Page 44 of The Vixen

I pause at the anger in Luna’s voice. My eyes roam her face and spot the slightly crinkled brow, the pinched, pink lips. Before, as my ‘prisoner,’ she was quick to show anger. Fear. Pain. Vulnerability.Emotion.

But this is the first time I’ve seen genuine anger since. She does that stony face thing so well.

“Fine. Don’t trust me… Just watch.”

I feel Luna’s glare on my back as I walk to the door. My hand grasps the cool, metal handle, and I allow only a moment’s hesitation before I thrust the door open, shoving Liberty’s legs out of the way.

She scrambles to her feet, her hands instantly balling into fists—as if she isn’t going to immediately switch to clawing anyway.

I raise my hands and watch her expression morph. At first: furious. Then scared. A couple seconds of perplexed; back to furious.

Her jaw drops as her eyes widen. Her fists begin to shake.

“You.”

I nod. “I know… You’re angry. You’re scared. It’s happening—again. You?—”

“You son of a bitch!” she screeches before hurling herself at me, her nails aiming for my face. I catch her wrists and raise my knee to protect my balls from the inevitable.

“I’m gonna kill you!” she screams in my face as I flip us around to pin her to the wall. My eyes close as she spits on my cheek, but I don’t loosen my hold.

I think I have her, but closing my eyes is a mistake because I don’t see when her teeth gnash. They lock onto my chin and sink deep into my flesh. A flash of searing pain yanks a yell from my lungs.

“Fuck!” I knock my head against hers on instinct. Her jaw unlatches, and she sinks to the floor when I step away, her palm pressing to her forehead as she cringes.

Red hot blood dribbles down my neck. I wince as I tap a finger to the wound on my face that’ll no doubt scar.

Bitch.

Stumbling backward, I meet Liberty’s glare and wait for her to pounce on me yet again, but she doesn’t. Shewill. The curl in her lip says vicious. The hate in her eyes says vengeance will be hers. It’s all very dramatic.

Pressure builds in my chest, and my ears catch fire as memory after memory assails me.

“Okay.” I nod more times than necessary and shove the contempt deep inside. My finger taps my chin. “Fair. We done now? You gonna give me a minute?”

Liberty’s curled lip pulls into a bitter, brutal smile. “Aminute? Have you not takenenoughof my life, you sadistic fucking prick!”

I sink my lips into a heavy frown and will my eyes to convey sorrow instead of resentment.

I look up in search of the camera Luna is watching. And listening, closely monitoring every interaction.

It won’t take much for her to conclude that Liberty is a lost cause. It took me about a day to decide the same.

After meeting Liberty’s eyes, I look up once more pointedly to alert her to the camera, though I can’t actually see it. She follows my gaze but doesn’t ease her glare.

“You’re right.” I wipe blood off my neck; smear it onto my pants. “I wronged you, and I’msorry. I’m truly sorry, and I don’t expect you to forgive me… I’m not going to hurt you anymore. That isn’t what this?—”

“If you think for a second Angel won’t find?—”

“Angel’s dead.”

Horror freezes Liberty’s wide eyes before her lip flattens with grief. I can see her train of thought. Can see the wordnoflash across her mind on repeat.

I almost,almostlet it linger.

“I’m sorry… It was a few months ago. She got sick again. The doctors did everything they could, but… I’m sorry, Liberty. Your friend isn’t coming to your rescue this time.”

Her brow furrows with confusion. As far as I’m aware, Liberty is a friendless, frigid bitch who only has Angel, his family, and a niece in her life. And if I know Angel, there’s no way in hell he’s put anything linking the two of them on paper (my enemies are his enemies, and his enemies are vengeful).