Payment

Promises

Note: Rewritten but not triple checked for spelling and grammatical errors. If you see any feel free to comment.

Looking down at me, Dominik smiled sadly. "Can you walk? Do you still feel out of it?"

"I'm fine." I whispered. I knew what he had decided and to tell you the truth, even though I knew he was doing the right thing, I wanted him to change his mind. I wanted to be selfish and demand that he come with me out of this place immediately. But I couldn't. I knew I couldn't. So when I smiled back it held the same sadness his had processed.

"Kana's going to get you out of here. I'll be right behind you, okay?" His pained expression told me this wasn't what he wanted to do. He wanted to ditch his responsibilities and come with me. He wanted to take me home, where he knew without a doubt we'd be safe. He didn't.

Instead of listening to his wants, apart from giving me a quick peck on the cheek, he paid close attention to what he need to do. There was a killer here. And as I looked around, I saw dozens of potential murderers. I didn't know anyone. Not a single soul outside of those on the loft knew what had happened and neither did any of them know who I was. For a moment, I feared they would assume I had killed Eliza. It made the urgency of my exit that much more important.

I simply threw away all of the worries I had, declaring my trust in Dominik making it out alive. Though, I had to hold back the quiver in my lower lip, I turned my back on him and took my first step towards the stairs. I was ready to take another, to keep this ball rolling until I was out of the building but his strong grip caught me by the arm, halting my retreat.

"Be safe. I trust Kana to take care of you and that's what she will do. I just don't want anything to happen to you." He spoke softly, his breath hitting my skin causing it to tingle with need. I hadn't turned around yet, I hadn't thought I had the strength to and still leave. But I tossed that notion aside a took him by the face.

"You be safe. We still have our date by lake." I squeezed at his cheeks, pulling them so that he was eye level. "I want you back in one piece. Do you hear me?"

"Of course." He chuckled. He placed his hands over mine, securing them in place.

"Dominik, promise me you'll be okay. If you can't promise me then-" I fought the tears that burned at my eyes like pin and needles. I didn't want to cry in front of him. Not now. "Just promise me!"

"Roza, I promise I'll be fine." Once the promise left his lips I smothered them with my mouth. I kissed him as roughly as my heart beat in my chest. It was hard and hot, a tear escaping me in the passion of it. And when he felt it slid on to his cheek, he wrapped me in his arms, pulling me into a tight embrace. I felt his emotions wash over me like a blanket of reassurance. He was confident, so level headed. But he took a moment to care for me, to hold me in his arms like I would never leave.

"Thank you." I whispered against his lips, my voice weaker than a baby bird.

With that he stepped away, leaving me cold. But Kana was quick when she ushered me away. We glided down the steps, shooting like a bullet through the crowd of wide, unknowing eyes. I almost felt sorry for them but was too preoccupied with the sharp fit of panic that hit my chest as we left Dominik on that loft.

I fought a tear, then two, until a waterfall beckoned at the edge of my eyelids. It made my legs weak, slowing me down was we pushed through people. I ignored they're questions and disgruntled complaints but I couldn't toss away the weakness seeping into me. I turned and looked back, at Dominik standing at the top of the stairs watching me. I regretted leaving him. Knowing that, I still followed Kana through and out of the ballroom.

We skilled the coat checkout despite knowing just how cold it was outside. We didn't have the time. We split down a hall that was roped off, instead. It was a maze like hall, every bit of it a continuation the farther you go. There was no telling how many identical paints and door we passed. The hallways seemed never ending, like a trick, a trap we had unknowingly wondered into.

Even Kana, who had been here before, stopped and looked around with confusion etched into her gaze. I used that moment to lean against the wall for support, for a break to breathe. I had barely gotten a breath in since leaving the loft and my head had started spinning shortly after.

"Is this some kind of trick?" Kana barked, punching at the wall across from me. I looked at the crater beneath her fist and remained silent. "This wasn't here before. This hallway was short and had an exit."

For a moment she looked at me with this wild glint in her gaze, like she suddenly knew what was happening. A lightbulb went on in her mind but didn't speak it. She didn't have the chance to before we heard footsteps approaching.

"Rozalina! Kana!" Came a sexily low voice from behind us. Looking back we found Ana running down the hall towards us. She looked exasperated but smiled meekly at us when she caught up. "Dominik told me to go with you. He said to take the side exit. It's where the horses are."

Sighing in frustration, Kana looked to the ceiling with her hands on her hips. "I know about the side exit. But why did we stumble into a loop!"