“Are you serious?” I dropped my keys.“Why the fuck is she still bothering him?”
“Still mad about Kiro,”Mateo said. “According to her, she’s never gonna leave him alone. And he’s clearly not gonna fight her like she wants, so we left and came here. But man, I don’t think she’s gonna stop going on about this.”
“Hold on. Lemme get this straight.” My eyes moved to Dennis. “She randomly came up and attacked you? You weren’t arguing before or anything?”
“It looks worse than it is,” Dennis said. “She’ll get over it eventually and move onto someone else. I’ll wait it out.”
“He’s downplaying it,” Ari said. “We were right outside the bar when she came up and sucker punched him. Andthenshestartedranting about how he’s gonna run home and get his bitch to do his dirty work—”
“She called me his bitch?”I asked quietly.
“Yes! It was pissing me offsobad but I obviously can’t do shit because I’m human and she’s like a million times stronger than me. I’m starting to hate being the only human around.”
“We’ll talk about that later.Dennis, why the fuck didn’t you come get me?”
“You were working. Anyway, it’s not a big deal. They’re madder about it than I am. I find her more of a nuisance than anything.” He turned a page in the book he was somehow still reading.
My fingers twitched as I watched him. Took in the slow-healing black eye. The way he didn’t seem to care while everyone else was upset on his behalf. A calm rage was building—I hadn’t felt this way in so long.
“I’ll be back.”I snatched up my keys and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”Mateo asked.
“To find Melissa and rip her fucking head off. I’m gonnakill her.”
“No! Emy, no, don’t kill her.” Ari stood at the same time Dennis finally closed his book, watching me with interest.“She’s serious. I know that look, she’s gonna try to kill her.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “I am. Did you expect something different?”
“No? Yeah. I mean, I don’t—” she was stammering as I wrenched the door open and continued outside. “I thought you’d help Dennis feel better! Emery—!”
I slammed the door and set off at a brisk pace. I had already passed the pool and started down the stairs when their door opened. I glanced back to see Mateo in the doorway.
“She’s probably still at the bar,”he called. “I’d guess back alley.”
I nodded and bounded down the rest of the stairs, got on Tuffy, and took off for the bar. It hardly took two minutes to reach it. I haphazardly parked before setting off for the back alley.
“Hey girly.”Benji smiled as I passed.
“Hey.”I kept going. A second later I saw Michael and Nate taking their breaks out front.
“Why’re you back?”Michael asked.
“I have shit to take care of.” I kept walking past them, not sparing a glanceas I snatched the hair tie off my wrist and twisted my hair upin atightbun. Next were thehoop earrings, which I removed and shoved in a pocket. I glanced at my hands and decided to keep the array of rings on; I could do more damage that way.
I reached the back alley and strode around the corner to see Melissa leaning against a wall between two guys and another girl, all vampires.
“Hey Emy,”Melissa grinned when she saw me,“did you see what I did to your boyfriend?”
I grabbed her head and slammed it against the wall, then pulled it back and slammed it again. I snatched her hair and kneed her in the stomach before kneeing her in the face.
“Oh, shit.” One of the guys hopped up from a crate while the othersmoved back.
I held onto Melissa’s hair and pulled her head up.“Did I break your nose?”I asked sweetly. She shook her head, so I kneed her face again. I felt her nose crack and pushed her away.“Problem solved, you’re welcome.”
She let out a scream and ran at me, her nose gushing blood. She shoved me into a wall but I kicked at her head, almost putting my heel through itbefore she shoved me back. She almost knocked me off balance but I tackled her to the ground—I maneuvered into a straddle and punched her face more times than I could count, my rings catching skin and leaving trails of blood.
Eventually I reached backandyanked the chain off my belt. She tried to catch my hands but missed. I shoved it against her neck with all my might, savoring her whimpers as I tightened my grip and pushed harder. I was choking her with the chain, watching as her face paled and she gasped for breath. She clawed at my fingers but I only pressed tighter—I had no intention of letting up.
