Seven

Chapter 40

SEVEN'S POV

My mouth is dry, bone fucking dry and my throat is just as bad. Water, I need water.

I blink my eyes open and am not met with the usual light streaming in old netted curtains that I've been accustomed to lately. Instead it's dark, the pitch blackness of my room. Only now it smells of her. I reach blindly behind me, looking for the keypad by the headboard and tap one of the switches. Slowly and silently the blackout blinds open, the morning light reveals the sleeping beauty laying next to me in my bed.

In my bed. She's here. Lilianna is here, in my home, in my bed, with me.

Images from last night come to the front of my mind. Lilianna snatching the bottle from me. I glance down at my finger where a small cut is now healing and glance over at her. We made a blood promise last night, vows sealed in blood but I promised more to her then she even knows in that moment. I can't deny it any longer, I have fallen for her and whether she wants me or not I am completely and utterly hers. The realisation of this took its toll on me last night and sent me into a fearful state. I tried my best but eventually my old demons got the better of me, and I attempted to blank out my forthcoming of feelings, and I would have been successful had she not called me.

I detach myself from her small, soft body still limp in a deep slumber and roll myself out of bed. My body feels stiff all over, my ribs ache when I stretch at a certain angle. My arm feels twice it's size but looks completely normal and my head. Well fuck me I don't know if it's from the bat swing from Junior or the alcohol last night but it's throbbing like a bitch.

I curse under my breath as I feel over the back of my head and nudge at the stitches accidentally. I leave the sleeping angel in my bed asleep, taking one last glance at her in my bed before leaving the room in search for water to cure my parched throat. Seeing her in my bed gives me the weirdest feeling in my stomach. It's a warm, tingly feeling I've never known before but this is what she does to me. She makes me feel all kinds of things I don't understand or can't explain. At first it was maddening, then it got kind of exciting but was also terrifying when I began to understand the control she had over me and the way I felt. If she can make me feel all these amazing things she can no doubt make me feel the worst pain imaginable, much like the pain I felt the day I lost my dad. I vowed to never feel that way again but here I am, putting myself at risk of it.

I get myself a glass of water and chug the whole thing down in seconds. So I pour myself another and do the same before refilling my glass for a third time and bring it with me in search of my phone. Realising my feelings for Lilianna last night had me realising some other truths about what I'll need to do to keep her safe and first on that list is getting her out and as far away from that fucking club as I can. Because she refuses to quit I'm left with the only other option; to have her fired. And to get her fired I will have to talk to Victor.

Victor usually takes care of the hiring and firing in our establishments. Except with the escorts, those he filters through to a few of us to manage since they tend to work outside the vicinities. But the strippers and servers are usually all selected by him, his need to control and know everybody that is in and out of the clubs and that witness some questionable things; he knows the women he hirers silence can be brought for any cost.

I suppose it was pretty dumb of me to go and hire Lily without his knowledge, it would of only been a matter of time before he eventually found out. And for her to be behind the bar that day in what he considered a normal, too conservative outfit well...well I guess I made my intentions rather clear.

I'm hoping he won't see that now, I'm hoping he will buy into whatever bullshit reasoning I come up with for him to fire her. Then when she is finally away from the club I want to send her away for her safety, to wherever it was that my father sent my sisters and mother. The only person who can tell me where that safe place is, is Victor.