Page 119 of Butterfly

“That sneaky bastard,” Pichard hissed. “What did he say?”

“He kissed me,” Ollie whispered. “He kissed me like I was everything, like he’d do anything for me. Even slay a demon…”

Teddy’s expression had said,Trust me.

“What does that even mean?” Pichard growled, changing the angle of the needle in Ollie’s neck.

Ollie hissed but didn’t answer.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. Plan A was the fire, this is plan B.” Pichard moved the needle. “It’s not uncommon for inmates to struggle after their release. You were probably just experimenting, right? Trying to feelsomething. That’s why you injected a shit load of heroin into yourself. You didn’t know what you were doing after all. You took yourself somewhere quiet, up here, close to where you’ve been living, and youexperimented. It’s such a shame. You were so young. But you’ve had a troubled life, and it’s no real surprise you turned to drugs.”

Ollie tightened his grip on the bar and closed his eyes.

“And when Teddy hears the news, he’ll know. He’ll know it was me. He’ll know it was his fault. Because locked up in Hollybrook, he can’t slay any demons. He can’t do a goddamn thing.”

Ollie had been in Hollybrook for over two years, and during that time he regularly went to the gym with Captain, and Captain had taught him a few moves.

Just in case, Captain had said.

You’ll probably never need them, he’d said too.

Ollie took a slow breath in through his nose.

The key was to bequick.

Be quick, Ollie.

He used the bar to yank himself down as he dropped to his knees.

The needle slid from his skin, but Pichard was on him in a heartbeat, snarling curses as he dropped down on Ollie’s back. Ollie didn’t think about the needle; he jammed his elbow back, catching Pichard in the chest.

They were both wearing too many layers for any real damage.

Ollie rolled onto his back, and it was the first time he got a look at Pichard.

He looked crazed, face contorted with snarls and hair wild and windswept.

He landed a punch to Ollie’s face, and the gush of blood from his nose came a few seconds later.

He was a child again.

And Pichard on top of him was his dad.

He remembered it didn’t last as long if he took it, if he stayed still and kept quiet. His father had been three times his size. His dad used Leo, used Ollie’s biggest fear of Leo being hurt, to make sure he didn’t fight back.

It was better if he didn’t fight back.

So he never did.

But Leo had been hurt anyway.

Ollie had failed him.

And if he didn’t fight back now, he would fail Teddy too.

Pichard’s eyes were wide as he kept his fist raised in the air, wanting so badly to hit Ollie but knowing he shouldn’t. He’d fucked up with that one punch.

“You messed about with drugs,” Pichard panted. “Then you fell, landing face first and breaking your fucking nose.”

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