Page 261 of Psycho Beasts

I curled in on myself and debated having a nice, long cry, but something about a meltdown seemed so gauche.

Either I was that bitch, or I wasn’t.

And that bitch didn’t cry over men; she enslaved them with her blood powers, laughed as they cried, and killed them for betraying her.

I ate another hot dog.

A horrifying realization hit me: Was I becoming a villain?

I do look good in black.

“Are you okay, sugar?” Molly asked, and I screamed with surprise, choking on a hot dog at her sudden appearance.

“No,” I answered honestly after I’d spent five awkward minutes trying to swallow.

Her impressive muscles bunched as she looked down at me with a sad smile. “This realm will do that to you.”

I opened my mouth to explain how actually the pain had started a decade ago, back when my “master” had beaten me bloody for sport. I snapped my jaw shut at the tension on her face.

While it was hard to remember sometimes, everything wasn’t all about me.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

Molly’s eyes were bloodshot, like she’d been crying, and her tanned skin was sickly pale.

She ran her trembling fingers down her face. “No, I’m really not.”

A long minute passed as we both stood in silence, the weight of our mutual grief wrapping around each other.

Finally, Molly asked quietly, “Will you come with me? I need to…” she trailed off, her hand shaking harder. “Never mind, forget I was here.”

She backed away.

“No, wait.” I jumped to my feet and followed after her.

“What do you need? Is someone hurting you?” I asked with confusion, glancing down at her boulder shoulders and wondering what terrifying creature could scare Molly.

“I can’t. No, don’t,” Molly sputtered as she walked quickly away from me, zigzagging through dancing couples as the string instruments played a fast tune.

I hurried to catch her.

Something was very wrong.

At the corner of the dais, Molly spun around and whispered furiously, “Sadie, you need to leave. You need to get out of—”

“Molly, you made it,” Z said with a smile as he walked up to us, going right into her personal space.

As I turned my head to the newcomer, I made eye contact with the don, who sat above us on his throne.

He stared at me with burning emerald eyes, his expression intense.

I turned back to Molly and didn’t miss the way she flinched at Z’s appearance.

“Stay away from her,” I growled and shoved at Z weakly.

Just following Molly across the room had left me gasping for air. My vision kaleidoscoped as sweat poured down my face, and I tried to look tough.

Z grabbed my wrists easily and smiled down at me.

---