find a way to take her before she actually walks on that stage. I start pacing up and down the hallway. There is no way in hell I’m letting her cell door out of my sight. If someone happens to come down here other than Gabe to deliver food, I will not look too suspicious just walking down the hall. Every time I walk by her cell, I peek in just to make sure she is still sleeping and every time I see her body still on the mattress, I feel a sliver of relief enter my body.
After what seems like an eternity of pacing up and down the hall, Gabe finally comes around the corner, pushing a cart full of food trays.
When he looks up and spots me heading toward him, he flinches.
“Hey, boss... didn’t expect to see you down here.”
I just give him a brief nod. I don’t have to explain myself to this guy and he knows that.
I walk past him and around the corner where he can’t see me, but I can still hear him. I count him opening and closing six food slots. Four girls were sent out today. I know this because I gave Luca the okay to take them to Rossi and his friends.
When he is done and I hear him walking back down the hall, toward where I am standing. I walk back around the corner as if I’d just returned to speak to him.
“Hey, Gabe… tomorrow is my off day so I’m going to take number five upstairs to pass my time, if you know what I mean. So, don’t worry about bringing her food again until Monday.”
“Sure thing, boss.” He scurries past me, pushing the cart in front of him, and I follow him to the elevator, pretending I’m taking the stairs back up. When the elevator doors close behind him, I turn around and head back to her cell.
I unlock it and step inside. She isn’t moving, the pills having knocked her out good just as I had hoped they would. At least if she's knocked out, her body can heal, and she isn’t in any pain.
I pick her up carefully, cradling her to my chest and make my way up to my apartment. I take the stairs up all four floors. I'm less likely to see someone on the staircase than on the elevator. No one takes the stairs in this place. They’re all a bunch of lazy fucks.
When I finally make it to my place without running into a single soul, I sigh in relief. The less people know about me taking her to my room the better. I walk inside and close the door behind me. Then I head into the bedroom and gently sit Violet on the bed, rolling her body to the side. I don’t want her lying on her back until I get to check on the marks on her back.
Peeling the shirt off her gently, I inspect her marred skin. I clench my jaw and force my hands to steady. Her whole back is covered in long, red, and swollen streaks. Some places are turning blue from bruising and in other places, the skin has actually broken. Her arms and shoulders are also marred, and there is one angry streak that crosses her beautiful face.
I’ve never felt this overwhelmed with guilt and fury in my life. I’m so fucking angry I want to kill everybody in this building. Everyone who ever touched her, scared her, or even looked at her. I want them all dead, every single person. I want to give her the vengeance that I know she deserves.
Pushing my anger aside, I get up and grab my little first aid kit out of the bathroom and start cleaning her broken skin before she wakes up.
Once I’m finished, I want nothing more than to get a whiskey from my office and drown myself in the entire bottle, but I promised her that I’d be here when she wakes up, so instead, I lay down next to her and watch her sleep.
I have no idea how much time passes until she wakes. It might have been hours or days. I don’t know, nor do I care. All I know that I don’t think I will ever get tired of just looking at her.
Even with her face bruised and swollen, she is still the most beautiful person I have ever laid eyes on. Her eyelids blink open slowly and for a moment, I