Free Dark Creations: Dark Ending (Part 6) by Jennifer Martucci, Christopher Martucci Page B

blond man said then closed the door.
    High heel shoes were shoved onto her feet and the men in the room s tepped back and scrutinized her. 
    “Her appearance is acceptable now,” one said then gripped her arm tightly so that his fingers bit into the tender skin of her upper arm.  “Lord Terzini has requested your presence in his private quarters,” he said emotionlessly.
    Private quarters, as in bedroom , Melissa wondered as her four robotic guards escorted her down a carpeted hallway, past a large living room and dining-room area to another hallway at the end of which a closed door waited.  They knocked and Terzini shouted for them to enter.  The man who’d led the group opened the door and, after she was shoved forward over the threshold, filed in before the rest of them did.
    The temperature of the room was a good twenty degrees warmer than the rest of the house, though Melissa’s shivering did not subside in the least.  To the contrary, when she entered and saw that Terzini sat on an oversized, cigar-hued couch so large it engulfed him and wore a dress shirt with several of the top buttons unfastened revealing a smattering of dark chest hair, her body trembled more fiercely. 
    “Lord Terzini,” one of the members nodded deferentially.  “Is her appearance acceptable now?”
    Terzini’s eyes roamed her body, lingering on her chest.  “Oh yes,” he crooned.  “This is much better.  I can actually stomach the sight of her now.”
    “Screw you!” Melissa blurted without thinking, frustration and terror getting the better of her judgment.  The guards holding her tightened their grips on her arms. 
    “It’s all right, it’s all right,” Terzini smiled slyly.  “Don’t wrinkle her dress.  Let go of her arms,” his eyes traveled the length of her body again.  “She’s feisty.  I can see why Gabriel likes her,” he said and ran his tongue over his lips.  When he did, he looked reptilian, like a lizard in dress clothes perched on a giant sofa.  Melissa’s stomach churned.
    “Asshole,” she spat, and the smug smile on Terzini’s lips collapsed.  His brow wrinkled and he leaned forward suddenly.  Anger flashed across his features.
    “I am a god on Earth, Melissa,” he hissed.  “You should feel honored for the privilege of my company.”
    “A god on Earth?” she could not believe what she was hearing.  The moment was surreal.  Terzini was delusional. 
    “Yes, I am a god.  And my contribution to the world will be monumental.”
    “You are not a god, except for in your mind,” she said levelly.  “Speaking of your mind, maybe these robots should run some tests on you,” she continued, but was interrupted by the sound of Terzini’s nasally voice.
    “That’s enough!” he yelled, his anger more than a fleeting flash on his features now.   He sprung to his feet and gestured animatedly.  “You will not speak to me that way!  I will be the supreme ruler of this world in a matter of days,” he began another demented train of thought, but became distracted by a ringing in his pants pocket.  He lowered his gaze to it and slipped his phone out.
    “What is it?” he huffed at whomever waited on the line.  But his demeanor changed quickly.  “Oh, uh-huh, okay, did they have their phones on them?” he questioned then paused briefly for an answer before asking, “What are the member numbers of the missing men?” she heard him ask then nod.
    When he ended his call, Terzini looked at her.  His anger was replaced by a manner of complete self-satisfaction. 
    “It seems someone has killed two of my men charged with guarding the main road leading into Taft.  You know, All Angels Road, the road that picks up near a farmhouse across the lake?”
    Melissa did not answer.  She did not dare speak.  She held her breath.
    “It looks like your foolish lover-boy Gabriel is driving himself toward his death, quite literally, I must say,” he finished arrogantly then folded his