Page 9 of Harmless
“No,” I whispered. “A little girl ran up to me out of nowhere. She was wailing, sobbing, in so much distress. She was dirty and barefoot, such a sad little thing. This kid grabbed my hand, trying to pull me somewhere. I pulled back and just tried to get her to calm down. I couldn’t understand what she was saying, she was hysterical. So I crouched down to her eye level.” I closed my eyes. “That was when they got me.”
“Jesus, how?” Torr asked. “I’ve seen you out there. You’re a beast.”
“Chloroform, my man.” I chuckled mirthlessly. “They waited until I was distracted and close to the ground, put the shit over my nose and mouth, and then a bag over that so I couldn’t escape the fumes. Next thing I remember, I woke up sitting in a cell across from Devin.”
“Fuck, that’s some shit.”
“Yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck.Then, six years later, I got a talking jaguar and I’m falling for a girl who has another man.Not that I got any bad vibes from Torr, but I didn’t need to reveal my whole hand just yet. He probably already knew I had it bad for Rori anyway.
Torr cleared his throat. “Got a personal question, if you don’t mind.”
“Shoot.”
“After all that, do you still feel the same way about killing women? Is it still a boundary for you?”
A laugh burst out of me from seemingly nowhere, echoing off the brick walls. But I knew where that sound came from—the deep part of my soul that had gone as black and empty as a bottomless pit.
“Absolutely the fuck not.”
4
RORI
Idropped onto the couch, dying to get off my still-aching feet. “I can’t thank you enough, Aunt Kyrie. This is more than I could have asked for.”
I knew the woman had resources, but she’d really come through for me. She had two safe houses reserved for us, plus a warehouse full of blankets, clothes, toiletries, basic first aid supplies, and non-perishable food. She was also arranging for fresh water and food and a doctor to come check on our soon-to-be escapees for more serious medical issues.
“It’s my pleasure, sweetheart. Nobody deserves what those people are going through.” I heard a distant tapping on the phone, like my aunt was drumming her fingers on her desk. “Something about this resort sounds…I don’t know, familiar, but that’s not quite the right word.”
I sat up. “You’ve seen something like this before?”
“No, but the exploitation of men, specifically at the hands of women, reminds me of something one of your uncles went through as a child.”
I gripped the phone harder, pausing before asking, “Uncle Grudge?”
“Yes,” she confirmed softly.
Her husband, Grudge, my dad Shadow’s half-brother, had been rendered mute as a result of his tongue being removed. He could make some sounds with his throat and lips but primarily communicated in sign language. It was because of both him and my brother’s girlfriend Lily that our whole family took on learning how to sign.
With Shadow’s scarred appearance and Grudge’s mutilation, it was clear that they had both been through horrific ordeals when they were younger. I hadn’t yet made a connection between them and the gladiators, but what if there was one?
“Has he told you what happened?” I asked Kyrie.
“Yes, but,” shesaid, pausing. “It’s not my story to tell, Rori. I can ask him—”
“No, it’s okay.” I stopped her. “I don’t want to dredge up bad memories for him. Besides, it was so long ago, way before I was born, right? It probably isn’t related. No one at this place had their tongues removed that I saw.”
“Even so, I’m going to tell him what you told me,” she said. “If he thinks there’s a connection, he’ll say so. And you know all three of them will want to help.”
“What happened to enjoying retirement?” I laughed.
“I found T-Bone and Dyno hitting each other with golf clubs the other day. I don’t knowhowthey still have so much energy and testosterone, but they need some kind of outlet.”
“My dads will probably be the same. They’ll have to go on old-man rides together and leave you and my mom in peace.”
Kyrie laughed, and I heard the smile in her voice. “We could use a girls’ day. Val and I miss the hell out of Mari and you kids.”
“I miss you and Val too and even those old farts.”
