God and Monsters

Chapter 20

"Shit," Rio mutters after Francesca leaves, his movements quickening.

My brows plunge, and my heart picks up speed from his obvious concern. "Claire?" Who's Claire?"

He glances at me, and I watch him visibly shut down, like pulling a string and the blinds slamming over his eyes. Whoever Claire is, she's to be feared. Ignoring me, Rio finishes bandaging me up, and then grabs my arm and forces me into an upright position. He walks to my dresser and opens the drawers, throwing random articles of clothes at me.

"What-Rio, what the fuck is wrong with you?" I snap, a shirt smacking me directly in the face.

"Claire is the one who put the target on your head," he says, keeping his voice an octave above a whisper. Then, he walks to me and helps me slip into my clothing like I'm a toddler, but I'm too scatter-brained to stop him. My heart thuds heavily, panic circulating throughout my system.

I've no idea who the fuck this woman is, but it's clear she has some type of connection with Lisa. That's the only reason a random woman would put a target on my head, right? However, I swear I've met a Claire before... but my brain is too muddled to recall where and what she looked like. Or her significance to me or Lisa.

He grabs me by the shoulders, his face severe. "Be very careful with that mouth of yours, princesa. Matter of fact, keep it shut."

I tighten my lips and nod my head. Lately, I've been too tired-too weak -to fight back. I walked into this house with my fire lit, and within two months, the proverbial fingers have pinched the flame, leaving only a trail of smoke behind.

All I need is a spark, and maybe... maybe it can be reignited.

My stomach twists with anxiety as I follow Rio down the hallway. A dull ache throbs between my thighs, reminding me with every step of what I'm desperately trying to forget. Something Xavier aims explicitly for. It's also a reminder that Lisa may not want me anymore-something I've come to terms with already. I never thought I'd want to lose her obsession... but how could I not? I'm filthy now.

Rio walks ahead of me without a glance, tightening the knot forming in my stomach. There's an ice-cold fortress shrouded around him, as solid as the tension in his shoulders. It feels as if he's distancing himself from me because I'm about to be sent off to war, and he's never going to see me again. Some days, I still hate him for what he's done to me, but I won't lie to myself and say that we haven't built a bond, either. He's been an emotional crutch for me these last two months, and I've begun to figure him out by now. If he's acting this way, it's for a reason.
And that makes me really fucking nervous.
I pad down the stairs, quiet voices rising from the living room. Rocco stands in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water and staring at me with his beady little eyes. I keep my head down, watching my bare feet travel across the dirty floor. I just cleaned it two days ago, but Rocco and his friends act like there's glass on the floor and insist on wearing their muddy boots around the house. My eyes focus on a perfect set of footprints that trail into the living room, leading right to two sets of heels. The new incomer has mud caked on her shoes, too. How fucking rude.

A throat softly clears, and I finally lift my stare. Immediately, I regret it. The shock of who I'm looking at nearly knocks me right onto the dirty footprints. Claire... I've definitely met her before. She's Mark's wife. The senator who had tried to abduct me before, and the one Lisa viciously murdered the night of Satan's Affair. I remember meeting her the night Mark invited us to a charity event at his house. She was frail, subdued, and seemed so nice. Why did she put a target on my head? Out of revenge for her husband? That has to be it. Lisa murdered Mark, so now she's taking her anger out on her by getting me kidnapped and sold.
But Jesus, what's there to be mad about? The man obviously abused her.