Page 62 of Massacre Monday

“Let’s see what’s in those pants, shall we?” she asks, and I gather her up in my arms.

“A huge surprise for you.”

Syringe gripped tight, I plunge it into her carotid. She bucks against my hold, claws at my hands, gasping. Her eyes grow wide with horror, but then her muscles seize as her mouth opens in a croak.

Those large, light-colored eyes never leave my face, even as she dies. Her body crumples to the floor like a marionette whose strings have been cut.

One body for Pen.

Two…to keep my sister, my entirefamilyalive.

I empty the rest of the syringe into a drink, then step over her corpse, wiping sweat from my brow with the back of my suit sleeve.

“Actually, it was just a little prick.”

twenty

Ryan’s urgency toplay a game made me step up into the role he assigned me. I have a feeling it has something to do with the secret he always keeps behind his eyes, the one I suspect leads to freedom. He calls me his partner-in-crime, but I’ve yet to know if he can bemine.

Some girls dream of flowered wallpaper, diamonds, and rooftop proposals. I wanted a reason to wake up that didn’t involve wedding registries. Freedom. Not fromlove, but from being controlled by my Viscount.

A deep-seated fear took root when I decided to pledge Greek Life here at NU that I’d get stuck with a man who would force me into a life of garden parties and women’s clubs. My choice in major, Criminal Justice, was so that I could studypowerand who has it. Who lost it. And why…

And how to never end up caged by someone else’s decisions again.

I know I’ll be appointed, eventually. But maybe, if I get lucky, it will be to someone who sees me as more than a breeding contract to fulfill the god’s desires. Maybe I’ll be able to work.Todosomething. To still have a life that’s not reduced to white linens and legacy fucks.

Light giggles bubble up from my belly at everything the fat cat senator says while pretending not to notice his lecherous eyes dangling over my figure. Fortunately, there don’t seem to be any more young women in the crowd, but I get the feelingeveryoneneeds protection from him.

I want this man in the ground.

Ryan abandoned me to entertain the wife, and part of me wonders if he’s doing something that would make me hate him. Mainly, though, I’m instilled with confidence. When he left me alone, his fierce, knowing eyes gave me a distinct message: heknowsI can take care of myself.

No one ever treats me that way. No one has, except him.

My purple gown floats behind me as Senator Frances twirls us to the soft music coming from the live quartet in the corner. The gleaming blond parquet floor makes my new high heels squeak, my feet groaning for true dance shoes. I follow his lead carefully in his hold—he’s not as nimble as Mitch—but a plastered smile remains on my face, despite his disgusting whispers.

“I heard you were on the cheerleading squad, too. Tell me more about that,” he says, licking up saliva from his bottom lip. Whenever he speaks, his gullet shakes and my gut churns.

“Lovethe football team at our school,” I lie, remembering that I don’t actually know where Alice attends. “They are so amazing!”

“And are you on the sidelines in a tiny uniform?”

Ugh…gross.“Yep! In a little skirt and bloomers.” Leaning in, I continue with a lowered voice. “But sometimes I lose my bottoms…”

His fingers rub against my lower back as we stride through another couple, who give us an approving nod. What iswrongwith these people? “Oh, sweetie. That’s okay. It can happen.” Whispering, he lowers his lips to my forehead. “If you ever find them, you could give them to your friend Senator Frances, couldn’t you?”

The urge to vomit on his expensive shoes is overwhelming. “You’d want them? That’s so weird!” As slyly as possible, I dart my eyes around the room, looking for Ryan. He’s not back yet.How long do I need to entertain this old creep?

“Sure, I would. Just don’t tell your parents. We can make itoursecret. Can you keep a secret?”

Not even paying attention to him, I nod and hum an affirmative answer, scanning the crowd again. My heart beats faster, worried about what’s taking him so long with the wife…

Okay, maybe I was being too cool before. Is hewithher? He said he was loyal. Is that true?

Rough caresses on my shoulder draw me to the dance I’m forced into as Kier Frances strokes some of my hair. “Of course, in this state, you’re old enough to marry whoever you want with your parents’ approval,” he says while gripping my waist tighter to him.

“I am?” Suddenly, I get a wicked idea, and I’m curious if this is what Ryan had in mind.