“You should narrate your own audiobooks,” he says. “I’m sure there are plenty of people who’d like to listen to you talk.”
Another officer glances at me holding my neck, his expression a mixture of pity and exasperation. “Put some ice on it. That should help.”
“We’ll go have a word with him if we can find him,” a third officer says. “It sounds like he could benefit from substance abuse counseling, by the way. But for now, stay inside. Rest. We’ll tell him not to come back until morning.”
Morning comes, and I can barely move. Every twist of my neck sends a sharp, shooting pain down my shoulder. My body feels like it’s been through a warzone, and for a moment I think I might actually be paralyzed.
Timmy strolls back in, smug as ever. He sees me clutching my neck and raises an eyebrow. “You shouldn’t have peeled my hands off the leash,” he says matter-of-factly. “The cop told me that next time you do something like that, he’s going to lock you up.”
My jaw drops. “Are youserious?”
“Youassaultedme,” he says, his voice dripping with faux innocence. “That’s what the cop said.”
“What are you eventalkingabout? Why would there be a next time? You shouldn’t have been taking Sabre out in the middle of the night to begin with!” My voice wavers, but I push forward. “You know how dangerous it is out there, and here you are taking my teenage cat out for a walk at two o’clock in the morning to your friends in the meth tents. You could’ve gotten himkilled!”
“Oh, relax,” he scoffs, waving a dismissive hand. “I wasn’t going to take him all the way over there. Just right outside our front door for a little walk.”
“That makesnosense, Timmy!” I yell, my voice cracking. “Pets aren’t allowed to be out there, even on a leash. You know that. We’ve already had complaints from the building about himbeing outside during the day, and now you think it’s okay to take him out in the middle of the night? I’ve told you I don’t want him outside in the dark.”
He shrugs, his smirk infuriatingly fixed in place. “Well, you can’t touch me if I do.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut. “What am I supposed to do, then? Just watch you take him? Endanger him?”
“Basically,” he says, crossing his arms.
I feel sick. My stomach churns at the thought of Sabre out there—vulnerable, confused, and completely at Timmy’s mercy. What kind of person uses an innocent animal to manipulate someone? Tohurtsomeone?
The smirk on Timmy’s face is all the confirmation I need—this wasn’t about Sabre.
This was about power.
About control.
About breaking me.
I get the feeling a lot of the people over at that beach park don’t have much respect for human life—after all, someone was murdered there right before we moved and there’s been more trouble since—so they’re sure as hell not going to give a shit about a cat.
And other things could go wrong, too. Sabre could simply slip out of his harness. There are dogs around. There are definitely people doing weird things. A busy street.
Justno.
I scoop Sabre into my arms, holding him close as he nuzzles against my chest. His trust in me is unwavering, but I feel like I’ve failed him.
Timmy’s cruelty knows no bounds, and now, it’s not just me who’s in danger—it’s Sabre, too.
And now I’m back to feeling scared for my cat.
And for myself.
CHAPTER 60
SOMETIMES LIFE IS JUST DARK FOR NO REASON
MARGAUX
Afew hours later, Alice checks in on me.
Alice: