Page 10 of Lust

His ocean green eyes twinkle in a way that has my treacherous tummy fluttering. His expression drops into something more serious, allowing me to actually breathe. “The flowers aren’t to convince you of anything. I just thought you might like them.”

I might not be the most knowledgeable woman when it comes to love, but I do know insincere crap when I hear it. I give him my best withering look and nod down to the flowers. “I smell bullshit over the scent of the roses.”

“Fine,” he says, lowering the bunch of roses, “but please let me in. There’s something I have to show you.”

I grip the edge of the door tightly and take a long unsteady breath. “Whatever it is, I don’t want to see it.”

He leans slightly to the side, resting on my door frame. It doesn’t help that he’s impossibly beautiful with a face that wouldn’t look out of place on a copy of teen heartthrob magazine. He goes to his signature move, pushing his hair back through his fingers. “Please let me inside, Quinn. I can’t show you this out here.” He turns and looks around him as though he expects anyone else would want to see whatever it is that he wants to show me. Last time I checked, there wasn’t a line-up of women for his dick, which is what I expect it is that he wants to show me. Then I remember Candice and the flutters in my stomach turn sour.

“Seriously Remy. Go show Candice your sorry tiny dick. I’ve seen it, and it’s not even worth the mention.” I’m lying. His cock is perfect and certainly not small, but I want to hurt him, even if it is with stupid sharp digs at his manhood.

“Quinn. Let me inside,” he orders, though anxiety threads through his voice. “Stop messing around.”

I put my hands to my hips, frustration bubbling through me as I meet his gaze. “I won’t stop mes…”

I’m cut off by his Hell Cell thrust in my face. A video clearly taken in the underwater labyrinth of the second trial in the pool in Purgatory is playing. The video is slightly grainy, but it’s clear enough to see exactly what’s going on. My heart lurches when I see Michael enter the frame from the right-hand side, Lucia, a couple of steps behind him. The whole picture is slightly green thanks to the color of the water that can be clearly seen through a long window.

“What’s this?” I ask, even though I already know what it is. My stomach lurches and it feels like a dead weight has been dropped into my chest cavity. I don’t want to watch the next part, knowing how it ended for both the people on the screen, but macabre curiosity has me glued to it and I can’t look away.

Remy’s eyes narrow and his voice becomes stern. “Keep watching.”

If my heart lurched when Michael and Lucia entered the frame, it almost implodes as Dade enters not far behind them. It’s clearly Dade too. Not some guy in a costume with fake wings. Even in the murky green of the picture, I can clearly see his face. My stomach twists itself into a knot and I feel sick just for watching this. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion, knowing someone is going to get hurt and being powerless to stop it. I desperately want to tear my eyes away, but I need to know what happened. I need the answer to the question that’s been haunting me for weeks. Did Dade kill Michael and Lucia? Lucia senses him first. She turns and says something. It’s silent so I can’t hear, but it looks like she’s shouting out Michael's name. To warn him? She doesn’t look scared. Annoyed maybe? It’s a small mercy, knowing what’s about to happen next. Her last moments weren’t in fear. Sure enough, Michael twists around. Half a second later, Dade brings out a long sword and slices it through the air, lopping Lucia’s head clear from her shoulders. Bile comes to my throat and cover the scream on my lips with my hand as her head lands somewhere off screen.

“Now can I come in?” Remy pushes past me into my room, but I don’t care anymore. I grab the Hell Cell from him and continue watching as he slams the door behind him. Michael actually tries to fight Dade off, but he’s no match. I’ve seen Dade's muscles and know how strong he is. Michael didn’t stand a chance. Michael’s head goes the same way as Lucia’s, but this time it lands on screen, eyes and mouth open in an empty scream of despair.

I can’t breathe. My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it roaring in my ears.

“Keep watching. You’re on there too.”

I flash my eyes to Remy. He’s sitting on my bed, the flowers splayed out next to him.

“Where did you get this?” I croak.

His face is set and his jaw hardens. “Does it matter? Watch to the end.”

It does matter. Of course it matters, but I need to know how I fit in to all this. I have no idea how I can be on this piece of footage. I wasn’t there. I know I’d remember this. And then it all comes back in a powerful rush. I do recognize this room. Dade had practically pulled me through it after telling me that Felix had murdered someone. I remember how he’d shielded me from the horror of seeing Lucia’s body. Even though morbid curiosity has gotten me so far, I can’t bear to see the rest. I don’t know what Dade did with the heads or Michael's body and I don’t want to know. No wonder Anthura was making it clear to everyone that Dade had murdered Michael and Lucia. It’s because she’s seen this. I briefly wonder why she didn’t out and out tell everyone rather than give heavy hints. Anthura isn’t one to hold back, but perhaps Hades told her not to. Knowing her, she wouldn’t want to spoil the games by announcing who the murderer was. Instead, she’s probably getting off on having us all terrified. It’s not like this whole damn situation isn’t terrifying enough. I collapse onto the bed, my feet dangling off the end to the floor. Sharp prickles on my back tell me I’ve fallen on the roses.

Remy leans over toward me, his floppy hair falling over his eyes. I feel trapped by his presence, unable to breathe and yet unable to push him away. I try to remain like stone, but my body is jittering under the skin.

“I told you he killed them, Quinn. I’m sorry I had to show you this, but I was worried you wouldn’t believe me after… what happened in London.”

My mind is too messed up to think about London right now. It’s not like we were even there. We were in this god-forsaken hell hole, one circle above in the Earthery. Just like everything else in my life right now, it’s just another lie.

“This doesn’t change anything with us,” I warn him, but as soon as the words exit my mouth, emotion wells up, and tears fall from my eyes. I wipe them away quickly with the back of my hand. I want to hate him, but I don’t push him away when he wraps his arms around me and holds me tight. It’s suffocating. Stifling. He brings his thumb up to my eyes and wipes away the tears before kissing my forehead softly. It’s soothing but also alien to me now. It’s not what I want and I’m paralyzed with uncertainty. I let him push my hair back, but I’ve mentally checked out. It’s only when his lips brush mine that I finally come to my senses. I sit up, pushing his arms from around me. “I can’t do this, Remy.”

Remy straightens, his posture changing to one of rigidity. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you.” His tone is matter of fact and almost business like. “I just hate seeing you so upset. I knew this would hurt you, and I deliberated in showing you, but I was scared.”

“Scared?” I don’t see fear in his eyes, but as I’m beginning to learn, I shouldn’t trust my own instincts about anything where men are concerned. A tense silence descends between us and I don’t know how to break it.

He stands from the bed. When he talks he sounds like he’s holding back anger, or maybe it’s just resignation. “I thought you might go back to Dade and then what would happen? I wanted to protect you.”

I shake my head sadly, an empty feeling in my chest. I rise from the crumpled flowers and hand Remy’s Hell Cell back to him. “Thank you for showing me this, but I’d like you to leave.”

Without uttering a word, he strides toward the door. Just before leaving, he speaks softly, “If you ever need me, you know where to find me.”

“With Candice?” I mumble under my breath.

His expression turns cold. “Not with Candice. I don’t want to be with Candice. I’ve told you that. One day, I hope you’ll believe me. I’ll be in my room… alone.”

---