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“Because I obviously don’t like you as much as I like her.” She squeezed his cheeks into a fish face when we got closer.

“You love me.”

There was a twinkle in her eye as her gaze rested on Enzo for a second before looking away. “What can I do for you lovelies today?”

“I’d like to see if Lilibet is available.” I leaned in. “I was attacked again and am desperate to learn how to defend myself.”

She patted my hand. “Lilibet is off today, so this will be perfect.” She looked at the boys. “Are we thinking one on one or group play?”

The boys looked at one another and then declined the offer, catching both Ruby and me off guard.

“What have you done to these boys?” Ruby asked, leading me away.

“I don’t know what you mean?”

She glanced over her shoulder and watched them as I ran my hand across the red velvet walls, letting my mind drift. What would it be like to work here? I had spent my entire life confined to a room no larger than a closet, and now I was free of that box. There was an entire world waiting for me… well, after I was able to get the dark Queen off my back. She wouldn’t stop coming after me, so I needed to come up with a plan.

Killing her over and over again wasn’t an option. Killing her children wasn’t an option. There had to be something else.

Could I somehow bind her powers? Lock her away so she couldn’t hurt me or anyone else again?

“Scarlet?”

I heard my name and turned around and found a beautiful girl with long dark hair, light brown skin and emerald green eyes. “Hi.” I stuttered, taken aback by her beauty.

She smiled.

“Ruby said you needed some help?” She cocked her head to the side, studying me.

I could feel my heartbeat racing and my skin getting clammy. “Yes.”

“You don’t need to be nervous.”

“I’m not.” That was a lie, well, not entirely. I don’t know why I was having this reaction to her. She was just breathtakingly beautiful.

“Do you want to go into my room and work?”

“Your room?”

She smiled. “Not my sex room, but my sleeping room.”

“Right. Yea. Of course. Your sleeping room.”

She laughed. “You’re funny and cute.” She turned and started walking away, so I followed her through the door behind the bar. “We don’t let many people back here, so Ruby must really like you… or trust you.”

I shrugged, but said nothing.

“So where did you say you’re from? I don’t recognize you.”

“Oh. I live with Enzo and the boys.”

She stopped walking abruptly, causing me to almost walk into her.

“How long have you been there?” Her tone held a hint of something I couldn’t place. Jealously? Curiosity?

“Why?”

“I’ve just never seen you there before.”