My eyes widen, but Winston’s still focused on the apple in his hand. “He was nailed to the ground. Literally.” He shows me his hand. “See that little bit of skin between your thumb and your index finger?” He pulls his own skin to show me. “That’s where they put the nails.”
I wince.
“But that wasn’t all. His face … God …” Winston shakes it off. “It was horrible. He was still such a young boy at the time.”
The more he talks about it, the more I’m beginning to understand why he hides behind a mask, and I wonder if it’s even worse than what Winston describes. I’ve never been able to get a good look at him because he wears a hoodie all the time. It’s almost like he’s scared to show himself.
“What happened to him?” I ask.
“At the time, he wouldn’t tell me. He just begged me not to take him to the hospital so the cops wouldn’t take him in, so it must’ve been something illegal.”
“And then?”
“He offered me money. Anything, as long as I helped him, so I did. I took him home and patched him up as best as I could. He was lucky I was a trained physician, or he would’ve been dead by now. Poor boy.”
“And you’re still here with him … after ten years. Wow.”
Winston smiles. “Sometimes friendships happen in strange places.” He slices the apple into pieces.
“Hmm.” I nod, trying to grasp the story, but I think I’m missing a lot, and for some reason, I feel like I need to know more.
“Want one?” Winston holds out a slice to me.
“Oh, no thanks, I’m stuffed,” I say. “So is this your home? I haven’t seen your wife around here, though.”
“Oh, no, it’s Viktor’s home. My wife already passed away. The cancer finally took her, but at least she wasn’t in any pain.”
“I’m sorry.” I swallow away the lump in my throat. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
He smiles gently. “It’s fine; it was a long time ago. Besides, I still have Viktor.”
“Hmm …” I don’t really know what to say, so I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Well, it’s good that you two have each other.”
The way Winston talks about Viktor almost makes me think he has a whole different side to him. One I haven’t seen but am curious to discover.
“He gets a little grumpy every now and then, which I’m sure you’ve noticed.” He glances at me quickly before eating a slice of apple. “There’s a lot of darkness in his past. Now, I’m not saying that’s an excuse, but please remember what I told you the next time he talks to you that way. I know he seems like a nutcase, but there’s more to him. Underneath it all … he’s a good guy.”
“It’s hard for me to see him like that when all he’s done is yell at me.”
“I know that, but it’s all just a defense mechanism. You have to believe me.”
“How do you know there’s more to him? Was he always this way?”
“To me? No. Never. To others … always. But he became this way because of what happened. He became bitter … but he has a heart of gold. I just know it.”
“Because you’ve spent so much time with him, you know.”
“I know because deep down … no one is evil.” He looks at me intently. “Look at yourself, for example. You’re selling your body. Your sister steals. You trespass.”
“Hey, this wasn’t regular business for us.”
“You needed the money. I get that. Viktor probably gets it too. Doesn’t make it right. But you’re not the only one who’s doing stupid stuff. You do it because you have no other choice.”
I’m a bit taken aback because it’s as if he can read me like an open book.
“Viktor is the same.”
“I dance, strip, and fuck men to make a living. Viktor doesn’t have to be an asshole to survive.”
“Viktor doesn’t know any other way to live. Not anymore. He’s been through too much. Seen too many things.”
“Hmm.” I don’t know what to think of it all. Is Viktor’s history really that bad? Can I believe Winston or not? After all, they’re friends … maybe he just wants to convince me to trust Viktor so I won’t be tempted to run. Or maybe I’m just overthinking things.
I sigh out loud and rest my head on the kitchen countertop.
“You look like you could use some cheering up. Why don’t you go explore the mansion?”
“Explore? Am I even allowed?” I jest, shaking my head.