Page 43 of Siren's Salvation

I take a breath, steeling myself.

Whatever's about to go down, I have a feeling it's gonna be ugly.

I swing out of the truck, boots hitting dirt just in time to see Cheyenne dragging Sassy out of the other vehicle.

She throws her to the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of her.

"Jesus," I mutter, but before I can say more, Cheyenne's got a gun out, leveled right at Sassy's head.

Sassy's on her knees, hands up, terror written all over her face. "Please," she begs, voice cracking. "Please, I'll do anything, just don't?—"

Cheyenne's laugh is cold enough to freeze blood. "Why shouldn't I pull this trigger right now? You're a sorry excuse for a mother, leaving that baby on their doorstep like that."

I feel my jaw clench.

Abandoning a kid is a special kind of fucked up.

But as much as I want to see Sassy pay, a public execution isn't our style.

At least, it didn't used to be.

Zane moves faster than I expect, his hand closing over Cheyenne's gun.

Their eyes lock, a silent conversation passing between them.

After a tense moment, Cheyenne lets out a frustrated sigh and holsters her weapon.

"Fine," she spits. "But this bitch better start talking."

Sassy's still on her knees, trembling. "I-I didn't leave the kid with strangers," she stammers. "I left it with its father. With Doc."

The words hit like a punch to the gut.

It.

The kid.

She doesn’t want to even acknowledge this baby like it’s hers.

I knew Doc was Kash's father, but hearing Sassy say it so casually, like it justifies what she did... it makes my blood boil.

Cheyenne's face contorts with rage. "You think that makes it okay?" she snarls. "You abandoned your baby on a fuckin’ doorstep!"

I watch Cheyenne, trying to piece together why this is hitting her so hard.

Sure, what Sassy did was fucked up, but Cheyenne looks ready to tear her apart with her bare hands.

There's gotta be more to this story.

"Look," I say, trying to keep my voice level. "Kash is better off without you, Sassy. You know that, right? Hell, he's only ever gonna know Mandy as his mom, and that kid lucked out there."

I think about Mandy, how she stepped up for Doc and Kash without hesitation.

"She didn't have to do shit for either of them," I continue. "But now Doc's got an ol' lady who actually gives a fuck. So maybe you did one good thing by fuckin’ off."

Sassy flinches at my words, but I don't feel an ounce of sympathy.

My eyes drift to Siren, and I'm struck by the tension in her jaw, the fire in her eyes.

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