Chapter 33 Rendezvous
❦ Rosalind ❦
“Are you alright?” Marcus asked, his gaze searching mine.
“I’m fine,” I responded curtly.
My extremities buzzed with a mix of terror and excitement, and I’m horrified to realize that I’m looking forward to seeing Viktor again.
I can’t believe I’m walking to my death with stupid butterflies in my stomach.
I’d had to pick up Dante’s skin with the linen cloth and stuff it back in the box, which I hid in the boot of the car.
The throw-up hadn’t needed an explanation. I’m sure they’d expected me to get sick after seeing a man lose his entire wrist.
Viktor had asked me to come alone, and despite the warning bells in my guts, I didn’t tell Marcus about the threat/invitation. I knew how he would want to handle it, guns blazing and so on. I strongly believed a simple conversation would solve the misunderstanding. That’s all this was, a misunderstanding.
Immediately I got into the house, I hopped into the shower to wash the blood off my skin.
The water streamed down my face, my heart rate slowing as I recited my new mantra.
“I’m smart. I’m strong. I’m dangerous. I’m Rosa. Fucking. Marlow.”
At first, I didn’t feel very smart about choosing to accept Viktor’s invitation, but I repeated the mantra ten times and it suddenly made sense.
My personal soldato, who risked his life for me time and time again, was captured and being tortured. I wasn’t going to stand aside and just let him suffer.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
I jumped, almost losing my footing.
My bathroom door shuddered under heavy fists.
“Rosalind Marlow! I can’t believe you went out without me!” Juliana screeched from the other side.
I sighed.
“I didn’t want to wake you! Besides, it was dangerous!” I yelled back over the shower.
“I don’t fucking care! I just got here, you should be taking me sightseeing, on dates, anything… I don’t do well locked up, Rosa!”
I groaned heavily. God take me. I’d forgotten how clingy and outgoing Juliana was. Back in Boston, she slept by day and lived by night. She’s an influencer and likes to do outdoor content.
“I’m sorry, I’ll be right out!”
“Open the door,” she retorted.
“What?”
“Open up, I’ve got so much to tell you… remember Kade? The paperboy…”
Did she really want to get in here and gossip while I’m naked?
“Julie, I’m naked!”
“I can get naked too if that’ll make you more comfortable.” Her tone dropped suggestively.
“Ew no! Go away!”
“Fine, fine. Sheesh.” I heard her laugh and leave.
I rubbed my eyes under the stream of water. How the hell was I supposed to sneak out alone to meet up with Viktor now?
After my shower, I dried my hair and put on snug black jeans, stretchy enough to run in and scale fences if need be. I paired it with a grey crop hoodie and slipped my feet into a pair of sandals.
Studying my face in the mirror, I was pleased to see that I didn’t look like my problems. Ice gua sha had faded the bruises, and I looked good enough to throw myself into another season of dangerous adventure.
At dinner, Rafe and Rocco refused to join in, opting to glare out the windows with their hands never leaving their guns. I was tempted to tell them to relax, but I remembered how Viktor’s home had been attacked and left them to it.
“Soooo, who’s the lucky guy?” Juliana asked through a mouthful of yogurt.
“What lucky guy?” I peeked at my phone to check the time, 9 p.m. already. There hadn’t been a specified time on the note, but I was sure he’d be there.
She flipped her hair, ready to school me. “Well, you keep checking your phone, and you’re wearing something that exposes your sexy Venus piercings.”
I froze. Shit.
“Uh…”
“Oh come on, don’t give me that look. I’m your sis, you can tell me anything. I just need one favour.”
I squinted at her suspiciously. “What?”
“Tell him to bring a friend. It’s a double date now, ’cause I’m coming.”
Hell no.
“Coming where?” I tsked. “Girl, I’m not going anywhere. This is just comfy home clothes. You’re so restless, you try to find an outing in every situation.”
“Oh? Good. Then you’re coming… with me.”
Claudia shuffled around the table, delivering batch after batch of finger foods, an amused smile on her face. I just knew she was happy to see Juliana getting on my case. Traitor.
“Coming with you where?” I made a show of rolling my eyes. “It’s not safe to be out just yet. I told you…”
“So get this. Before I came over, I made a friend online, and he invited me to some exclusive club tonight. I initially refused ’cause I didn’t want to leave you unattended, but since you have no plans, we’re going.”
“But you said you declined. What if he’s gotten another date?” I stifled a smirk. Juliana hated competition.
“I’ll text him right now, and if he changes his mind, I’ll kill him.” She sneered.
I prayed very hard for her mysterious date to cancel the invitation. I had plans. Plans that involved sneaking out, to a date of my own.
I choked on grape juice.
Scratch that. Definitely not a date, more like a meeting with the devil. The man skinned my soldato. Why the fuck am I so excited to see him again?
Focus, Rosa.
“Where did he invite you to?”
“Ugh, he’s not even responding. I swear, men these days wanna be princesses. Some place named Club Lux…”
I choked again.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” Juliana circled the table to thump on my back.
“T-thanks… yeah.”
Oh my God. Even if I successfully evaded her to go to Viktor, she might leave after me and we’d run into each other at Club Lux. And who knew what would go down. I’d hate to have something happen to my cousin.
With a well-meaning glare, I took a deep breath. I hope I don’t regret this. I pulled her closer to whisper so the soldatos wouldn’t hear and try to follow us.
Viktor might excuse a plus one, but a plus three would definitely piss him off.
“Fine. You caught me. I am leaving to meet someone. You can come along.” I hissed into her ear.
Hopefully Viktor would think twice about hurting me if there was a witness. An innocent, unconnected witness.
“Yaaay!” she yelled like a child. I immediately shushed her.
“Be discreet. We have to go alone. And wear something comfortable, It’s not a date.”
Juliana made a motion of locking her mouth and throwing away the key. Then she stepped back and did a salute.
I massaged my temples.
She all but ran up the stairs, attracting the attention of Rafe and Rocco, but when they looked at me, I just smiled.
I left the kitchen area to wait for her by the hallway. While I waited, the nerves returned. I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake.
I checked the hallway drawer where Claudia kept the spare keys and other random junk. Sure enough, there was a small black pistol in there. I stashed it in my crossbody bag.
Juliana reappeared.
I ran my gaze over her high boot-heel clad legs, to her tight jean shorts, and tube top. She wore a little cute jacket over it. Hair pulled into a dark ponytail and some eyeshadow. How did she dress up so fast?
“Can you run in those?” I asked, pointing at her heeled boots.
She clenched her fists and ran in place. Amazing form. Good enough for me.
“Follow me.”
Backs hunched like thieves doing a heist, we shuffled past the kitchen, avoiding the gazes of our housemates, and left through the back door.
We snuck through the back porch, Juliana copying my every step as I avoided the range of the motion sensor.
When we reached the other side of the bushes, I pulled out my phone and ordered a Lyft ride. We waited, my heartbeat pattering in fright of my soldatos finding out our plot and foiling it.
But that didn’t happen. Soon, we stepped out of the car and stood in front of Club Lux, its large neon sign showering us in a red glow.
I turned to Juliana.
“I wasn’t completely honest with you. We’re not here to have fun. We may end up dodging bullets tonight. Can you handle that?”
I waited, hoping she’d change her mind and go home.
Her eyes gleamed with hunger.
Her lips pulled back in a feral grin that said she intended on having as much fun as possible.
“I’m the bullet that needs dodging, Bambina.”