Page 13 of Sustaining
With the twist of my wrist, a small bat shrieks through the hateful old bitch’s hair, looking like it was born from the nest of her ratty brown hair as it slashes its black little wings through the tangle of her locks. Molly’s scream echoes around the small space. Vixen and Miles step back, lips parted with surprise gasps. I slowly make my way toward the door and open it just in time for the bat to burst out into the morning sunlight.
I meet the woman’s gaze, hers fearful, mine furious. I don’t know why I feel so much like Aggie right now. I’m just tired. I’m so fucking tired of trying and trying and knowing that I’m trying so damn hard and it doesn’t even matter.
So fuck it. Welcome to karma. Don’t mess with a woman who can literally rain down bad karma like confetti at a party.
“What was that?” Molly’s lips turn down so hard I think her whole face might slide right off and drop to the damp floor.
“What was what?” I blink at her.
Her mouth tilts impossibly lower at the corners. “You know what.”
“Is the heat getting to you, Molly?” I take a step forward, and she takes one back. “Maybe you’re just becoming a bit batty in your old age.”
Vixen stifles a laugh.
“Just take the rest of the day off, Molls,” Vixen whispers gently.
Molly’s chest rises with heaving breaths as she stares hard at me. For a moment, I wonder if she’ll lash out at me. She’s big. Her fists are the size of grapefruits when she tenses her fingers into her palms over and over again.
And then she shoves past me, flings open the heavy door, and storms out after only an hour of work.
Silence settles in while I stare at the door. As good as it felt to stand up to her, it doesn’t make me feel any better. All the lectures my mother gave me to hide my magic away circle my mind, twirling anxious guilt right along with them.
I won’t feel better until I’m gone. When I find a place like Ellise suggested where I can belong, then I’ll feel better. That’s all I can think about as the quietness settles in.
“So, like all the guys you’re dating, do they just take turns? Do they tag each other in, or is one like in charge and he delegates days? Is there one that rules over the relationship, or is it more of a democracy? Tell me about thedick-tatorship, Arlow.” Vixen’s big eyes wait patiently for my response, while Miles watches her pretty dark eyes like he’s seeing the moon and stars for the first time in his entire life.
I glance between the two. My lips part to respond to her ridiculous question when bright light floods through the room. The door lingers open, and a man steps inside.
“Damn, look at you.” Chaos’ gaze slides over every exposed inch of my sweaty skin, and then he’s on me. His arms wrap around me, sticking to me as I cringe with disgust at the stickiness of my body.
“I’m gross, K. Don’t do that.” I hold my palms carefully away from his clean shirt. Not even a speck of dirt is on him, and he’s just crushing my dirty body against his like I’m his favorite blanket.
“You are not gross.” His big palms glide down my spine, just further confirming how filthy I feel right now.
“Oh, that’s one of them, right?” Vixen finishes sliding the last board into place with Mile’s help, but she never takes her gaze off of me and Chaos.
I turn, trying to step away from Chaos’ latching hands. He lets me go, a smile teasing his full lips. “Vixen, this is Chaos. Chaos, this is Vixen and Miles.”
He’d just missed Molly, but let’s face it, he’s not missing a single thing there.
“Hello, Vixen and Miles.” He gives one of those sexy wide smiles, his dark beard making his teeth look even whiter. That smile stays in place, and the look causes my heart beat harder.
Vixen passes Miles a knowing smirk, and it makes the boy blush even more. Chaos watches them curiously for only a moment before tilting his head down to me.
“Come take a break with us,” he whispers against my lips.
I exhale a heavy breath into the humid room. “I can’t. We have to get these ships finished.” As quickly as fucking possible.
“Well, we got our stuff done.”
Their stuff done… My eyes narrow on him. It’s been maybe an hour total.
“You’re done?”
“Yep.” The p pops as he keeps that smile that’s no longer sexy but frustrating in place.
“You did a day’s worth of work in an hour?”
