Page 12 of Sour (The Wellard Asylum #10)

It had been awhile since I’d last seen Koven wandering around the asylum. Long enough to notice her unusual absence. At first I thought it was her way of trying to keep her distance, being stubborn as usual. But now, I was beginning to feel like something was wrong. Really wrong.

Come on now, you can’t stay hidden that long.

My eyes scanned the dayroom in search of her, but I found nothing.

Where are you, Skittles?

A loud giggle caught my attention. It was that pornstar-looking woman who followed Koven everywhere. I couldn’t remember her name, only that she stood out like a sore thumb amongst the other patients here. And she’d taken it upon herself to skip right over and sit across from me.

I looked the woman up and down. She didn’t speak, just sat there and twirled her insanely long white hair while chewing gum. “Can I help you?” I asked.

And where the fuck did you get gum?

The woman shook her head. “Nope.” She popped a large pink bubble then showed me an overly cheery smile. I didn’t have time to deal with her kind of crazy. The kind that looks sweet and innocent, but is really darker than the rest.

The woman just chewed her gum and played with her hair. No words. Just stared at me, dissecting me with her dark eyes.

I cleared my throat and crossed my arms. “Instead of wasting my time with pointless games, or whatever the fuck it is you do, why don’t you just tell me what the fuck you want.”

The woman leaned forward and white hair sprawled across the tabletop. “Do you happen to know someone named Haze?” she asked quietly. I shook my head. “Hmm.” She twirled the pink gum with her finger. “What about…Felix?”

“Sorry. They don’t ring a bell. Why?”

The woman leaned back, almost sullen over my response.

“They were my friends before I came here. Well, Felix was…Haze, his younger brother, was more or less kind of like you.” I raised a brow.

“Look. I know you used to deal, so I just wondered if maybe your paths ever crossed. Haze is the kind of guy I could see someone like you hanging out with.”

“Not sure if you mean that as a compliment, but thanks. What kind of drugs are we talking about?” I asked curiously.

The woman’s hazel eyes lifted. “Haze has always preferred weed. Him and Indi are your typical potheads.” She giggled.

“But Felix—” Her voice trailed off for a minute.

“He was always into the harder stuff. That’s how we met.

We both got mixed up with some pretty bad things.

” Her shoulders dropped and I noticed her entire demeanor change.

“Do you know what it’s like to watch someone be tortured in front of you?

To witness their last breath as their blood trails from their veins and floods the very floor you stand on?

” Her head tilted. “Most people think it’s sad and would scream or cry at the very thought.

But not me. I watched the whole thing, until words no longer had meaning and my tears were emptied, leaving nothing but blank stares.

” The woman’s eyes lifted and met mine. There was something really and truly off about how she was looking at me.

“I know you know death well, and prefer the violence, but have you ever witnessed a passing so traumatizing that it absolutely broke you as a person?”

Ah, so that’s why she is how she is. She’s not crazy. She’s broken.

I shook my head and smiled. “Sorry, sweetcheeks, but unlike you, witnessing death is my foreplay.”

The woman’s entire persona changed back to that overly cheerful one she had before. “I like foreplay.” She grinned and cocked her head as her tits bounced. “Means I get to touch everything!” She popped another bubble.

My eyes followed her chest, impressed that she hadn’t knocked herself out yet. “I bet you fucking do.” I broke my gaze. I didn’t have the energy for this. I needed to find Koven.

Before the woman could mutter another word of her nonsense, I gripped a chunk of her hair and pulled hard. She didn’t react how I expected; hell, I think she even smiled. So, I pulled harder and harder, until her face was flat against the table.

“You seem lost. Just say what you want to say, or get the fuck away from me, you little psycho,” I growled as I held her in place. “I’ve got more important things to do with my time than listen as you fall down the rabbit hole.”

The woman didn’t make a noise, as if pain meant nothing to her. It was interesting to witness. Instead of crying, screaming, or begging me to let her go, she just raised her pointer finger up with her wadded up gum on top of it. “Want some?” she asked.

Fuck, she really is psycho.

The woman’s dark eyes struggled to look up at me due to the awkward angle. She sat there quietly, waiting for me to accept her little gift.

How broken are you?

My free hand plucked the chewed ball of gum from her finger.

She watched me closely while I popped it into my mouth and began to chew.

“You really are crazy, aren’t you?” I teased, popping a bubble.

The woman smiled without saying a word. “Hmm.” My hand released her hair and I let her go. “What do you want?”

The woman shot back and desperately tried to fix her hair before finally speaking. “She’s not here,” she spoke. “Koven. She’s not here.” The woman motioned around the dayroom. “I know you’ve been looking for her.”

“Oh yeah? How do you know that?” I asked.

The woman smiled and leaned across the table.

“Because everyone here thinks I’m crazy, but really, I’m not.

I see and hear everything. I know everyone’s secrets.

How old man Jingles isn’t even a war vet and just wears those dog tags ‘cause he likes the way they sound when he jacks off. How Johnny’s got himself a puppet, one I hear even you got to play with.

” She winked. “And how Dr. Sable likes to prey upon her patients, using their weaknesses against them whenever it seems fit.” She tsked loudly.

“It’s a shame. I’ve watched the same circus again and again, and it always ends the same for those poor souls. ”

I crossed my arms and leaned back, chewing the flavorless gum.

“I don’t give a damn about what secrets you think you know.

” I popped another bubble. “You said Koven isn’t here, why not?

” I leaned forward, plucking an alabaster strand of her hair from her head.

“Is she trying to hide from me? Because I’m afraid there’s only so many places she can hide in here before I find her. ”

The woman pointed to my temple. “It’s your fault she’s not here, Happy.”

My jaw clenched at the sound of my name from her lips.

“I might be BJ’s favorite, but he really favors Koven.

And when you stepped between them like you did, well, that really pissed him off.

Koven’s gone and got her eggs all scrambled.

Extra toasty.” She tapped my temples and made a zapping sound.

“I think you scare BJ. And, since you were all locked up in seclusion, he decided to punish Koven. Every day since. Her poor, beautiful brain is on its way to being deep fried.”

That fucking pig was punishing Koven, because of me?

Anger swelled in my veins, and my muscles tensed at the thought of someone laying a single hand on her. “I need to see her. Where is she?”

The woman leaned back and shook her head. “She doesn’t want to see you. You two have some really deep, unresolved issues, you know?”

I stared at the woman, unamused. “What else aren’t you telling me?”

The woman smiled. “So many secrets in this place.”

She’s making no fucking sense.

I popped a bubble. “ I don’t fucking care if Koven doesn’t want to see me. I need to see her. Now tell me…where is she?”

The woman tossed her hair over her shoulder with a loud sigh. “If only you could sneak your way to her room, just like she did to see you.” She gave me a look that made me feel a little uneasy.

So, she really does seem to know everything going on around here. Maybe I could use this to my advantage. I mean, she seems easy enough to convince…maybe.

I crossed my arms and smirked. “Who the fuck are you?”

The woman straightened her back as her stripper tits bounced.

I’d imagine she was every man and woman’s dream girl looking the way she did.

But not mine. I may fuck around, but I only had eyes for one person.

And right now, this little white-haired psycho bunny was the only person helping me see her.

“Danike Dream.” She smiled. “But everyone calls me Dream.”

Interesting.

I popped another bubble. “Okay, Dream, since you seem to know everything going on in this place—” I popped a larger bubble, making her jump. “Tell me where she is, and what I need to do to get into Koven’s room?”

Dream licked her lips. “Why should I let you see her? After everything I’ve heard, and what I saw you do to BJ, I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to let you sneak up on her.”

My smile fell and I was immediately over whatever little game Dream was playing.

I stood from the table and walked up behind her, leaning down until my mouth rested along her pale ear.

“What I did to BJ is nothing compared to what I can do.” My hands gripped her shoulders and squeezed tight.

“You know why I’m called Happy?” She winced as I squeezed harder.

“It’s because I just love smiles.” My fingers reached for her cheeks, and I tugged at her flesh, stretching them wide and into a forced smile.

“I could leave one on you, right here, right now. Imagine how much happier you would be with a permanent smile, Dream?”

Dream swatted my fingers away. “You seem like a really bad guy, Ziggy. But I like my face too much.” She rubbed her cheeks.

I chuckled softly. “Is that so?”

She nodded. “It’s how I used to make money. Good money.” She reached into her shirt and pulled something out. “Koven’s my only friend here.” She placed whatever the object was into my hand. “Don’t break her, Happy.”