Page 2
Story: Requiem
She bites her lip. “Your name would protect me if you adopted me” He chin wobbles. Fuck. I rake my hands through my hair.
“Having my name would be a death sentence. I have enemies, Chloe.”
She shakes her head. “No one could ever beat you. You’re the king. Untouchable.” She looks out into the night skyline over Chicago from my penthouse. “Well… only one person can bring you down.”
“Not if I find her first…,” I mutter under my breath. But she still hears me.
“I knew it. Fine. Send me away but make me a promise, Roque. Find your dark queen, put a ring on it, and make crazy beautiful babies.”
I shake my head, my heart sneezing at the image she creates. I’m allergic to love and commitment ever since my Blue slash Little Red ran. Probably because deep-down my heart knows she’s the only one who can come back to claim it. But Romina never came back. I’ve been in enough tabloids and news stories that she knows how to find me. I never changed Ralph Smith’s cell. I kept the phone filled with our phots, kept every text and voicemail. Johnny would laugh his ass off if he knew what a sentimental lovesick loser she made me.
“Doubtful that will happen. Go to bed. It’s a long flight.”
“I can’t sleep and you know why.”
My hand tightens around my drink. I haven’t told her, but I’ve managed to track down every creep whose care she was in. Every fucked-up foster home she felt afraid in and did what I do best. Eliminate. Chloe thinks I’m some hero, but Romina saw the truth—I was born a monster. A killer. She saw the darkness in my soul and fooled me into believing she could love me anyway. But who’s idea of happily ever after is the villain? The devil? I was a fool for thinking there could ever be redemption for me.
“Do you want me to make you some warm milk?”
“Gross. Can we read more of her journals?”
“I don’t have any.”
“But there’s so much more to your story to be written.”
“Not as much as there is to your story.”
She turns, a smile finally curving her lips. “And I have you to thank for that.”
“Then go to bed. Tomorrow is the first day of many blank pages to be filled with ink.” I open a drawer in my desk, taking out a wrapped gift box and hand it to her,
Her eyes finally light up as she gingerly takes it from my hands. I watch, pleased as she opens my gift.
“It’s perfect.”
In her tiny hands is a handcrafted, journal made form the finest Italian letter and filled with lightly perfumed cream pages. I had it flown from Paris along with a silver and gold pen with diamonds from Tiffany’s.
“Only the best for my girl.”
Her throat works. “Roque?”
“Welcome to my fucked-up family, squirt.” My place my drink down and lift the envelope from my desk handing it to her. It only took a few phone calls and fifty grand in cash to a judge but she was mine. It was selfish as fuck and I could’ve had the papers torn in a whim but the way she looks at me like I;m her world shredded me.
“Chloe Salvatore. That sounds totally badass.”
“It does.”
She springs forward, flinging her arms around me. My own throat feels scratchy. Fuck. I breathe deep fighting back tears.Bad ass villains don’t cry. They don’t cry. The words loop on repeat in my mind.
“See? I knew you were a good man. I prayed every night that you would decide to keep me.”
“I’ve never been the answer to anyone’s prayers.”
“Maybe it’s time you change. Use your super villain skills for good. Like saving girls like me.”
“I’ll think about it. Tomorrow’s a big day. You should try to sleep.”
“I think I can now, especially since you’re stuck with me for good. I can’t wait to find Romina. She’s going to be the best mom ever.”
“Having my name would be a death sentence. I have enemies, Chloe.”
She shakes her head. “No one could ever beat you. You’re the king. Untouchable.” She looks out into the night skyline over Chicago from my penthouse. “Well… only one person can bring you down.”
“Not if I find her first…,” I mutter under my breath. But she still hears me.
“I knew it. Fine. Send me away but make me a promise, Roque. Find your dark queen, put a ring on it, and make crazy beautiful babies.”
I shake my head, my heart sneezing at the image she creates. I’m allergic to love and commitment ever since my Blue slash Little Red ran. Probably because deep-down my heart knows she’s the only one who can come back to claim it. But Romina never came back. I’ve been in enough tabloids and news stories that she knows how to find me. I never changed Ralph Smith’s cell. I kept the phone filled with our phots, kept every text and voicemail. Johnny would laugh his ass off if he knew what a sentimental lovesick loser she made me.
“Doubtful that will happen. Go to bed. It’s a long flight.”
“I can’t sleep and you know why.”
My hand tightens around my drink. I haven’t told her, but I’ve managed to track down every creep whose care she was in. Every fucked-up foster home she felt afraid in and did what I do best. Eliminate. Chloe thinks I’m some hero, but Romina saw the truth—I was born a monster. A killer. She saw the darkness in my soul and fooled me into believing she could love me anyway. But who’s idea of happily ever after is the villain? The devil? I was a fool for thinking there could ever be redemption for me.
“Do you want me to make you some warm milk?”
“Gross. Can we read more of her journals?”
“I don’t have any.”
“But there’s so much more to your story to be written.”
“Not as much as there is to your story.”
She turns, a smile finally curving her lips. “And I have you to thank for that.”
“Then go to bed. Tomorrow is the first day of many blank pages to be filled with ink.” I open a drawer in my desk, taking out a wrapped gift box and hand it to her,
Her eyes finally light up as she gingerly takes it from my hands. I watch, pleased as she opens my gift.
“It’s perfect.”
In her tiny hands is a handcrafted, journal made form the finest Italian letter and filled with lightly perfumed cream pages. I had it flown from Paris along with a silver and gold pen with diamonds from Tiffany’s.
“Only the best for my girl.”
Her throat works. “Roque?”
“Welcome to my fucked-up family, squirt.” My place my drink down and lift the envelope from my desk handing it to her. It only took a few phone calls and fifty grand in cash to a judge but she was mine. It was selfish as fuck and I could’ve had the papers torn in a whim but the way she looks at me like I;m her world shredded me.
“Chloe Salvatore. That sounds totally badass.”
“It does.”
She springs forward, flinging her arms around me. My own throat feels scratchy. Fuck. I breathe deep fighting back tears.Bad ass villains don’t cry. They don’t cry. The words loop on repeat in my mind.
“See? I knew you were a good man. I prayed every night that you would decide to keep me.”
“I’ve never been the answer to anyone’s prayers.”
“Maybe it’s time you change. Use your super villain skills for good. Like saving girls like me.”
“I’ll think about it. Tomorrow’s a big day. You should try to sleep.”
“I think I can now, especially since you’re stuck with me for good. I can’t wait to find Romina. She’s going to be the best mom ever.”