Page 80 of A Touch of Dark

I flinch as the accented voice accompanies a knock on my door. “Y-yes? Um…come in.”

The door opens to reveal Julio, his expression stern—which makes the fact that he’s holding a delicate vase of flowers in his hands even more comical and chilling. “Where would you like these, miss?”

Son of a bitch. I blink and find myself staring at the vase in a daze. The container itself is silver. From it sprouts a single black orchid with a telltale dash of pink across its center.

It’s one ofhis, ripped right from the oh-so-private collection. I recognize the shape. The smell. The jagged stalk missing a single bloom.

By some miracle, I manage to point to the counter, and Julio obeys my silent command before leaving again, presumably to take up his post in the hallway.

Swallowing hard, I observe the petals of the bloom up close. It could be some sick version of a goodbye message or a threat. I’m almost content with that scenario.

But then I remember my own slurred, incoherent words.

Send me flowers every day.

Only a man like Damien Villa could make such a gesture feel like a warning.

~ END OF PART 1 ~