I figured she was too busy to answer, and we weren’t even supposed to be on our personal phones at work.
Since Mo’s was on the opposite end of town, I caught a cab and had it take me over. It cost me way more than I should’ve been spending—especially since I’d already spent so much—but if they were swamped I knew I’d more than make it back.
But when the cab stopped outside the restaurant I was shocked to find the sign hanging on the door turned to CLOSED and all the lights off, which was odd since most nights Mo’s was open until midnight.
I glanced down at the phone again, making sure I hadn’t misread the message.
But the words were still exactly the same.
With a sudden bout of clarity, I realized what she was up to. She was trying to force me to talk to Liam. I knew I should have had the driver take me back to her apartment instead, but I selfishly wanted one last glimpse of him.
I paid the driver and stepped out of the car. He sped off, leaving me alone in the darkened parking lot.
There were a few cars parked around, but none I recognized.
I glanced up at the sign above the door with the restaurant name. Instead of an O in Mo’s, there was a smiling multi-colored monkey. I always found it to be cheery and quite funny, but something about it today seemed ominous.
Dismissing my paranoia, I opened the door and stepped into the restaurant. The chime above the door signaled my arrival, and I blinked several times, trying to let my eyes adjust to complete darkness.
I took a few steps, squinting as I tried to see.
After a few steps, my foot hit something solid where I couldn’t remember there being anything on the floor.
I looked down and after a few seconds I was horrified by what I saw.
A body lay on the floor with blood pooling beneath the torso.
“Oh God,” I choked, my hand flying to my mouth. “Talia,” I breathed. “No.”
I bent down, touching my hands to her clammy cheeks. “Talia,” I begged, “please. Open your eyes. Please.” Tears began to course down my cheeks and panic seized my body. There was only one person who could’ve done this. “Talia, can you hear me? If you can hear me, focus on my voice, please listen to me.” I smoothed her hair off her forehead and searched for a pulse with my other hand.
“She’s dead. They’re all dead,” spoke a chilly voice from the shadows.
I stood upright so fast I felt lightheaded. “What have you done?” I spat in the general direction of the voice.
“Only what had to be done, my dear.” His voice was cold and smooth like an alcoholic beverage. He was just as bitter, too.
“What do you want from me?” I cried, backing toward the door.
“Your loyalty.” His tone was still as calm as ever. Blaise rarely ever raised his voice. I heard him say once that calm was more frightening than anger, because calmness shows a lack of care or emotion. In other words, an angry person can be persuaded, but a calm one already knows their mind.
“Why?” I sobbed. “Why me?”
“You know why.”
I shook my head. “I’m not your property.”
“But you are.”
I eased closer to the door, but when I was about to make a run for it, two large hands clamped around my arms and held me prisoner.
“Not so fast, Scarlett.”
“My name’s not Scarlett,” I shouted, tears drenching my face. “And I don’t belong to you.”
The hands dragged me back into the room where I found myself shoved roughly into a chair.
“Thank you, Felix,” Blaise addressed the man that had forced me into the chair. “Look around you, Scarlett, what do you see?” Blaise spoke to me again from whatever shadow he hid like the fucking leech that he was.