NEVERLAND

by Melissa Jane

  NOW

  “Just a little prick,” Momma G cooed, her hazy face appeared above. If she’d already pushed the needle in, I didn’t feel it. I felt nothing. I was dead inside.

  I’d been laid on Dominic’s table, Blaze’s lifeless body having been torn from my arms so my wounded shoulder could be seen to.

  My head lolled to the side, the effect of whatever drug had been injected was now taking me to a place I didn’t care to return from. Men, all dressed in black clothes moved around the room with purpose. The clean-up-crew. The fact that Dominic even had a number for such a business told more of the cruel type of person he was.

  Two men positioned Blaze’s body on the edge of the plastic and began to roll her up like she was a carpet to be disposed of. Once they were finished with her body, there’d be no evidence to prove Dominic Salvatore was a cold-blooded killer. Other men moved around the room cleaning odd spots of blood, wiping walls, and spraying carpet.

  Not wanting to see any more, I rolled my heavy head to the other side. Dominic sat in his high-back leather chair, one leg hooked over the over, his finger tapping his knee. His expression was difficult to read as he watched me. He was stony-faced, contemplative, and… victorious.

  His eyes searched mine, looking for something, anything.

  “I hate you,” I mouthed because I didn’t know if I was present enough to make any sound.

  He understood loud and clear, the corners of his lips twitching with satisfaction.

  “Do it now,” he said, and although his stare remained locked to mine, his instruction wasn’t directed at me.

  “The area is not numb enough yet, Dominic,” Momma G chided. “I need to wait another—”

  “Do. It. Now.” His dark eyes glinted with excitement, the same way they had when he pulled the trigger and blew Blaze’s brain all over me.

  Hands wrapped around each ankle and wrist, securing me in place.

  “I’m so sorry, Lucy,” Momma G said, remorseful for what she was about to do. What happened next was worse, monumentally worse than anything I’d ever experienced. Momma G’s finger unapologetically dug into the wound, rummaging around for the lodged bullet. An explosion of pain resulted in a blood-curdling scream, one that brought sheer joy to Dominic’s malevolent face.

  While I bucked and strained to free my limbs from those pinning me down, I took in every inch of the man I loathed. I took in every feature, every freckle, the way his nostrils flared when he was excited. Because I was going to make him pay. And when that day came, I wanted to slowly destroy him until he no longer resembled himself.

  I felt every suture as Momma G sewed the wound together, followed by an extra splash of alcohol to disinfect the area. Dominic hadn’t taken his eyes off me for a second during the whole process, and I wondered if he was taking in every feature of mine like I did his.

  I wondered what else the sadistic madman had in store in for me.

  I wondered if it were even possible to destroy any more of me.

  I had nothing left to give.

  My peripheral vision was a blank space, eyelids so heavy, I fought to keep them open. Dominic scooped me into his arms, my head lolling against his chest.

  Thud.

  Thud.

  Thud.

  The rhythmic sound told me that monsters had hearts even if they were made of ice. He carried me down the stairs, kicked open the heavy red doors to the back alley and laid me on the back seat of the car.

  “Is young Miss all right?” I heard a concerned Roy ask.

  “She fell down the stairs. Take us to her apartment.”

  Car doors slammed closed, and Dominic rested my head on his lap, the car’s motion lulling me to sleep. I woke in his arms, once again being carried, this time down the hall to my bedroom. He lowered me onto the bed with the type of care a loving mother would have for her sick child.

  I heard him at the bathroom sink, moments later returning to my side. I forced my eyes open, because being alone with Dominic when he held all control was a terrifying predicament to be in. His fingers brushed over breasts, leaving a burning sensation in their wake. Unclasping my bra, he pulled each arm through the straps, taking extra care with my injured shoulder.

  From there, his touch traveled down my bare stomach where he hooked his thumbs over my panties and slowly inched them down my thighs. He took his time, relishing what he saw and the fact I couldn’t fight back. Finally pulling them over my feet, he sat on the edge of the bed and with a damp, warm cloth, Dominic wiped my face of Blaze’s dried blood.

  “I know it wasn’t you who stole the wallets,” his voice rumbled through the darkness, dragging the cloth across my forehead.

  Tears slipped down my temples. “Why did you kill her?” It sounded more like an exhale but he heard.

  Dominic didn’t answer, not for quite some time. He just continued wiping my face and rinsing the cloth.

  “Because I could,” he finally admitted.

  I needed to vomit but couldn’t move.

  Dominic Salvatore called himself God because at the click of his fingers, he could take our lives away like the world would never miss us. And he was probably right. No one would give a damn.

  “Because I could.” He continued, “And I’ll do the same to you if you try to double-cross me.”

  “What did I ever do to you?” I asked, sobbing as much as the drugs would allow. “What did I do for you to hate me so much?”

  Dominic lowered his face, lips grazing mine before he kissed me. It was a gentle kiss for a man who was reminding me I was just a possession. “Lucy, if I hated you, you’d already be dead.”

  ~~~

  I swayed unsteadily in the middle of the dressing room and stared at the table Blaze would use to do her make-up. Her belongings were still there, including her favorite shade of lipstick. I touched the smooth gold tube and silently cried for my lost friend.

  Dominic forced my return to work only two days after the brutal murder. Of course, I couldn’t call it that, but in my head, I could call it exactly what it was. Blaze’s death would be brushed under the very carpet she died on, with most of us carrying the secret to our graves. Anton could be tortured in Guantanamo Bay prison and still not say a word against Dominic. Momma G’s devotion extended beyond what anyone could comprehend considering he wasn’t always so nice to her. And then there was me. No loyalty or devotion to anyone but consumed only with the desire to run.

  I was a liability and while Dominic claimed if he wanted me dead, I’d already be dead, it was only a matter of time before he put me six feet under.

  We can give you a way out.

  Jason’s voice rang as a reminder. He and Simon were certain they could free me of this situation. Adamant they could get me far, far away from Dominic Salvatore.

  Perhaps if I’d accepted their offer, Blaze wouldn’t be dead. What I did know for sure was, Blaze was either made an example of, or the wallets in the locker were a setup.

  “That’s my spot now,” the little girl who’d been hired to replace Blaze interrupted my thoughts and attempted to squeeze between me and the table. She wasn’t dressed for drink service today, she would be taking Blaze’s set time. But that wasn’t what annoyed me about her. I didn’t know what it was, but if I could liken her to anything, it would be a snake.

  “Use the one around the corner,” I snapped, solidifying my position.

  “Jesus, why are you crying?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “Your friend left, she’s not dead.”

  Stupid, stupid, girl.

  I fantasized about making her dead when a shrill scream tore through the outside hall, echoing over the incessant hum of music. Taking Blaze’s lipstick, because it was something iconic, I left the dressing room to see what was happening. I flattened my back against the wall when two distressed girls came barreling down the narrow walkway.

  “What’s happening?” I asked, reaching to gain their attention, forgetting about my injured shoulder. I doubled over in pain, my whole
arm throbbing. “Shit, shit, shit!” I cursed, gritting my teeth, and fighting the urge to pass out. Pulling the short sleeve of my dress over my shoulder, I inspected the bloodied bandage. My guess was that I’d just torn open the stitches.

  The girls didn’t care and continued their way to the dressing room, slamming the door behind them.

  “Diamond,” Momma G called, looking frazzled and nervous, both very unlike her.

  “What’s happening?” I attempted again.

  Her focus remained down the hall like she expected someone to come charging through. When nothing happened, she finally addressed me. “Diamond, you need to get to the dressing room and stay there. Do you understand?” She ran past, leaving me more confused.

  “Momma G!” I called, feeling my own sense of panic.

  Momma G paused at the door. “And don’t come out until I come and get you,” she warned.

  But it was too late for her warning. In the time it took for the door to swing open and closed, I saw a glimpse of his irate face.

  “Oh, no! No, no, no, no,” I repeated hoping if I said it enough times it wouldn’t be true. But this was bound to happen. How could it not? Dominic was a fool to think Blaze wouldn’t be missed by anyone.

  Forgetting consequences, I ran toward the booming voice, a voice lost in a rage of ever-consuming grief. When I pulled the door open, I came face to face with a horde of angry people. Three security guards ushered frightened VIPs through to the main club. Anton practically had steam come from his nose, nostrils flaring with a need to smash his fist against something or someone. Momma G had swept the floor of girls and now acted as backup for whatever good she could do. And in the middle of it was Dominic, who wore a mask of stoicism, yet behind it was a need for revenge. Revenge because Dominic’s reputation was everything to him. His father, the same. Anyone or anything who brought their company into disrepute would face their full wrath, or as witnessed two nights ago, an execution-style death.

  Facing off with him was a furious Jonny. He didn’t just use his voice to garner attention. The sawn-off shotgun he callously waved about with his finger on the trigger had everyone ducking and weaving.

  Dominic shot me a warning look. Did he not think Jonny would come looking for Blaze after she failed to return home?

  “Where the fuck is Nicole?” he bellowed using her real name most would be unfamiliar with.

  “She’s not here,” Dominic replied flatly, looking like he was quietly preparing for war.

  “Well, that just don’t make sense now do it? Because she never made it home after her shift.”

  “So something happened on her way home—”

  “Wrong again. Nicole’s messaged me every night for the last three years before she walks out those goddamn doors to tell me she’s on her way. And guess what I didn’t get two nights ago?”

  Dominic smiled in mockery. “It’s taken you this long to come looking?”

  “Don’t get fucking cute with me, asshole. Tell me where the fuck she is, or I swear I’ll blow this motherfucking place up and everyone in it.” For added effect, he pulled the trigger. The room exploded into frightened screams and cries for help, the chandelier bursting into a plume of splinters and shards. Everyone ducked and huddled, hands covering their face. All except Dominic. He remained defiant against his opponent and showed no fear. There was nothing in this world that rattled Dominic Salvatore.

  The room had fallen into partial darkness when Jonny turned to see me, my back against the wall. He paused, his fury put on hold.

  “Diamond.” When he said my name, I felt his pain, his eyes glistening. “Have you seen her? Have you seen Nicole?”

  Dominic’s face appeared over Jonny’s shoulder, once again issuing a warning. I didn’t need to be warned, I knew what punishment awaited.

  I swallowed the truth. “N-No,” I stammered. “I haven’t seen her.”

  His nostrils flared, upset with my response. “Diamond, please,” he pleaded, shoulders sagging as he gave into the grief he’d been hiding behind his testosterone. “I know something bad has happened to her. I just know—”

  Jonny catapulted sideways, tackled by Dominic’s men in his moment of weakness. The room erupted into chaos of an all-out brawl. Although he was heavily outnumbered, Jonny didn’t go down easy, and being a big Southern man, he swung and tackled his way into a decent battle.

  Momma G appeared from a dark corner and pulled me aside just as the scrum of men smashed into the wall. “I told you not to come out,” she barked, angry at my defiance.

  “How could I not?” My shoulders shook with sobs and Momma G simply nodded, her lips pursed together. She knew Blaze and I were close.

  One of the guards heaved Jonny up and dropped him onto the glass table. It stood no chance and broke beneath him. Dominic’s men were beyond angry and weren’t going to let Jonny off easy. He clawed desperately at the arm hooked around his neck, his face swelling from lack of oxygen.

  “Don’t do this,” I yelled. “Just let him go—”

  “Get this piece of shit out of here,” Dominic ordered. With some difficulty, the men dragged a kicking and bucking Jonny out the fire door and into the alley. I went to follow but was shoved hard against the wall, Dominic pulling my hair so I faced him.

  “You better keep that sweet little mouth of yours shut, Lucy,” he seethed through bared teeth. “If you’re so brave to enter a wolf pack, then you can expect to be eaten alive.”

  “He doesn’t deserve this. You—”

  Dominic clasped my jaw, digging deep and holding me still. “I don’t think you’re quite hearing me. Unlike Blaze, you won’t have anyone come looking for you if I put a bullet through your brain. So, keep your mouth fucking shut.” He smirked. “This is how the big boys play.”

  Dominic pushed away, letting his warning linger between us. I watched as he walked out into the dark alley where the others were still scrapping. I was trembling, my teeth chattering, feeling an overwhelming need to be there for Jonny, even if I couldn’t help. The door framed the action, a silver glow of the street lights coating the wrestling bodies. But it was when I reached the door, my stomach heaved.

  Jonny lay sprawled on the wet gutter, taking continual blows from steel-capped boots. They smashed into his now unrecognizable face, sending blood splatters and teeth in every direction. They booted his torso, no doubt breaking ribs, crushing and bursting vital organs. He was beyond fighting back. There was no need to continue the abuse, but Dominic called the shots and until he said stop, they’d continue.

  “Jesus Christ,” Momma G said, horrified. I’m sure after all the years of sticking by Dominic’s side, the last few days were taking their toll.

  With the alley set far back from the main street, there would be no help for Jonny. No Good Samaritan to call the police.

  “Momma G, you have to do something.”

  She shook her head and she spoke with regret. “I can’t do anything.” She knew this was an injustice, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she was in a similar situation to me, where Dominic owned her.

  “If there’s anyone he’d listen to, it’s you,” I implored. “They’re going to kill him.”

  “If you think he’ll listen to me then you don’t know him very well.”

  With all hope lost, we watched as Jonny rose weakly to his hands and knees and attempted to crawl away from the vicious pack. They laughed and mocked the man who so bravely, albeit stupidly with a shotgun in hand, came looking for the woman he loved, and who now had his tail between his legs desperately trying to escape his fate.

  “Finish him,” Dominic gave the final sickening order.

  “No, please don’t,” I pleaded. My feet started moving but Momma G held me back. “Dominic, please, just let him go.”

  With a simple glance, Anton acted on Dominic’s orders. Hooking his arms through mine, he attempted to haul me away. “Get the fuck off me,” I screamed, kicking my heels into his shins. Anton didn’t flinch, and he held tight as
the trauma and anger over Blaze’s death unleashed itself. “Anything… I’ll do anything, Dominic. Just don’t do it to him too.”

  Dominic stepped forward and watched with interest. I was struggling to breathe, growing faint, blood trickling down my arm and the pain almost too difficult to bear.

  “Darlin’,” he said, inching close enough for my breasts to touch his chest. “You still with me?” he teased, the world becoming a blur. Dominic pinched my face between his fingers until my eyes met his. He seemed so entertained like all this got him off. “You beg all you like, but I already have you do everything I want.”

  The men behind sniggered.

  “That’s what happens when you own something. You control it. And I control every bit of you.” Without breaking his stare, he passed his final order to his men. “Finish him.”

  Hanging my head, I felt the world slipping away. I welcomed the sensation, keen to be anywhere but here. But I wasn’t to be so lucky. Pissed he wasn’t getting the attention he commanded, Dominic jolted me back to the living, a searing heat coursing through my body. “Wake up, little Lucy,” he chided, pressing a finger into my wound. The result was a blood-curdling scream he stifled with his free hand.

  “Shh,” he repeated, grinning wide while I sobbed against his hand. “Don’t you look away, darlin’, I dedicate this one to you.” Dominic stood aside, ensuring I could see the horror play out, scene by scene.

  The same guard who’d dragged Jonny into the alley, swung his leg as if to kick a ball. He dealt a sickening blow, smashing under Jonny’s chin, the brutal force causing his head to snap back so far it broke his neck. Jonny fell in a heap, his lifeless body just another reminder of Dominic Salvatore’s psychopathic reign.

  Chapter 9

  NOW

  “What the fuck is wrong with her?”

  “Don’t be daft, Dominic. Even for you that’s a stupid question.”

  He paced back and forth like a caged lion as Momma G rubbed my back in an attempt to soothe. It wasn’t working. Any attempt to placate and calm me was lost, memories of two unnecessary and brutal murders within forty-eight hours running continuously through my head. What I needed was to be as far away from Dominic Salvatore as possible, because as long as I was with him, he’d find more ways to hurt not only me but those I cared for. That list, however, had drastically thinned.