Page 16 of Kept

Looks like we might be bringing more than just Abby Millers home tonight. She pulls herself up even as she hesitates. “Look at the graves in the cemetery. They’re recent enough so nobody notices the earth.”

“Fucking skank,” Eddy spits out, even as he trembles. “Talking to the cops.”

“Oh,” I breathe in delight, wiggling the blade a little until his chin is tilted high in the air as he works to avoid it. “I’m not a cop, Eddy boy.”

I feel the jolt as he jerks against the needle I slide into the soft flesh of his stomach, a high-pitched grunt leaving his throat. “Who the hell are you, then?”

I love this part. Leaning in, I press my lips right against his ear.

“I’m Batman. Welcome to Gotham City, bitch.”

He hits the ground with a thump, and I glance at Abby. She’s shaking and pale, but she meets my gaze defiantly as her voice shakes. “You gonna kill me next?”

“Oh, he’s not dead.” I prod him with my boot, rolling him over until she can see his chest rising and falling. “Looks like he’s got a little more to confess to the devil first.”

She doesn’t say anything, and I tilt my head, searching for a reason as to why she’s still here and not running as far as possible from the stranger with the sharp knife. “Time to go home now, girl.”

Her eyes slide to the side, and her fingers curl loosely at her throat again. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Something about her tone rubs me the wrong way. Crossing my arms, I stare at her. “Why not?”

She shrugs.

Testing a thought, I throw it into the air between us. “Seems like your dad is really missing you.”

Bingo.

She locks up, her muscles tightening.

Fucks’ sake. I’m not here to solve the world’s problems. But I dig into my pocket anyway, yanking out the wedge of cash I carry around in case of… emergencies.

Like bribery. Or, as it currently seems, setting someone up to get away from their abusive father.

She watches me warily, but her arm shoots out quick enough, grabbing the stash when I toss it over and glancing down. Her eyes widen.

“There’s enough there to get you settled somewhere cheap with a down payment and tide you over until you can get work. Got your ID?”

“I can get it,” she whispers, touching the money before she flicks her eyes up at me. “I don’t have to go back?”

I shrug. “No skin off my nose what you do. Go back, don’t go back. Or you could grab your shit, head to the bus station and get yourself somewhere where people don’t think they own you.”

She touches the edge of the cash warily. “I don’t know what to—,”

But I’ve already turned away. Leaning down, I grab Eddy and haul him over my shoulder. He’ll be out for a while, so I turn away from her with a salute.

“Later, Abby Millers. Take care of yourself.”

I’m whistling as I walk away.

Because I just added another name to my list.

7 – Zella

Somethingfeelsdifferent.Off.

Blinking up at the ceiling, I try to put my finger on it.

Maybe it’s the dreams. I had another sleepless night, full of faces I didn’t recognize, all of them trying desperately to talk to me with no sound coming out. Some of them were the statues – Maria, Dante, Seph.

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