezing temperature wake me back to my senses. I had sobered up in just a few minutes, but despite the shivering in my legs and the thin dress I had on, I didn’t want to go back. At least not straight away. I needed a little time by myself before returning to be their slave.
With unsteady steps, I walked around the guesthouse and into the back garden, where nobody seemed to be around. One of the sunbeds seemed to be calling out my name. A little strange that Ferris would have sunbeds out at this time of the year, but steam was coming out from what I discovered to be a heated pool.
Still weird to see sunbeds since we couldn’t really see the sun, but I could never underestimate Ferris since even the yellow orb was empowered from time to time to shine only for him.
I was watching the party inside through a large glass window. The laughter, the glasses clinking together, the phoniness to one another— those people were all a part of my kings’ world.
And so was I.
Maybe it was time to admit it, or at least accept it somehow.
Though I had to do it on my terms, not being forced or constricted by the will of mygods.
I kept delaying the moment I would return. Kept telling myselfafter this songthough I would find myself halfway through the next melody just repeating theafter this songagain. But it was getting late and I didn’t want to pay the price for defying a direct order again.
I was finally just about to stand up and leave when a set of footsteps captured my attention.
‘It wouldn’t be fair of you to freeze to death. How would you keep your part of the deal if you were six feet under?’ It was Brax who spoke. He, out of all the kings, was the one who came looking for me in the garden.
‘It’s not that cold.’ Me— the-purple-lips girl answered through chattering teeth.
‘I brought an extra jacket, but I’m going to hold on to it if you don’t need to keep warm.’ As always, Brax knew how to prey on my weaknesses But I would have rather frozen to death than ask him for the coat.
Luckily, that was not the case, since just after a few seconds of blankly staring at each other he brought himself right next to my sunbed. ‘Not entirely sure if you’re trying to catch a tan from the outside lamp or pneumonia, but you should put this on.’ He wrapped the jacket around my shoulders while I was trying to understand why exactly he was doing it.
It didn’t take me long before I got a clue as to his newfound kindness. Having disposed of the jacket he had held in his hands, a whiskey bottle came into view, that by the looks of it, had been his companion throughout the night.
I wasn’t going for thestop drinkingspeech since I knew it would have no impact on him. On the contrary, it would probably just awaken his temper again.
And I couldn’t handle an annoyed Brax for the second time tonight.
‘What are you doing outside? I thought Cole told you to stay at the party?’
‘I haven’t left. Have I? I just needed a breath of fresh air.’
‘You’ve been outside for more than an hour. That’s a little much more than a breath.’
‘Well, you brought a jacket. So, you weren’t really planning on taking me back inside were you?’
‘You have a point.’
‘So, why’s that? Why didn’t you want me to go back?’
‘Maybe I’m not ready to share you tonight.’
‘I think it’s pretty late for that, Brax,’ I muttered, turning my back on him. I wished my words do the trick and he would leave me alone, but his steps walking around the sunbed to be in my line of sight again convinced me of the opposite. I was about to get hell for disrespecting him again and I was giving myself an imaginary slap on my face for giving in to my impulses.
‘Do you regret it?’ His tone much more casual than I expected. But was he really askingthatquestion!?
‘Regret? I don’t think I am the one who has something to regret. I didn’t enjoy it either, if that’s what you were really asking.’
