Chapter 41 THE CLIFF DATE
"Irina?" a voice called out from the doorway.
She smirked and turned toward the man. "Hello, Damian"
She stood amidst the carnage she had created.
"You're in town?" Damian asked, moving closer to her, his boots clicking against the floor stained with the bartender's blood.
"Obviously," Irina replied, her smirk widening as she licked a stray drop of crimson from her lip. "I just stepped into town"
Damian stopped a few feet away, his expression unreadable. "Why are you here? I thought you left forever"
"I changed my mind," she said, her voice a dangerous purr. "I miss my baby"
Damian let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "Nikolai?"
"Who else?" Irina’s eyes flashed with a sudden, sharp intensity. "You think I will come back to town because of you? Don't be delusional, Damian" She stepped past him, pausing just long enough to pat his shoulder with a hand that was still chillingly cold.
"Unfortunately to tell you this," Damian said, turning to watch her, "but Nikolai has replaced you"
Irina stopped dead, but she didn't turn around. A low, mocking laugh escaped her throat. "First of all, I can't be replaced. Her name is Anya, and she looks exactly like me. I know everything I want to know"
Damian’s brow furrowed. "That means you know Alexei is dead?"
The silence that followed was suffocating. Irina’s playful demeanor vanished instantly, her shoulders tensing under her blood-splattered dress.
"So I heard," she said, her voice now flat and devoid of emotion. "I'm out"
Without another word, she swept out of the bar and into the night, leaving Damian alone with the ghosts of her meal.
Damian stood among the bodies, the silence of the bar feeling heavier now that Irina’s chaotic energy had left the room. He stared at the door she had just vanished through, his mind racing with the implications of her return.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over a contact before he hit dial.
"Alina," he said as soon as the line picked up. "You won't believe this, but Irina is back. She just left my presence"
He didn't wait for a response. He ended the call and pocketed the phone, a grim look settling on his face as he looked around at the massacre Irina had left behind as her "welcome home" gift.
•••
AT A CLIFF
Marisa looked out over the edge, her heart racing as the wind whipped her hair across her face. Below, the dark ocean crashed against the jagged rocks with a violent roar. The moonlight turned the waves into shimmering blades of silver.
"Who brings someone here for a date?" she asked, shivering as she pulled her coat tighter around her.
"Someone called Shadow," he replied, his voice barely a whisper against the gale. He didn't look at the view but looked at her. "And call it a cliff date"
Marisa turned to him, her eyes wide. "It’s a bit... extreme, don’t you think? Most guys settle for a movie or a candlelit dinner"
Shadow took a step closer, his presence seeming to swallow the moonlight. "I'm not 'most guys,' Marisa. And you aren't 'most girls.' Why pretend we belong in a crowded room with cheap music and fake smiles?"
"So what do we do now?" Marisa asked, her voice hitching as the sheer intensity of his gaze made her knees feel weak.
Shadow didn't answer immediately. Instead, he scanned the rugged terrain until he found a flat, smooth rock sheltered from the direct blast of the wind. He gestured for her to sit, and as she settled down, he reached into the dark folds of his coat. He pulled out a dark bottle of wine and two small glasses.
"We drink this" he murmured. He poured the deep red liquid, which looked almost black under the moonlight. He handed her a glass, his fingers brushing hers, sending that familiar, icy spark through her veins.
"And then?" Marisa prompted, taking a cautious sip. The wine was heavy, tasting of dark cherries.
Shadow set his own glass down on the stone, leaning into her personal space until the only thing she could see were his eyes.
"And then," he whispered, his breath ghosting against her lips, "we kiss"
Marisa giggled, the sound light and airy, carried away by the salt-heavy wind. The wine was already making her head feel pleasantly heavy, and the anticipation of his lips on hers made her heart do a frantic dance. "You're very direct, Shadow," she whispered, her eyes fluttering shut as she leaned in, closing the distance between them.
Just as the tips of their noses brushed, a sharp, piercing melody sliced through the atmosphere.
The romantic tension shattered instantly. Shadow froze, his jaw tightening as the persistent ringing continued from inside his coat. He didn't move for a heartbeat, his eyes still locked on Marisa’s, dark with a sudden, flickering irritation.
"Aren't you going to get that?" Marisa asked, her voice breathy, her eyes slowly opening.
Shadow sighed, a sound of pure frustration, and reached into his pocket. He glanced at the screen, and the annoyance on his face vanished.
"I have to take this" he said.
He stood up and stepped a few paces away, toward the very edge of the cliff. Marisa watched him go. He didn't say much into the phone, mostly listening, his posture stiffening with every passing second.
"I understand," Shadow said into the receiver, his voice low. "I'll be there"
He tucked the phone away and turned back to Marisa.
"The date is over" he announced bluntly.
"What? Why?" Marisa stood up, her glass of wine nearly spilling. "Is everything okay?"
"For now, yes" he replied shortly.
"Shadow, wait!" Marisa called out as he turned to leave. She didn't want the night to end like this, not when they were seconds away from a moment she had been dreaming about all day.
Shadow didn't slow down. Marisa scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over as she hurried to follow him.
"You can't just leave me here!" she panted, her voice barely carrying over the roar of the ocean. "The car is miles away!"
"I will drop you at your hostel" Shadow said. He didn't turn back to look at her, but his pace slowed just enough to allow her to catch up.