Finding Mayhem

by Layla Frost

I peeked out the floral and teddy bear curtain—Aunt Edna had a theme, however bizarre—but there was no one.

Hmmmm

“Oh, hey,” I said, playing it cool. As cool as lava. “What’s up?” “The fuck you doing?” I held up the plastic container. “Eating lunch.” “On the ground?”

Xdxdxdxdxd

Even though I hadn’t given her a heads-up I’d be gone, Mac hadn’t texted. Not that I’d expected her to. I’d never in my damn life met someone so stubbornly independent.

Xdxdxdxd

“Getting excited?” I asked. “Getting busy.” At my brow raise, Nox shook his head as he ran a hand across his red beard. “Not like that, you fookin’ muppet. She’s got me rearranging the apartment, painting, all that shit. She’ll get it perfect, then wake up the next day and want it back like it was.” That sounded like a pain in the ass, but his face didn’t hold a hint of annoyance or inconvenience. He was happy. Fuckin’ thrilled.

That's the only appropriate response

“I have to eat healthy.” She put her hand on her stomach and looked down at it, her face solemn and her voice soft. “Squish counts on me.” Fuckin’ hell, damn, shit. The wind was knocked from my lungs, my chest tightened, and my gut twisted like I’d gone four rounds with a kicking donkey. I bottled all that shit up and focused on what was important. Finding Mac and Squish something healthy to go with our greasy pizza.

Ward was armed with a gun and wore someone else’s blood. It must’ve been the day for red. Because what else was red? Flags. Lots of them. But I must’ve been colorblind because I ignored them all.

I aint see nothing

“I won’t fuck you tonight,” he rumbled in my ear—a reminder I didn’t particularly want to hear, “but if you think I’m letting you leave before I make you come all over my fingers, you’re outta your damn mind.”

Hell yeah

“I got hummus.” His words made me hesitate because they were so random and I seriously loved hummus. “What?” “Black olive and jalapeño. It’s got folate, iron, protein. Good for Squish.” Squish. He said Squish.

“If you think I want anyone but you, you haven’t been paying a fuckin’ lick of attention.”

“Lie to me and tell me I don’t want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life.”

It took less than a minute for her breath to even out, but I stayed awake. ’Cause under my palm, Squish rolled and kicked. And I didn’t wanna miss any of it.

“Because if I say anything or try to leave, he’ll go down the hall. He’ll start visiting them.”

Guessed as much

“Unless you pull that completely out. Glitch has kindly requested you not do that.”

Im guesing this will be important

“’Cause if I don’t tell you, you got plausible deniability. You can bury your head in the sand and pretend the hands that touch you. That make you come. That worship and own you aren’t covered in a thick layer of blood.”

Im okay with that

“Get to Mac’s. Now.” The pit that’d been in my gut all day grew into a black hole. “What’s wrong?” “The watch I gave you yesterday? It’s activated. Recording. I’ll let the others know to roll out, but you need to get there fast.” “What’s happening?” I had no clue what he was seeing, but his voice was frantic. “Fuck, Hollywood. He’s gonna kill her. He’s gonna fuckin’ kill her.”