Page 37 of Gemini
“Okay.”
He kissed my forehead, then turned for the door. As he closed it halfway, the room grew darker. Even alone in a strange place, somehow, I wasn’t afraid. I closed my eyes and waited for him to return.
I stirred in my sleep as I heard the opening and closing of a door. Someone talked nearby but the words were muffled. There was the dull sound of something heavy dropping on the ground, then the voice grew louder.
“They got what they fucking deserved,” came a familiar voice just outside the room, low and angry. “It wasn’t enough. I wished we’d done more.”
There was a pause and then a low grunt.
“I told you, I don’t give a fuck if it was reckless. They started this. They fucked with her, they still have her sister. It’s war. And frankly, I’ve been itching to stab someone for a long time.” Another pause then. “They weren’t all there, but enough of them were, that's all that matters. No, Jasper wasn’t but I’ll track that motherfucker down and snap him in half.”
There was another loud thud, which started to wake me further.
“I’ll kill every last one of them. I swear to god, I will, and you aren’t going to stop me.” Another pause and I heard mumbling but didn’t catch the words.
For a moment the voice was too low to hear. Then light spilled into the room. I heard soft footsteps enter and come overto the bed. I kept my eyes shut, wondering if it was Dom. I felt a hand on my shoulder, then a set of knuckles on my cheek. I didn’t stir as they brushed along me. The hand then lifted and petted my hair.
“Andrea take care of her?” came the gruff voice. It was Leslie.
A shadow blocked out the light, and I knew it had to be Dom at the foot of the bed. I imagined he was signing something to his brother. Leslie seemed satisfied with his answer because he brushed the hair away from my face and said, “She looks better without all the blood. But the bruises are coming in already.” He cursed, his hand lifting away from my head. “Good thing you were here for her.”
There was a moment of quiet then Leslie made a low noise. “Andrea gave her the strong stuff, huh? I’ve been meaning to ask for a refill.”
I laid perfectly still as I assumed Dom signed at him. Leslie’s hand went to my arm and squeezed gently. “What are you trying to say, Dom?”
I heard Dom let out a heavy sigh. More light spilled into the room as he opened the door wider.
“Alright, I got it.”
They left the room, closing the door behind them.
For a while I laid in a sort of daze, trying to listen for Leslie’s voice but hearing nothing. After a while, I stopped trying and fell back asleep.
At some point, I half woke again to the feel of someone lying against me, their arm draped over me. I assumed it was Dom and didn’t move. Several times in the night, I woke in a groggy state to look over and make sure he was there. Each time he was, I went back to sleep. A couple of times, I caught him with his eyes open watching me, black eyes shining in the dark.
Once, however, just once, I thought they had looked green.
CHAPTER TEN
My eyes fluttered open and were met with darkness. I didn’t know where I was, staring into the dark. Panic started to grip me until all the memories came rushing back. It almost felt like a dream—or a nightmare. I wish it had been. But reality hit me and, as I shifted my body, I felt how sore I was. Probably not as sore as I would have been if I hadn’t had the pills or had taken the bath.
I laid there for a moment, listening. Then I turned over, expecting to see a pair of dark eyes staring back, only to find the other side of the bed empty.
Pulling up the covers, a shiver raked over me. I felt more alone than ever. Tears started to sting my eyes, but I blinked them back. I really missed my sister.
What if she was alone and beaten just like me? What if she was trapped somewhere? A sob started to bubble in my chest.
No, no, I had to keep it together. I had no idea what time it was. I needed to let work know I wouldn’t be in. Once I got my bearings, I’d find Dom and figure out how we were going to get my sister back.
I remembered the words that creepy gang leader from last night had said about Trish.
She’s alright…at least I think…she liked getting into trouble…now she’s paying.
My hands tightened into fists. They would pay if they hurt her.
I pushed through the pain and slowly forced myself up into a sitting position. I searched around and noticed a nightstand next to the bed with a lamp. Reaching over, I flicked it on.
I blinked a few times, my eyes squinting as I peered around. The room was minimal just like the rest of the apartment. A couple of art pieces hung on the walls, a small bookcase was placed in one corner. There was a mirror by the door but I refused to look, not yet ready to see just how fucked up I was. A black dresser sat nearby and on top of it was my bag.
