Page 24 of Psycho Saviors

I dialed Noms, letting out a sigh of relief when she answered on the second ring.

“Scar! I heard shit went down, some of the girls were talking, a big thing with the Russos. Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay!” Her frantic words made my eyes water at how much she cared for me.

“I’m fine, Noms. A little traumatized, but fine,” I said as I let out a shaky breath.

“Doesn’t sound fine, Scar. Tell me what happened,” Noms demanded. “Ray is here, he’s just as worried. Been asking about you ever since he got out of the hospital.”

“He’s there?” I frowned, and then my mouth quirked as his voice came through the other end.

“That’s right, back at it, Scarlet. You promise you’re okay?” God, it was good to hear his voice again.

“I’m okay, I promise. I’m glad you’re okay too. I was worried,” I admitted. “How are you feeling?”

“Look, I won’t say it didn’t hurt like a bitch, but they pay me well here, and I just got a bonus, although, we all know it’s hush money,” he said with a scoff. “But they covered my hospital stay. I got extra good care, so that’s something. Feeling great, a little sore at times, but it’ll heal.”

“Thank God you’re okay,” I said.

“So tell us what happened. We heard that Julian and a woman got taken. Was that you?” Noms asked, and I swallowed as I looked out over the skyline of the city. It pulsed with life, a welcome sight after thinking I was never going to see it again like this.

The things we took for granted.

“Yeah, it was. Shit got real, Noms. But Julian shielded me when we got shot at, and I… I bit a dick off. Then Julian killed the guy,” I said softly.

“What the fuck?!” Noms gasped. “You did fucking what?”

I relayed exactly what had happened, including Julian choking the guy out, and Kenny being there every moment of it, ultimately being the reason we were rescued.

“That hurts to even think about. But good on you for showing him. Still, Julian killed him? Just like that?” Ray tutted, and I wondered just where the pair of them were. Likely at the club doing the closing shift this early. Were they hiding in the storeroom for this conversation?

“Yeah. Guess it comes naturally,” I said as I pursed my lips, looking down at my forearms. At the new bandages Cristian had wrapped around them, and I frowned.

“Something changed with Cristian, too. He protected me, rescued me, and told me a lot of things,” I said quietly.

“Like what?” Noms was always one to know all the gossip, but I turned to stare at the closed bedroom door. He’d told me some secrets, things I imagined not many people knew.

“Just stuff.” I wasn’t about to give up his secrets, not those ones. Why I was willingly wanting to protect him was beyond me, but things had changed.

“Are you okay? Seeing someone die, that’s rough,” Ray said gently.

“I saw a few people die, Ray. But I’m fine, I promise,” I said yet again in a desperate attempt to reassure them. Or maybe I was trying to reassure myself, I had no idea.

I explained in more detail how the brothers' behaviors had shifted, how Cristian had sat in the shower with me.

“Look, Scar, just take care of yourself. This change is… odd, but maybe it’s a good thing for you. They’ll be nicer until your time is up,” Noms said hopefully.

“Yeah, maybe.” If my time ever ended. Cristian had me questioning if I was ever going to be leaving them.

“I gotta head back out before they notice I’m gone, but take care of yourself Scar. Never trust them,” Ray said firmly, and I farewelled him.

“Looks like it’s just us now. Anything else you didn’t want to spill?” Noms said once I heard a door close in the background. She knew me too well.

“Cristian said I’m going to be his, promised to break me. I’m worried what that means,” I said, my voice low. Was I really worried? Or more twisted and oddly thrilled at the thought?

“Yeah, that’s weird, but he is crazy,” she muttered, and I sighed. She didn’t know what I knew, all the stuff about Tessa and what he’d endured. Not to mention he’d nearly died for his brothers. He was messed up because of the loyalty he had to those around him. Now it all made sense, how Tyrone and Julian defended him and his psycho tendencies.

Hell, a part of me even felt sorry for him.

“I can’t wait for you to be free. You’re moving in with me, or we’re leaving the entire city, sound good?” Noms sighed, and I could picture her scrunching up her face with frustration and unease.