Page 5 of Psycho Saviors

“Most likely one of those.”

For a captured woman looking potential death in the face, she was keeping her head surprisingly well.

Although that thought bothered me. Time and time again I’d told her we weren’t friends, but her latest remark before all this shit happened, about knowing she was just a toy, had bothered me.

‘No, I'm your toy, I get that.’

The words had gotten to me. As to why, I couldn’t say. Maybe some stupid part of me had grown fond of our little pyro.

That would be a miracle. I’d had a slew of women over the years, from models to pornstars, plenty of which had kept my dick happy, but Scarlet, there was something special about her. Hell, she’d knocked me over the head the first time I’d met the damn woman. And that was with the knowledge who we were.

What kind of stupid woman knowingly attacked a made man? The only one who’d ever been remotely similar in fire and zest had been a hired hit-woman, but she’d been too cool-headed, and we’d figured out who she was with ease.

We didn’t normally murder women, which was just a strange ingrained thing from our parents, but we’d made a show of her, beheading her and sending her pretty little head to the Russos. That had made them back off.

Clearly that hadn’t stuck.

“Your brothers will come for you. They’ll destroy this family, won’t they?” she mused softly, her attention still entirely on Kenny as she ran her fingers over his ears and under his chin.

A part of me was grateful my little fluff ball could ease her.

“Yes.” There was no question about it. “If anything happens to us, if they kill us to try to intimidate or scare off my family, that’ll start an all-out war that’ll flood the streets though, especially with Cristian. He’ll burn the whole city to get back at them,” I muttered as I leaned back against the cool brick wall of our cell. I had to admire them for having an actual cell down here, complete with the bars and the padlocked door. I would’ve expected a locked room in a basement, not an actual cell.

We needed to invest in a cell. We didn’t actually have one, and now I wanted one.

When we got out of here, or course. If we got out of here.

“Well, do you think they’ll give us a litter tray while they figure out what they’re going to do to us?” she asked, those piercing blue eyes finally meeting mine.

How was she not a mess? Terrified for her life? Her strength and calm surprised even me in this moment.

“Hell no,” I said with a snort, wincing at the pain that flared through my nose. I wouldn’t do that again. “They gave us a bucket, you think they’d give us anything for Kenny?”

“Right.” She tracked her gaze to the steel bucket in the corner of our cell, the only other thing in here save for the crappy single bed. Not even a sink, although I hadn’t been expecting the Hilton.

“Get comfy, love, these things take time. They’ll be making demands with my family more than likely. I doubt they’re dumb enough to kill us, that’s a death sentence in itself.”

“Dumb enough to kill you,” she muttered, her brow furrowing as she chewed her cheek.

“What?”

“They’re not dumb enough to kill you. I’m free game,” she stated, her gaze locked on Kenny, her voice oddly devoid of emotion despite the dark words.

“Well, they’d have to be stupid to hurt you. You’re ours, and we protect what’s ours,” I said after a moment, and those perplexed eyes met mine. She didn’t say a word, and I slid my gaze away, closing my eyes as I tried to will away the ache in my face.

“Well, this is shit,” she muttered after a moment.

“This is the underbelly of the city, love. You have no clue what goes on in the shadows.”

“I have an idea.” Her voice was quiet, but I didn’t bother asking her to elaborate. I hurt, not that I was willing to admit that. I couldn’t wait for my brothers to handle this wretched family once and for all now. Although I wanted to personally deal with Romeo for fucking with my face.

“They’ll be lucky if Cristian doesn’t start blowing shit up. He’s a loose cannon these days,” I grumbled.

“Why is he like that?”

Great, questions, just what my throbbing head didn’t need.

“If we’re trapped here for a while, we may as well talk,” she said with a heavy sigh.

---