Page 22 of Psycho Sinners

Her gaze flicked to me, that fire I knew all too well igniting in those bright blue depths.

Don’t do anything stupid, Noms.

Horror flickered over her face, like the weight of it all was hitting hard, but then it was gone, that fire burning it away.

She was strong and stubborn, traits I admired in her. And yet, she also knew when to bend, to focus on the path of least resistance to protect others.

She swallowed, and Ty nodded to his guard.

“Take him to the hospital. See that he gets the correct treatment. I don’t want to lose a good bartender.” He slid his gaze between Noms and I. “Now, ladies, you are to listen, or things are going to get even more ugly. Ray will live, although he’ll now know his place.”

I watched silently as the guard holding Ray dragged his stumbling figure back out of the apartment, my heart shattering.

This was all my fault. I’d gotten myself into this mess, and now Noms and Ray had been dragged right into it.

He was right. I always had chaos at my heels.

"Monsters,” I whispered, the only word that I could utter, my throat protesting with a vengeance.

Cristian chuckled, the sound dark and smooth as aged whiskey. "Of course we are, sweetheart." He released Noms face, striding over, his shadow falling over me. "Mind you, you weren't complaining last night."

At least he’d moved his focus off Noms, that was all I cared about.

I ground my teeth together, biting back any comeback, both for the sake of not stirring the pot any further, and the fact that words were like razors in my throat right now.

Noms was silent, knowing exactly when she was treading water in a pool filled with sharks. Best not to send them into a frenzy.

“You know we’ll have to get someone to cover for him, right?” Julian said with a sigh from the kitchen. “And Inez is sick.”

“She is?” Ty arched a brow as he focused on his brother. “Well, let’s hope Raymond has a speedy recovery then. You can work on finding a fill-in.”

“Just what I want to do,” Julian muttered.

“Now, let’s get things straight," Ty began, his tone deceptively mild as he focused on Noms and I, "you're not dying today. No one will be. But Scarlet owes us. A price that will be paid in servitude.”

I locked eyes with Noms, her golden hair a stark contrast to the dread in her blue eyes. We had been through hell and back together, but this? This felt different. She squared her shoulders, her past giving her an ability to stand strong.

We were alike in that regard, our stories having forged us into women who would take on everything the world threw at us.

"A month," he said, as if he were discussing the weather and not trading in human autonomy. "You'll be ours—our pet." The word rolled off his tongue like a dark promise as those soulless eyes met mine. "Do what's asked, play nice, and after thirty days, you walk. Call it a reasonable price for our... discretion."

The sickness rolled in my stomach as I balled my hands into fists. A pet? The words clawed at me, but I caught Noms’ eye—a silent plea not to make it worse. She gave the tiniest nod, and I bit back the bile rising in my throat.

"Is Tommy dead?" The question slipped out, borne from a need to grasp onto something—anything—other than the spiraling chaos.

“Julian?” Ty moved his gaze to his brother with a sigh, as if the question was unworthy of his time. I followed his gaze, willing my heart to slow.

“He’s still kicking, minus a hand. At the hospital south. He won’t talk.”Julian rolled his eyes, a gesture so normal it was obscene given the circumstances. But a weight eased off my chest.

"Julian might have a flair for the dramatics. Both of my brothers do.” Ty’s words gave me little comfort.

“Yep, sorry, pyro. Tommy's alive, tucked up in a hospital bed. And before you ask," Julian added, as if reading my frantic thoughts, "the waitress has taken the hint. Skipped town. She won't be back."

He said it with such finality that it felt like another door slamming shut. Although it was a welcome one, as I let out the breath I’d been holding. I may have hated her for what she’d done, hated them both, but death was extreme.

“She’s going to need some help with her nose, though. You really fucked that up for her,” Julian said with a smirk, as if we were slight friends and not predator and prey.

“Now, Naomi Liston, you will not whisper a word of this to anyone. You will continue working as per usual. Should you try anything, then you both will be dealt with. You’ll disappear, and no one will be none the wiser,” Ty said, and Noms gaze met mine across the room—a grim sort of solidarity passing between us. She jerked her head in the smallest nod, a silent message that she could do this if I could. We both knew what his words insinuated. We’d be wiped away like a useless stain, forgotten and gone in an instant.

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