What was left of the extremely early morning air was chilly as Star stepped outside, having filled all her paperwork out and promised the sleek, dark Italian that she would be back in a night or two. The Zingaro only opened its doors between sunset and dawn, Niko had informed her, to provide shelter, companionship and advice to the down and out of Santa Carla's Boardwalk bums. Star hunched her shoulders and rubbed her bare arms because although the summer slip Tozier had given her was just her style, it wasn't really practical for the cool beach air.
'Star!' The shout made her turn as a tall shadow peeled itself away from a darker group further down the pier. As the silhouette passed under the pale glow of a security light Star recognized her brother.
'Dwayne,' she smiled, turning fully to embrace him.
'Where you been, girl?' he asked as he shrugged out of his heavy leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, leaving himself bare chested. He looked bright and alert, his tawny skin practically glowing and his brown eyes danced as he smiled. 'I lit some candles for you, but when I came back you were gone.'
'Where have you been, more like?' Star demanded, pulling the jacket closer around her shoulders.
'With the guys,' he gestured with his thumb to the shady group stood just out of reach of the pool of light. 'We're out most nights. Life's like one big party right now.' He chuckled which lit Star's fuse. She couldn't see anything funny about the situation and everything she'd bottled up over the last few years jostled for space on her tongue as her anger flared.
'Well I'm glad your life turned out ok, because mine's been pretty shit. Thanks for leaving me to take care of dad all by myself. Thanks for not even dropping in to check we were still alive!'
'Whoa, girl! I did drop by every now and then. Where else do you think the rent money came from? You think dad was still dutifully paying it from his state handouts? You think he wasn't spunking every dime on good-time stuff?' Dwayne was angry too, she could see the spark of hurt flicker in his dark eyes. That made her pause for thought for a second. Star had always assumed the roll of notes she would find near the front stoop every other week had fallen out of her father's pants and scooped it up to put towards housekeeping. She had never known it had come from her brother until now. But still…
'Good-time stuff… is that what you call it? The stuff he tanked himself up on day after day, so he could beat the shit out of me?'
'Star,' Dwayne grabbed her arm but she twisted away like an angry cat, too upset now to be comforted. The group behind them catcalled and whooped, someone whistled and clapped their hands with a laugh.
'How do you even know that's my name now?' she asked, eyes narrowed in curiosity. She had been Ellora when Dwayne had left.
'I walk this Boardwalk just as much as you at night, probably more. I got my own… issues.'
From behind them the roar of one or two motorcycle engines rent the air, growling across the lap of the waves and someone else laughed. Another voice, a high and tremulous female voice, called for Dwayne.
'Is that your girlfriend?' she asked, feeling a little stab of jealousy somewhere deep down. Star had been so concerned with surviving her father's blows, putting him back together and finding the money to keep the house running – despite the roll of notes she found every now and then – that she hadn't had much room for anything else. Sure she had Tozier, who loved her in a fatherly kind of way, but somehow it wasn't quite the same thing as having someone to kiss all the broken bits of her together again.
Dwayne shrugged at her question, the long delicate feather he wore in his left ear twirled as it brushed his shoulder.
'Just some girls we picked up earlier.' A shrill laugh rang out again, as an engine revved.
'Right. Going to take them back to your cave, Dwayne?' He ran a hand through his long, black hair in a gesture that was so familiar to Star that she almost mirrored it.
'Maybe,' he could tell she was pissed.
'Well, I'll leave you and the guys with those girls and all your issues. Have a nice life.'
'Wait, Star. Don't go, I know you're pissed at me. But I'm your brother. I'm meant to look out for you.'
Star laughed in his face.
'Like you looked out for me over the last two years? That's a good one, Dwayne. I don't need you to help me out anyway.' She gestured to the doorway of Zingaro, where a slim, dark face had peered briefly out of the plate glass window. 'I'm getting my own life back together again.'
'Wait, what? Have you been in there?'
The girl turned away, suddenly feeling very tired as she shook her mass of cocoa-brown curls. The cool night air had started to weave little diamonds amongst the thick strands again.
'Star, answer me. Don't walk away when I'm talking to you!' Dwayne reached out and turned her forcefully by the arm, but instantly regretted it when he saw the fear bright in her eyes.
'You're an asshole,' she whispered as the roar of the engines grew louder and two or three bikes trundled closer to them both, their headlamps like cats eyes in the dark and the catcalls from his friends grew louder. 'Let go of me.' Dwayne dropped his hand and his tone to match hers, though he took a step closer and his look was almost desperate.
'Stay away from that place, Star. I'm serious. There's some dark shit going down in there and I don't want you to be a part of it.'
'As dark as up at Hudson's Bluff?' she countered, having had enough.
'What have you heard about Hudson's Bluff?' His tone was sharp and serious.
'Please, just leave me alone.'
At that moment one of the motorcycles drew close to them, driven by a grinning curly-haired boy. Across his lap was draped a blonde girl, who was stark naked and beaming drowsily.
'Dwayne,' the naked girl purred as the boy all but walked the 'cycle by. 'Oh, Dwayne. Marco's stealing me away… you promised I could ride on your bike!'
'I'll give you something to ride on, girl,' Paul called as he caught level with Marco, a plump redhead clinging to his back, half undressed and nuzzling at his neck.
'Star!' Dwayne tried one last time, as his sister spun in disgust and ran back towards the newly painted restaurant. Growling in annoyance, he spun on his heeled boots and loped after his own motorcycle, kicking it to a start with a little more violence than he would normally. His grip was crushing on his accelerator as he roared off after Marco and Paul, letting the sharp sea air snatch away his bad mood.
Only David lingered on the Boardwalk, his pale hair gleaming in the quickly fading dark as he sat astride his own bike, watching the door Star had disappeared through intently.
'I'm glad you walked away from that man.' Niko was at her side, tall, elegant and silent, before Star had even closed the door. 'He looked like he could do you some damage.'
'What?' Star frowned as she felt the pent up anger and all the things she had left unsaid ebbing away and leaving her frustrated. She leant against the glass of the door for a moment as if she were worried Dwayne would burst in behind her. 'Oh, don't worry. He's long gone.'
'Well, that may be so, mon ami, but perhaps it is best you rest here for the night? We do have a few beds we keep for emergencies. Free of charge, for this night at least,' Niko added quickly, seeing the protest forming on Star's lips. 'I couldn't forgive myself if I let you go now only to hear that something wicked has befallen you tomorrow.'
'I guess I could use somewhere to stay. It's so late, I wouldn't want to wake my friend up by going back to his at this time of night..' Niko beamed, his brown eyes warm as he rubbed his large hands together, his long and elegant fingers interlocking.
'Perfect!'
'Thank you, I do appreciate it. I'd feel bad not giving you anything in return though. Maybe I could wash up or something for you?' she turned to glance around at the tables and the booths, planning to give them all a wipe down before she went to bed but they all looked clean. There wasn't a mug, plate or crumb to be seen. The wooden floor was wet in places, as if it had already been mopped, and the huge cooking pots were upside down on the drainer, dripping dry.
'Oh. Where did everybody go? I don't think I saw anyone leave.'
Niko chuckled softly, his beautiful accent rolling over his words. 'You were too busy talking with your friend. They all left soon after you, bella. Now, come. It is not long before the sun will be waking and I am sure you need your sleep.' He twisted a key in the door and then slipped it into the back pocket of his tight fitting pants before reaching up to flip a thick brass bolt across the top then the bottom of the door. 'I don't think we will have any more business this night. Besides, I think we have helped enough weary travellers for one day.' Niko smiled and again Star found herself a little unnerved, despite his Mediterranean beauty. 'We have three rooms upstairs and I will show you to one if you would please, follow me.'
Star followed him through the swing door at the side of the room and into a narrow corridor that branched off in two different directions. The light was dimmer here and by the time her eyes had adjusted she found she had lost sight of her guide. Something scuffled at the end of the corridor and so Star followed the sound.
'Niko, are you down there?'
A scrape and a bump, a slow shuffle and a scratch.
'Star,' the unexpected sharpness in his voice made her jump. 'The stairs are this way. What's wrong?'
'Nothing, I didn't see which way you went. I thought I heard you down there. You really need some stronger lights back here.'
Niko's teeth were very white when he smiled.
'Maybe we do. Come this way, there is a room prepared at the top of the stairs for you. Mine is at the end of the hall should you need anything, and there is a bathroom second on the left. There is one other staying tonight, so please do not be alarmed if you hear anything.'
'Um.. there's no lock on the door?' Star observed, as Niko leaned across her to switch on the bare bulb that hung from the ceiling, illuminating the plain single bed that occupied the room. It was so small that the frame and the mattress left only a foot of space along the bottom and one edge.
'Don't worry, you will not be disturbed. Sleep well, bella.'
Despite his promise, the bloodcurdling scream that rent the air did disturb her not long after her head had hit the pillow. Star jerked up, heart pounding as she grabbed at the thin blanket she lay on, trying to still her now irregular breaths to listen for any further sound. Another cry, louder than the first, sent her diving for the door. The bed she had wedged against the door needed to be rammed back so that she could slip through into the dark hall.
'I heard a scream,' she half gasped, half whispered to the tousled-looking Niko as he appeared, topless, behind her. Her dark eyes were wide and fearful, her hand shaking as she gestured to the stairs.
'It is nothing, please go back to your room,' he reassured her, stroking her arm with one large palm. 'Perhaps you were dreaming, perhaps it is only a fox.'
'It was a scream, a human scream,' Star insisted.
A muffled thump and a moan.
She turned to him, eyes imploring.
'Nothing, I tell you it is nothing. Most likely just kids messing around outside.' Niko looked irritated, gently defined muscles in his torso stretching as he arched his back and cracked his neck. 'I will check if you will go back to bed.'
Star nodded silently, pressing one small fist to her mouth while she watched the striking Italian slink in an unconcerned way down the stairs. She reached back into the room to grab Dwayne's jacket that he'd given her earlier and yanked it on to supress her shivering as she held her breath, listening intently.
It felt like minutes had ticked by, the seconds agonizingly long. Nothing, not a bump or a shuffle.
'Niko?' Star called, her whisper tremulous as she leant as far down the stairwell as she dared, clinging to the bannister for dear life. Another minute dragged out as she felt her heart beat loud and fast in her ears. She took one creaking step down to the next stair, then another. No sound.
'Niko?' her voice was edging towards hysteria, the silence almost as unbearable as that horrendous scream. Or so she thought, until another ear-splitting shriek cut through her skull and sent her skittering down the last few stairs only for her to bump smack into something hard and solid. If whoever it was hadn't grabbed her upper arms with an iron-like grip, Star would have bounced back onto her ass at the foot of the stairs. As it was, the fingers holding her dug painfully into her flesh, holding her upright as she struggled to catch the wind that had been knocked from her lungs on impact.
'I told you to stay upstairs,' Niko growled, lowly, but it was not him that held her. 'You should not have come down here.' The dim light had been turned off, Star couldn't see anything.
'Let go of me, you son of a bitch,' she shouted, squirming and twisting wildly against the hands that held her, which only made Niko laugh.
'Take her-' Shattering glass cut off Niko's command, the sound coming from the restaurant front. Star felt Niko's lean bulk brush close past her as he hurried into the next room when the loud jangle of more, smaller panes imploding made the hands on her arms slack for a moment as the brute was torn between keeping her close and sprinting off to find out what had happened. Wrenching her arms free, using that split second of indecision to her advantage, Star ducked out of the way of the hand that swung to grab her again, the whoosh of cool air against her cheek a sign she had only narrowly been missed. She could hear Niko raging out the front as she darted along the corridor. There had to be a backway, surely, that let out from the kitchenette to the alleyway behind, where the trashcans were stored.
'Get back here, bitch!'
A sob caught in Star's throat as she ran, hearing the crash of more glass breaking and a stream of curses in Italian. Her head exploded as her bare foot slid on something cold and wet, sending her legs out from underneath her and spilling her into the corner of a wall. Uncaring as to whether or not she had split her head open, Star didn't dare stop to see if she was cut.
Desperately scrabbling along the cool brick of the wall, her fingers fumbled at a round handle as her heart thudded painfully in time with her throbbing temple. The roars and curses seemed so far away, as did the thump of heavy footsteps heading towards her as she pulled and pulled at the door. Tears of sheer terror flooded her eyes, mixing with the blood that trickled from her head and blinding her. The door was locked. She was dead.
Until cool, rank air rushed into her face as she fell forwards into a pool of pale light cast by the security light that lit the line of trashcans out the back. In her unthinking, adrenaline driven state, Star hadn't thought to try pushing the door open.
Worn leather gloves gripped her tear-soaked, blood-sodden face and icy cold eyes stared straight into hers.
'Run,' the cold voice urged.
