Page 12 of All Your Bloody Lies

She moves her legs, which had been sprawled across the loveseat, and I sit beside her. Her feet inch toward me, and I shoot her a warning glance. We don’t cuddle. I think I’ve barely ever given her a hug, except maybe once when some guy broke her heart and she wouldn’t stop crying. I had to shut her up somehow.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Her toes wiggle, mere inches from my leg. I swear, if those sparkly painted add-ons touch me, I’m going to throw her off the balcony.

“Not really.” She pulls back her feet and sticks her tongue out at me. “His dick was bigger than the last one at least.”

She draws out the “Oh!” and giggles. “I’m so happy for you. I really need to get laid.”

“Yes, yes you do. You need someone else to occupy your time that isn’t me,” I say pointedly.

She points the remote toward the television, and it blinks on.

“Even if I got married, you’ll always come first, Phiny-bear.” I roll my gaze from her to the television. The news is still on; I rarely watch anything other than that. They’re just beginning to report on what happened at Morrison and the park a few blocks down.

A gentlemeowcalls for Sydni’s attention. “I was going to say, that was a lot of blood for one person,” she comments, just as purring begins to filter out from the needy cat. “Did you get anything out of them?”

“One of them was Miles Talon, and after feeding him his last meal, I finally found out who his father reports to.” I pull my legs up to the couch and cross them, leaning onto the armrest. “Matteo Castillo, high council lead for the Mortars Syndicate.”

“Shit—” Sydni rarely ever curses, so when she does, I am so proud of her. “That’s deep, good luck getting anywhere near him.”

She’s flipping through the channels, and I lazily watch. “I think he has a daughter. I may try to go that route. I’m getting so close, Syd. I can feel it...”

“I know, and you’re doing such a wonderful job. I’m so proud of you.”

I’m truly not sure how I got lucky enough to find someone as crazy as I am. She may not be the one killing them, but damn, if I gave her a knife and the means, she would do it. Sydni has her own demons she refuses to face. One day, I’ll give her the safe space to unleash that wild inner murderer.

“Thanks,” is all I say.

Buzz. Buzz.

I realize I’ve left my phone in the kitchen.

Buzz. Buzz.

The beginning of Crime Boss Hause is starting, and I slouch further into the couch.

“Your phone, Phiny-bear.”

“It’s no one important.” It’s likely the psych ward Tali is in. They’ve been calling a lot more recently.

Buzz. Buzz.

Sydni scoops up Mister, who protests with a loud hiss, and moves to the kitchen. “What if it was me? What if I was in trouble?”

“You’re sitting right next to me,” I argue as she tosses my phone at my face. I debate letting it hit me; she would feel horrible.

I catch it with inches to spare.

When I look, it isn’t Tali like I expected but instead, it’s a message from BXM, a stupid dating app for Dylox and Mundane to connect. I filter myself under the Mundane side, and when I see who it is, I grin.

“Seems I’ve landed myself a date,” I respond swiftly, confirming the details of the location and time. In a mere two weeks, I’ll be stepping my toes into Ansford territory.Oh, what a fucking delight.

“Wait, did you just confirm that? Without looking at your calendar?!” Sydni shouts in agitation.

Oops.

5

Kairhyse