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The questions linger on my tongue.
“I don’t even want to go, let alone be left there.”
“Well, you are, so get your fucking shoes on and head toward the door.”
Half of me wants to fight him while the other half just wants to comply. I know what’s going to happen after all this is done, and I’m dreading it.
As if Hero can read my mind, he takes a warning step toward me. Am I supposed to be afraid of him? “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Just do what I tell you to. Keep your mouth fucking shut and nothing bad will happen.”
I cross my arms over my chest, staring him down, refusing to let him treat me like dirt. “And what if I don’t, then what happens?”
He remains very still. The air between us sizzles. It’s so hot, I can feel it zinging against my skin.
Hero is tense, angry, and…it turns me on.
“Death. Rape. I don’t fucking know, Elyse. But there is more to this than you and me. If you want to make it out of his alive, you’ll listen to me…”
I gulp around the bubble of fear forming in my throat.
Death? Rape? How deep does this go? What has Hero gotten himself into? I knew he was dark and had a past, that he was hiding things, but now, I’m reconsidering everything. He keeps pushing me, farther and farther away, claiming it’s what’s best for me, and for so long, I’ve told him it isn’t.
But maybe he’s right—maybe he’s been right all along.
***
We pull into the parking lot of Night Shift. I only know this because of the half-lit neon sign that hangs on the front of the building. The place makes bile rise into my throat and my stomach churn. I think I might puke. I fidget with my hands as Hero kills the engine. I’ve never been to such a vulgar place.
He shifts in his seat to face me. It’s so dark outside, it makes it hard to see him.
“I can see your nervousness from a mile away, and they will too. Stop fidgeting, take some deep breaths, and calm down.”
I do as he says, but the air refuses to enter my lungs. It feels like everything is tightening, disallowing to let even a single molecule of air in. “Do I have to go in? I can just stay out here and wait for you.” My voice is filled with worry, my thoughts consumed with the fact that this might be the last time I’m alive. Why would Hero bring me here? Why would he subject me to this?
To make an example. The thought appears inside my head before I can stop it.
Hero shakes his head at my question. “No. You’re going inside with me. I can’t trust you’ll be safe in here, especially not where we are right now.”
My hands shake as I reach for the door handle. I want to glue myself to the seat. But if I don’t get out and go inside, Hero will force me, and that’ll be one hundred times worse.
Digging deep inside myself, past the fear and sadness, I open the car door and step out onto the pavement. There’s a cold breeze, and I realize I should’ve brought a jacket. Hero walks in front of me instead of beside me, his strides full of purpose and strength. He’s walking with his head held high, while I’m shivering in fear.
As we get closer to the building, I see a guy standing outside it. His face doesn’t hold an ounce of emotion, and he doesn’t even look at Hero and I as we slide inside. I wrinkle my nose at the smells assaulting my nose.
Smoke clings to the air, and I start to cough as I suck the tainted air into my lungs.
Hero pulls me into his side as we travel deeper into the building. There’s a dimly lit bar off to the right side of the room, and a huge stage where lights flash in several colors. I know what a strip club is. I might be naive and sheltered, but I’m not stupid.
Music softly plays in the background, and I notice quite a few men lingering at tables near the stage. Hero doesn’t pay any attention to these things, though. He just keeps walking, almost as if he’s angry. We veer off to the left, down a long, dark hall, then take another left.
I can hear someone moaning off in the distance and look up at Hero to ask him about it. He merely shakes his head at me. My mind starts to wander. The woman sounds like she’s happy, but is she really? Are they abusing her? Hurting her?
We stop a moment later in front of a door. It’s painted red, and I wonder if that’s because they bring people into this room to kill them.
