Page 31 of PortCity Killers

“It’s fine, Jaymes.”

“That bi-”

“It’s fine.” I bit, “I am fine.”

He wisely kept his mouth shut. I guess he was learning after all. I shook my head at him, pulling him closer to the wall by the door. My legs were still curled under me uncomfortably, but I just didn’t think I had the strength to stand.

My muscles felt like jelly, and my hands shook with what I knew was likely the shock and adrenaline from the past 48 hours hitting me all at once.

“You are free to go, Jaymes, but your sister will need to stay to get cleaned up before she can be back in public.” Valentina’s voice was sickly sweet, dripping with a form of malice only women could seem to conjure up that flashed with images of mean girls and locker rooms.

“No way am I leaving her here with-with...you.How do I know she’s going to be okay? That you’re not going to just kill her here?”

“And have two bodies to clean up? No, Jaymes, not today.”

I looked at Jaymes, nodding towards the door as I drew my knees to my chest, my back resting against the wall. He stared at me, stared hard, and I had to look away. Jaymes knew me well. Not as well as Bryce, but he knew.

He had seen some of the twisted little pieces that I had hidden over the years, and I was sure that was what he was thinking about now as he watched me.

Don stepped up closer to us, giving Jaymes no choice but to follow the sweep of the man’s arm as he opened the door.

It did seem rather wasteful to kill me as well at this point, so I just stayed where I was, shrinking into myself and hoping no one would see the small movements.

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