Leroy didn't come.

It was already eight o'clock and I got ready as he asked, but he's not here. I stare at my reflection in the mirror for a few seconds and then have to sigh.

So, that was the joke I was waiting for when he was standing in front of me. He is probably laughing to himself now because he has managed to expose me after all.

I press my lips together in a straight line and shake my head before taking off the thin waistcoat I've put on with the tight black pants and dark green lace blouse, but just then the door to the room opens and Leroy comes in.

His hands full of dried blood.

Frozen, I open my lips to say something, but I can't get a sound out.

"I'll be done in a minute, then we can go." With those few words, he walks past me and disappears into the bathroom while all I can do is continue to stare at the spot he just stood on.

Wow. I'm sure few women can say that their husbands will still have romantic dinners with them after a few murders.

Sighing, I shake my head and sit down on the made bed. I wonder where he's been. Did he kill the person he apparently beat bloody? And if so, how the hell am I supposed to have a relaxed meal with that kind of person now? To look him in the eye and know that those are the eyes into which a living soul last looked.

I breathe out shakily and after a long time, I feel fear again. Something in me claims that he would not hurt me in such a terrible way and yet there is still the uncertainty that does not trust it.

Because the truth is, I know what Leroy Kingston is capable of.

"So, we can."

I yell out softly and wince as his voice suddenly interrupts my thoughts harshly. As if automatically, I have turned my head towards him and widen my eyes as he merely raises his eyebrows mockingly.

"Is something wrong, chica?" he asks dimly, rolling down the sleeves of his black cashmere jumper in a mannerly manner. I try to regulate my breathing, close my mouth and slowly shake my head.

"I'm fine," I assert, averting my gaze and slowly standing up. My legs are shaking and I hate Leroy for coming in here with bloody hands. Why can't he hide his work from me? Knowing what he is doing is driving me sheer crazy!

"Well, we can go now."

I blink, press my lips together into a thin line, and nod before following him out the door.

We walk past the kitchen where William, Olga, Alex, Diego, Franca, and Kelly are already sitting at the dining table.

"Have a nice evening," Alex calls after us, throwing his head back to smile at us, which I return as best I can. We slow down a little.

"Gracias," Leroy replies, raising his hand, and Kelly jumps into my eye, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Where are you going?" she asks, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"They're eating outside today," Olga tells her, forestalling Leroy. Kelly's gaze turns icy.

"But I cooked for all of us today!" Kelly presses her lips together as she realizes she's been getting a little loud, sounding angry as hell. Astonished, we all look at her. When she notices, she blanches and suddenly smiles. "Well, never mind, you guys need a night to yourselves too. Have fun then," she hastily adds to her words, whereupon everyone smiles at us again.

Kelly looks me in the eyes for a long time, in which there seems to be a message.

"I hate you," her eyes say, but her lips are twisted into a friendly smile.

She is so wrong.

"Thank you," Leroy replies simply and nods before moving on again. I smile at all of them again before following him.

Sighing inwardly, I get into the car before Leroy silently starts the engine and drives off. Maybe it was stupid that we were going out for dinner today of all days when I knew Kelly wanted to cook, but Leroy had already brought it up this morning and Kelly agreed to take over dinner hours later when Olga, Franca, Kelly, and I were in the garden with the children because the sun was shining so beautifully.

While they were playing, we were all talking and Olga mentioned in passing that she had so much to do today, that she didn't even know if she would be able to cook dinner on time and Kelly then offered to help, which I think is very nice of her, but it's not my fault that it's on a day when Leroy and I wanted to eat somewhere else.

And somehow I wonder now what I was thinking. Why am I going to dinner with him? Why did I claim that I wanted to be treated as his wife? And why only did he accept that?

Now I can hardly get the sight of his bloody hands out of my head, no matter how many times I shake my head and try to think of something else.

It would be so much easier if he didn't show me what he does when he's out.

And if I never looked at him again...

I won't do that on purpose anymore, because at first the images of the murdered people in the steel barrels haunted me. Only with difficulty have I been able to suppress the images of all the dead.

I grit my teeth and push those thoughts away as best I can before arriving back in the here and now, only to find that we are already there, Leroy even parked and staring at me expectantly. I gasp softly as I realize that he has been able to read quite a bit from my expression.

"You were deep in thought," he murmurs, tilting his head slightly before letting his eyes roam over my face appraisingly. I swallow and shrug slightly.

"I'm a daydreamer."

"Interesting," he replies and then gets out. I sigh and do the same before my gaze falls on a man who is just walking toward us.

Leroy gives him the keys so that the man parks the car somewhere else. Then he comes up to me and offers me his arm, which I accept without comment, even though I refuse inwardly.

Pull yourself together and don't ruin everything you've achieved so far!

"What's the name?" asks the man at the counter.

"Kingston," Leroy replies, whereupon he nods and calls a waiter to escort us to our table. I am amazed when I see the beautiful aquariums built into the walls. This bathes the room in a soft blue light.

"Wow," I breathe, blown away by the beauty as we sit down. Leroy looks at me, but my gaze is glued to the fish swimming carefree in the water, looking so beautiful that I can't help but smile a little.

"Do you like it?", I hear him ask, to which I immediately nod.

"It's beautiful."

The harp is played softly, making you feel instantly at ease and I in particular feel myself relax when I was so tense earlier.

"Do you know what you want to eat yet?", I ask him in wonder as he looks at me and I notice that he has sat back expectantly without even reaching for the menu. He merely nods, so I reach for the card as well and try to hurry a little in making my choice.

In the end, I decide on rice and mashed potatoes.

"Have you been here before?" I ask Leroy, but he shakes his head.

"Yes, I don't like the dark light so much, but I thought you would like it."

Oh yes, he guessed right.

Then it is quiet. I continue to look at the restaurant and I don't know what Leroy is doing, as I avoid looking at him as much as possible.

"What were you thinking about so hard earlier?"

I blink in perplexity and shudder as he asks me such a question so directly of all things. Swallowing, I look at him again and shrug my shoulders slightly.

"Nothing special," I say just then, luckily for me, the waiter comes and brings us our food. Leroy is silent but stares steadfastly into my eyes until the waiter leaves again. Then he leans closer to me and tilts his head a little.

"Why is it that I get the feeling that you're lying? That you're afraid? That you don't like being here with me so much anymore?"

"I-", I croak insecurely and clear my throat before merely shaking my head again, but just as I'm about to say something, he beats me to it again.

"It's pretty easy to tell when you're lying, and I think you know by now how much I detest lies. Why don't you just be honest with me, maybe we can sort out what's bothering you," he says, raising his eyebrows expectantly. I pause in confusion.

Oh, I wouldn't have thought he would say something like that and even blink at me in a kind of friendly way.

"Okay," I whisper and nod slowly as if to encourage myself. "Well, I was pretty thrown off when you came into the room with bloody hands. I know that's your job and it doesn't usually go so well, but for me, it's all still pretty new. Suddenly I see people dying and suffering because you... kill them." I take a shaky breath. Leroy doesn't even blink as he listens to me.

"Is it okay if I say it scares me?"

"Yes, it is," he replies, nodding with a brooding expression on his face. Relieved, I exhale. "Just," he begins again, licking his lips before squinting his eyes slightly. "What exactly scares you?"

"What do you mean?", I enquire, a little irritated. I just told him that, didn't I?

"I want to know what exactly scares you. Me in general? The knowledge that you don't hate me at all anymore and want me close, or something completely, totally different? Have you perhaps done something wrong and want to confess it to me?"

I stare back at him, frozen, and then shake my head hastily. Stuttering, I try to explain myself.

"No, I haven't done anything wrong, I have, so actually I want to," I try to formulate a sentence correctly and fail.

"So you want to do something wrong?" Leroy frowns and tilts his head. God, I don't like that look on him at all because it always makes him seem so unpredictable. Sighing, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"No, it's more like point two and kind of point one, but that aside. If I ever did something wrong," I start more slowly now. "Would you kill me then?"

"It depends on what you did and how much it could hurt me, but I don't know... I think I'd close both eyes with you if you confessed it to me and I didn't have to find out from others, or even myself."

"Okay," I whisper. "I promise you that I'll always tell you everything if there is anything that could put you or Danny - or anyone else - in danger, and in return, I want you to promise me in return that you'll never involve my parents, no matter what happens between us."

For a long moment Leroy looks into my eyes like he's searching for something inside me, and for a moment I really wonder again if Kelly has spoken to him and told him the lie she'd already threatened me with, but it just can't be, because if it was, Leroy certainly wouldn't be having dinner with me, he'd be confronting me.

"All right. I promise."

☼ ❅

Oh to be rich

Consent and talking about the problem>>>

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