CHAPTER FORTY-ONE #2
I take back everything I’ve ever said about Malia being the scariest motherfucker I’ve ever met. Against her warnings, no one wanted to be left behind during this moment. It seemed only fair since we weren’t handing over drugs or an item. It was a dead body.
Her friend, who I can only describe as a Harley Quinn double, has taken the crown for being the scariest motherfucker.
She greeted us by twirling down a ribbon tied to her waist from a pillar.
I hadn’t been the only one who squealed when she made her entrance.
Her blonde hair is tied up in pigtails, but whereas Harley Quinn had her tips dyed pink and blue, this chick has purple and a rich blue tip.
Her makeup is all natural except for her eyes.
She wears heavy eyeliner, with six teardrops drawn on her cheeks.
She caught Myles staring and bluntly told him it’s one for each year she was held captive.
Then she stuck her lollipop back into her mouth whilst she bounced over to where Black was being dragged out of the van.
She danced around his body, her eyes lit up like a kid who got his Xbox for Christmas.
Then she straddled him whilst humming Queen’s, Another One Bites The Dust as they rolled Black inside.
They left to do whatever they do to cremate a body. Now she’s back, where she’s literally hanging onto Max’s arm, feeding him treats like a puppy in training. Each time he says something that makes her laugh, she gives him another one. I don’t even think he knows he’s a dog in training right now.
Jaxon walks out behind them holding up a freezer bag of ashes. I rear back in horror. “What the fuck? Why would you keep them?”
He glares at me then jerks his chin to the crazy chick. Her name is Lulu but Crazy Chick fits better.
And then her creepy focus is on me. “We don’t taint the land surrounding us with evil.”
“We couldn’t flush it?”
She leans in, her beady eyes narrowing on me. “No. You can leave.”
Luke chuckles beside me. “Way to get her attention,” he mumbles from the corner of his mouth.
“We are going,” I assure her so she doesn’t throw one of the knives she keeps in her back pockets at me. Then I address Jaxon. “Right?”
“Yes,” he replies, throwing the bag of ashes in the boot of the car Liam is sitting against. “We’ll dump that down a drain on the way.”
Crazy Chick giggles again, this time it’s high-pitched, and a shudder runs up my spine. Max, however, seems to have found his soul mate because he’s the only one aside from Malia who hasn’t kept his distance.
Two fucking kindred spirits.
Seriously.
Even his twin is watching him with utter horror, and whilst Max is Max, this just seems...
Who am I kidding. Max befriending a psychopath is literally something he would do.
I lean into Luke, keeping my voice low. “Maybe they both met in a mental institution in a past life.”
“You should come meet the kids and the wife one day, Lulu. Just don’t talk dead bodies to the wife. She gets a bit testy,” Max explains as he takes another piece of chocolate from her fingers.
“What’s that cartoon where they try to fatten the kids up?” Luke whispers.
My eyebrows bunch together. “Hansel and Gretel?”
“That’s the one,” he replies a little louder. He clears his throat when it gains attention from others. “It’s like I’m watching it play out in real time.”
I shudder. “Bro,” I hoarsely remark, eyeing the girl again. She’s in her twenties for sure, so not really an old bat. Still, I can see it now.
“No,” Maverick suddenly snaps, and I kick myself for missing what was said.
“Why do you always kill all my fun? What did I ever do to you?” Max growls.
“Cremating dead bodies is fun to you?” Maverick questions, arching an eyebrow.
“Not just dead bodies. Rapists. Paedophiles. It will be like a good deed.”
Maverick pinches the bridge of his nose and I’m wondering if the dents that are permanently there are because of Max. “No, Max.”
Max lets out a heavy breath. “Sorry, Lulu, maybe another time.”
“We can still play hunt,” she promises him.
“Hunt?” Myles asks, gulping.
Max grins. “Yeah, man. She wants us to hunt down her friends to shoot them with paintballs.”
Malia coughs into her hand. “Lu, you aren’t allowed to throw acid at abusers. You promised.”
Max grunts. “You have one that kills all the fun too, huh?”
Lulu’s smile is wide when she stares back at him. It’s unnerving and creepy. “I want to keep you.”
Malia groans. “No. We don’t keep people anymore; remember, Lulu.”
“I’m already a kept man,” Max announces, not understanding the implication. “Took my wife a lot to chain all this down.”
Malia glares at him. “Shut up, Max.”
“But he would look so good in my cage,” Lulu remarks, gliding her long nail down his chest.
His eyes widen as he wisely takes a step back. “Yes, we don’t keep people Lulu. Hang out, yeah. But we don’t keep.” I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. “Unless it’s Reid. Then you can have him.”
I glare at the fucking man I swear will have put more people in a mental health facility before he is actually sectioned to one. Thank fuck she doesn’t know my full name.
This day has been so bloody bizarre. We went from fighting for our family, to saving a little girl, to murder—possibly multiple since not all the men woke up and ran—to now this.
Lulu stomps her foot and then spins, pointing her finger until it lands on me. “Can I have him?”
“You told me to leave, remember?” I remind her, my voice a tad high.
“I could handcuff you to my table. Ball gag you so I don’t have to listen to your irritating voice. It would be fun.”
For fucking who?
I turn to Jaxon. “We’re going. Now!” Then jab Luke with my elbow when he chokes on his laughter.
“We should wait for her to ball gag you,” he wheezes.
“Fuck you,” I growl, and walk toward our car.
Malia hugs her friend. “I’m so happy I got to see you,” she tells her.
Lulu hugs her back. “Under good circumstances this time.”
“Are you sure you’re okay to get rid of the car?” Malia asks.
“Yes. It will be stripped down, so no worries,” she assures her, then glances at Liam. “Are you sure he can handle you?”
Malia rolls her eyes. “Let’s keep in touch.”
Please don’t.
“Reid, shut up,” Malia warns.
My eyes widen a fraction more than they already were. “Seriously? How?”
“Mum powers,” Luke whispers, pulling open the back door of the car.
“Thank you for helping,” Jaxon tells her, then the weirdo actually shakes her hand. Lulu giggles, shaking with gusto. It takes Jaxon a minute to pull his hand out of her grasp.
“I will see you soon, friend,” Lulu promises Max, handing him a bag of Skittles.
He lights up, forgetting their earlier conversation as he nods. “Yeah. Cool. Cool.”
“Fucking hell,” Maverick breathes as he passes us.
I slide into the car as Jaxon makes his way to the vehicle. Once he’s in and the door shuts, I finally let out a breath.
I lean my head back, closing my eyes. “So we killed a man.”
“And I have zero regrets,” Jaxon murmurs and begins to drive.
And like that, all of the tension I have been holding disappears.