Page 30 of Psycho Saviors

“You’re not wrong,” he said with a nod before sipping his glass, the ice clinking against it. “At least they loved us, never brought us harm, taught us how to live in the shadows of the world, how to own them. We were blessed in our own way, even with the darkness we were born into.”

“Lucky you,” I muttered before downing my glass. Even the damn mafia had a better upbringing than I did. “Mine taught me that blood means nothing sometimes. My only family is Naomi, and I guess Ray. You know, the guy you stabbed?” I said, the harsh reminder making me harden.

“Right. We took good care of him, he’s been paid well too.” He didn’t seem even remotely remorseful for the attack at all, and I rolled my eyes. Of course I’d expected too much there.

“Right, because that makes it all better,” I grumbled.

He didn’t comment, instead, he sighed and finished his glass before gazing over the city.

“Naomi came from a messed up background, foster homes, drug issues, sex work, and even sex trafficking at one point. She’s had a hard run as well.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. Why was he bringing that up? What relevance did it have? Was he saying I surrounded myself with bad people? He was one to talk.

“Yeah, she had her problems, but she’s doing good for herself now. Has a great apartment, likes her job despite the work, and I’m proud of her. She’s come so far, she’s clean of the drugs now, which is a miracle considering her job too. She tells me how some of the other girls are slipping,” I said defensively, and that strange smile touched his face once more, confusing me.

He returned his gaze to me, studying me as he rested a finger on his chin.

“You’re loyal to those you choose. It’s a good trait.”

“Of course I am, Noms would never hurt me, we’re family. And we’d kill for one another if it came to it,” I muttered as I glared down at my glass, not wanting to look at him anymore.

Why were we having this conversation anyway? What was he getting at?

“Do you really think you’d kill for one another?”

I swallowed, staring hard at my glass like it would magically refill or make this conversation end.

I knew I’d kill for Noms if I had to.

“I already have.”

13

TYRONE

Istared at her, trying to determine if she was telling the truth. She’d killed for her friend?

And yet, as she stared down at her glass, her face drawn tight, I knew she wasn’t lying.

And fuck, would I not have guessed that at all. So our little Scarlet had a darker side.

“Who? And why?” I asked, and her gaze snapped up to mine, those eyes darkened, her walls rebuilding. I wanted to know just how far she’d gone for someone she loved, just what her loyalty was like.

“The junkie Noms was with when she was seventeen. He was trafficking her for sex, got her addicted to some extent, and was abusing her. We’d fallen out of contact when I’d been sold and cut off from the world, but I reached out when I ran away, and she answered. I knew she would. She was a few towns over, so I caught a bus after begging for money. But when I went to her for safety, I found she was in a shit situation too, living a miserable life. I was still grieving my baby, and seeing how Noms was being used and abused, it pissed me off. The guy, Brent, was an absolute bastard, and Noms was too scared to try to leave him. He’d threatened to kill her several times,” she said as she tapped her glass uneasily. “And I wasn’t exactly clear-headed and thinking smart, not with everything I’d been through too. I was reckless, didn’t care about myself as much anymore. I just wanted to help her. So I took over. A few days of staying with her, I gained enough of his trust that he didn’t care that I was there. He went to their room and fucked her, then told her about the next guy she had to screw the following day to cover their bills. She came to me crying while he shot up and passed out, and I handled it.” Her face was hardened as she jutted her chin out, justifying her actions.

I wouldn’t have blamed her for doing it.

“How’d you handle it?” I searched her face as she drew in steadying breath, holding my gaze steady in a show of strength I wouldn’t have expected.

“I went and gave him an overdose while she cried, feeling guilty about the whole thing. I knew the cops would rule it an accident, and we ran away. We came to this city and started new lives here.”

Well, I’d be damned. She’d really done it. She was telling the truth, that same haunted look in her eye that killers had, one devoid of remorse but knowing it was still an evil act. One I’d seen before on occasion. She had morals and beliefs in this world, but she’d still done what she needed to do to protect her own.

She was more like us than she would ever want to believe.

But it awed me, and I certainly respected her a hell of a lot more for it.

“Well, you are far more than meets the eye, Scarlet. I have to say, I’m impressed. You are nothing like I thought you’d turn out to be,” I said as I rose and outstretched my hand for her empty glass. “Let me top you up.”

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