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W e sit against a tree, sharing a cigarette and watching our pig lie quietly in front of us. He’s completely still, save for the slow rise and fall of his chest. Every so often, he’ll whimper and try to lift the leg still caught in the trap.

After she takes the last drag and snuffs out any remaining embers, Catalina cradles me between her breasts. I nuzzle between them, and my face grows wet. Sobs wrack my body.

I could have lost her.

She strokes the ends of my pigtails, letting each motion run to the center of my back. Adrenaline wanes into vulnerability, and I scream every obscenity I know into Cat’s warm skin, dampening her further with tears and snot. When I’m quiet again, she lifts me and stands, continuing to brace me after my feet touch the ground, waiting until I’m steady. Eyes wide, I look up at her. She wipes the tears gently from my face and carefully smears my cheeks paint over the tracks.

How many stupid mistakes will it take for me to learn?

I drag the edge of my hand under my nose, hawking back snot and spitting it onto the body below us. I start to lose myself in a fit of rage, kicking him and screaming. My eyes sting, swollen from crying, but I force myself to lock eyes with Cat. “My stupid fuckin’ mistake could have gotten you killed.”

All because I forgot the shackles.

Cat’s face softens. “I’m still here, Sadie love,” she assures me, keeping each word firm but kind. “We’re still here.” She brushes rogue strands of hair behind each of my ears. For a second, the demons inside her look out her eyes at the demons in mine, just two fucked up peas in a pod. “Let’s take this piggy home.”

Piggy’s eyes roll back into unconsciousness after I deliver one more swift kick to his head. I compress the levers on both sides of the trap to release his ankle then reset the trap a few feet away. Cat stares at his body for a moment, working a problem out in her head. When she’s satisfied with the answer, she raises piggy’s arms up and starts to drag him. I join her, taking one arm, and we back ourselves down the path out of the woods.

Once we’re through the tree line, Cat’s hand reaches out for mine, gripping it like she’ll never let go. I tightly squeeze my fingers around hers in return. The moon breaks free from the clouds, casting a light on Cat, making her look equally sinister and divine. We throw the limp piggy over Jameson’s ass. As I go to jump onto my horse, Cat steps behind me, grabbing my waist and helping me into the saddle. After she readies herself, we ride back to the barn in silence.