| BOOK ONE OF THE VENANDI SAGA | A DARK MAFIA ROMANCE |
Teeth scrape over skin as he nips at my earlobe, "I told you..." Threading his fingers through the strands at my nape, he rolls my head to the side and his lips continue their exploration, "...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Clad in basic, black sweats, I trudge quietly down the drab, pre-fab corridor outside my quarters, picking distractedly at the bandage on my head. Beige walls border beige tile laminate in an endless tunnel of blah - the pale, yellowish-brown made more depressing by the glaring overhead lights. It's a stark contrast to the plush, welcoming interior I encountered upon waking and I find myself wondering how many of the doors we've passed house luxury accommodations.
...or an invaluable masterpiece.
"So-uhhh... What is this place?"I grumble, to the paid muscle in front of me, "Some kind of hotel for posh mercenaries?" At his insistence, Raphe assigned me a pair of nameless, interchangeable security guards to serve as escorts. An arrangement none of us were keen to accept. Presumably, the naked sleepwalking failed to endear me to the local residents while the lump on my head would argue they got what they deserved. In any case, my question is met with the usual non reply and once again, we're thrust into an awkward lull. Thankfully, Raphe's office is a short trip to the opposite end of the world's most boring hallway... with the world's worst entourage.
Stamping our arrival, knotted knuckles give a couple quick taps on plain, wood veneer. A gold name plate indicates...
MEDICO
...before giving way to Raphe's affable countenance, "Ah, good," he greets, "You're here." Withdrawing from frame, he ushers, "Let him in. Let him in," and matching urban fatigues part to an open doorway.
Eager to see Eden, I shove past, "E?" hoping to find her curled up in a bunk - those bright eyes peeking out over a pile of bedding. "Eden?" I chirp, scanning the room. Though considerably larger than my own, it only takes a second or two to determine she isn't here. Her absence is an immediate punch to the relief I felt upon hearing she was okay and deflating, I look to Raphe, "Where is she? I thought-"
"She's right through there..." Twisting, he jabs his thumb at a set of double doors on a steel frame - the kind you'd see in a hospital...
...or a morgue.
Embedded in the center of each flap, a small window, no larger than a human head, offers a glimpse into the ivory lodgings hidden behind their heavy panels. Instantly, I rush forward, "Thank, God. Eden!"
"Whoa," Raphes moves to intercept, "Hold your horses, Meat. I think we should have a little chat first."
"Wha-" I grunt, "A little chat? Now?" Gently nudging him, I snort, "Okay... All due respect, we can talk later. I need to see my girl." As soon as my fingertips graze his shoulder, I feel an overly harsh grip clamp around my bicep. Anticipating the jarring, jerking motion that's sure to follow, I whip around and my elbow cracks the bridge of whoever-the-fuck is holding me.My momentum carries me the rest of the way as I round on nameless guard number two. Snarling, "C'mon, asshole," I square with him. Hazel irises regard me with as much interest as one might show a gnat buzzing in their ear.
