Page 74 of The Viper

As much as Adrian is a total asshole, he’s still my brother.

Marco and I walk out to find Frank waiting by the car. I slide into the back and throw the ledger beside me so I can look at it once I’m home. “I hate to say it, but your brother is a dick,” Marco says once we’re away from the building.

“You don’t have to tell me.” I close my eyes and rub at the tension building across my forehead and behind my eyes. Flashes of my Rosa flicker, making it difficult to push her out of my thoughts.

She’s never coming back.

I just need to focus on my work, and forget about her.

Rose

“Are you okay?’ I ask Eliza, who’s laying in a fetal position on the bed we’re sharing.

“I’ll be fine.”

I reach out to rub her back, and when my hand makes contact, she flinches. It’s been three days that we’ve been in this shit hotel room. But it’s quiet, which is what Eliza needs. The hotel itself is clean, yet dated. Thankfully, I was able to rent a room by the month here, so at least I know we have a roof over our head for a month.

“I need to go to work, Eliza.”

“Okay,” she murmurs.

“I won’t go if you need me to stay.”

“No, I’ll be fine.”

No, she won’t be. She’s been in bed since we arrived, and I doubt she’ll be getting out of it today. “Can you take a shower before I return, please?”

“Yeah,” her voice is weak.

There’s no way she’s going to move from the bed unless she needs to go to the bathroom. I head into the small kitchenette and turn the faucet on to get her a glass of water. I return to the bed, and sit on the edge. “Here.” I hold the glass out to her.

“I’m not thirsty.”

“I don’t care, I need you to have a mouthful before I leave.”

She blinks up at me, and releases a long breath before sitting up and taking the glass from me. “I don’t want this for you, Rose,” she says.

“The glass?” I ask, confused.

“No.” She lifts the glass and takes a sip. Lowering it, she looks around the room. “This. You deserve so much more than this shit hellhole I’ve dragged you into.”

“Stop it,” I say in a warning tone. “You’ve gone through a lot, but it would be a massive help if you’d tell me why you married him to begin with.” Her shoulders tighten as does her jaw. She’s not telling me anything. I’ve been asking her since the day we got here, but she’s stubborn and is refusing to tell me. “I wish Mom and Dad were here, they’d be able to help you.”

“Yeah, right,” she says sarcastically as she rolls her eyes. “Mom and Dad?” Eliza sneers now whenever she speaks of them.

“Hey, what’s that about?” I feel my forehead crinkle with concern. This is not the first time she’s shown any annoyance toward them. “Do you know something that you’re not telling me, Eliza?”

She places the glass on the rickety bedside table and sinks back into bed. Eliza turns on her side, her back to me. “No,” she finally replies.

I know Eliza is hiding something, I just wish I knew what it was. I release a frustrated sigh and stand. “Okay, I need to get to work.”

“Love you, Rose,” she says in a small voice.

“I love you too.” I grab my sweater and head out the door. I sling my sweater on as I walk down the motel stairs and head toward the bus stop down the road. I keep my head down as I cross the street, but I notice a sleek black car parked. “Interesting,” I murmur to myself and make a mental note of the tags when I pass it. I try to look in, but the windows are tinted so dark that it’s impossible to see who’s inside.

Discreetly, I keep an eye on the car as I wait for the bus. Once the bus arrives, I get on and sit toward the middle. The bus departs and I turn to see if the black car is following. Thankfully, it doesn’t. “I’m going crazy,” I murmur to myself and relax when we turn the corner and the black car stays.

By the time I arrive at work, I’ve talked myself out of the conspiracy theories that have been circling in my brain.

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