Page 107 of Seduce & Destroy

But to be ready for that reunion, I needed a good night’s sleep and right now, my favourite pillow was marching across the bar floor ushering people to leave, the chains on her belt loops catching the light as they swung. I couldn’t wait to get her home.

Neenan came to stand across the bar from me. He pointed to the side of my mouth. “You’ve got a little something there?”

“What? Where?” I said, dabbing at my face with a napkin. “Have I got it? Is it gone?”

“Nah,” he replied, now pointing to his own face as reference, ”It’s right here. Yup, yeah, that’s it, now wipe up all that drool.”

I punched him in the arm. “That’s not funny!”

He raised his eyebrows. “I only speak the truth.” He said into a yawn, chuckling, nonetheless. “Are you nervous?”

More like shit scared. I wanted them to like me. At this point, they were my last remaining relatives, and if I screwed this up in any way, I’d be right back where I started. “Do you think they’d accept me?”

I had blood on my hands. As much as I didn’t want that to be associated with me, it was a part of me and my past. I wasn’t sure how much they knew about my father or my family, but I hoped whatever they did know wasn’t going to skew their impression of me. It’s not exactly something that I regret, but neither was it something I was proud of. Killing Father saved him from a painful death, I wanted to view that as mercy, justice even, and not malice.

“They’ll love you.” He whispered back.

Then, comforting arms wrapped around my middle and pulled me back from the bar. “Hello, baby.” I said as I turned my head to the side, pressing a quick kiss to her temple.

“You ready, princess?” She replied, looping her thumb through one of my belt loops, she tugged me toward the door before I could respond. “Goodnight, Neenan!” she yelled when we reached the door.

“Keep her safe!” I shouted in a fit of giggles as I was dragged backwards. The bar was obviously female. A drag queen in fact. Night, night, Mircalla.

He waved me off, a smile brightening his face. “Will do. Bye!”

When we hit the mean streets of London, it was still wide awake, music roaring from the surrounding bars. I pried her thumb from my trousers and interlaced our fingers together. Walking hand in hand, I revelled in the stomp of her boots and the clink of my mini heel. This was us.

We turned a corner, and a hush befell the street. Away from the ruckus, Kilina guided me up a small staircase to our penthouse apartment. The building was only three storeys high, but it might as well have been on top of the world to me. And as the door unlocked to our home, I could almost forget my previous life.

As we crawled into bed later that night, incessant questions wouldn’t quieten in my mind like how they so often did in her presence. “What if they ask me about Father?” I worried.

“He died, Laney, at your hands or his body. You don’t have to say everything at once.”

“What if I have too much of my father in me and I’m not what they expected?”

“They’ll see your mother’s eyes in you too. You’ll be loved.” That’s what Neenan said.

“How do you know that?” I said, exasperated.

“Because they’ll see what I see.”

“And what is that?”

She tucked a fallen hair behind my ear. “The most kind-hearted girl. Beaming with love.”

“Are you sure?”

Her arms tightened around me. “Promise,” she stated as if it was some universally known fact.

“Pinky promise?”

“My pinky is up.” My heart fluttered, but she just smiled as she leaned closer, mouthing promise at the same time as me before our lips touched. The kiss heated and I moved myself to be on top of her.

“I love you.” I whispered.

“I know, princess,” she said, smug.

I slapped her arm, but I was smiling.