Page 57 of Dolly

“Looking for me?” I shoot the question at her. “How are you even alive?” Images flash. Blood everywhere. Pooling. I slipped in it. Fell into the puddle of her blood.

She flickers her gaze to Dolly, who drops the toys at my feet.

“I…uh…” She’s preoccupied with Dolly moving toward her, walking around the end table. A few more steps and she’s there.

“Dolly, stay still,” I order her. We can’t start yet, but Dolly knows Cathy betrayed me. She won’t let that shit go undealt with.

“She doesn’t look hurt,” Dolly states blandly. She turns her head one way, then the other, inspecting how unhurt Cathy actually is.

“It’s been over a month—” Cathy starts, but Dolly jerks forward with her knife at the ready, sending Cathy into silence and stumbling back a step.

“I doubt even a month would heal the head wound you supposedly had,” I bite out, moving my aim to Todd. “Don’t fucking move.”

Todd’s jaw clenches, and he gives a little nod. Fucking pussy.

Cathy drops her hands to her sides, shaking her head. “You were really never too detail orientated, were you?” she asks, her tone souring, hardening.

“Don’t check the age of the girl at the bar—end up fucking your career.” She raises her brows. “Don’t bother to check if I was actually shot before blubbering about it.”

I blink faster, trying to sort through the memories. So many fucking drugs were racing through my veins.

“Didn’t notice the bag of blood hanging from the table beside me while you were shoving your fucking cock in my ass?” she taunts.

“Bag of blood?” I search the scene in my mind. She was naked, beaten, bent and tied over the table. Until she lifted her head to look at me, I couldn’t see her. I never saw the other side of the table.

“It wasn’t too hard to convince you, I’ll be honest. You were drugged pretty heavily. Not that it stopped your cock from getting hard.” She lifted her shoulders.

Dolly inches forward, but Cathy’s focus remains on me.

“You took me there on purpose.” Captain Obvious has taken control of my brain. How do you sort between what’s a lie and what’s real when there isn’t time?

“Brian, I think we should just chill out,” Todd says from behind Cathy.

“I think you should shut the fuck up,” Dolly yells at him.

“You’re Queenhearts.” I get my mind back on track. I’ll work through her actions later. Right now, we have to press forward. We need answers, we need to keep going, we need to make all of this shit right.

“I’ll admit, I didn’t think you had it in you. What you did with Morty and Jimmy,” she says. “But I think I know why.” She turns to look at Dolly. “Abigail.”

Dolly freezes. Her jaw tightens while her lips curl inward.

“My name is Dolly.” She lunges for Cathy, but Cathy’s ready for her. She easily blocks Dolly and takes her down to the floor.

I jump over the couch between us, but I’m not needed. Dolly’s on the floor. She swipes her knife, cutting Cathy’s Achilles tendon. Cathy screams and stumbles down beside Dolly.

“No. Wait.” I grab Dolly’s wrist just as she aims to plunge her knife into Cathy. “Not yet.” This is to be savored, not devoured. Control needs to be taken back.

I look over at Todd, aiming my gun at him. “Don’t fucking move.”

“I…fuck...Brian…I…” he stammers, glancing toward the front door. I’m not taking chances.

Two shots, one to each of his knees, takes him down to the floor, howling like the bleeding pig he is.

“Fuck!” Cathy tries to scramble up, to crawl away, but Dolly yanks out of my grip and pins her to the ground.

“We need to get them somewhere we can work.” I point the gun at Todd again. “Shut the fuck up or I’ll cut out your fucking vocal cords.”

Tears streak his pale face. He nods and holds up one hand covered in his own blood. “Okay. Okay!”

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