B0089ZO7UC EBOK by Jez Strider

my ring that he’d so spontaneously purchased.   We were both crazy, but I didn’t care.   With effort I worked up the nerve to take off the ring and I sat it on top of a note I had placed on the nightstand.   It simply read, “I love you.”   Had I told him before?   It seemed like I had but when I thought back, I didn’t remember.
    I gave the apartment one last look, before opening the front door as silently as I could.   His wallet on the kitchen counter caught my eye.   He may have remembered the address but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take it just in case he’d forgotten.   Everything was quiet when I went back to the door.   My boots sounded loud as I walked down the hallway and stairs.   I didn’t hear anything when I got downstairs except for the breathing of the guards who were unconscious.   They were both asleep at a cheap folding table in their chairs. Cards from their poker game were spread across the table along with a few that fell to the floor. It was tempting to take their weapons and storm Dante’s manor guns blazing.   I shook my head.   No.   I would stick to my plan.  I needed to survive.                                
    When I stepped outside, I breathed deeply.   I don’t know how I’d stayed inside for so long.   The escape from Versaille came to mind and I almost turned around.   It may have been like I was being imprisoned here, but it was ultimately my choice to go along with it. I was about to walk into a real hell, where I couldn’t leave if I wanted to.  
    The streets were silent as I walked swiftly toward the corner of the block.   Moths fluttered around the dim lights lining the pathway.   I put my phone up to my ear after dialing for a taxi.   The GPS put Dante’s mansion, or the road it was on, approximately twenty miles away.   My money should just barely cover the ride.   I wasn’t planning on leaving my fiancé there unprotected.     The best bet was to call the police to the apartment after the taxi arrived.   Bright lights and cops would surely deter any attackers.
    I finally rounded the corner and stopped just short of running into Antonio.   He was leaning up against the wall and shaking his head.   My grip on the phone slipped and it crashed to the pavement.   It was a mixture of fear, relief, and frustration when I realized who was standing in front of me.
    His eyes traced my form, up and down my body.   One of his fangs was faintly visible as he casually licked his bottom lip.     “Isn’t it dangerous for whores to be walking the streets, amore?”   He said the word “amore” bitterly and it made me take a step back.
    “It’s none of your business what I’m doing.”     I reached down and picked up my phone, intent on continuing as planned.   Of course I wanted to cry and run away from the hurtful words, but that wasn’t going to happen.   “Have you been watching me all this time?”
    “Every single night.”   Each word he spoke was annunciated slowly.   “You couldn’t imagine my torment when I’m standing below his bedroom window.”   He moved in a fluid motion from his position and took a step toward me, reaching out and grabbing me by the face with one hand.   It didn’t hurt, but it wouldn’t take much for him to make the grip painful.
    My eyes locked onto his and I didn’t flinch as he held me in the stare.   Both his fangs were visible now and he looked ferocious.     Eventually he let go of my face and lowered his gaze.   “Maybe you are ready.   You are going to turn yourself over to Dante, right?”
    “What was that?   A damn test?”   I asked.   “I don’t have time for this.   You’re going to ruin the plan.”   It was foolish, but I turned my back on him and attempted to dial for a taxi again.
    This time he grabbed me by my waist from behind and pulled me against his larger body. He inhaled my scent deeply before whispering to me with his mouth against my