Page 58 of Sinners Reunion

Josie leans closer and whispers, “That’s Dalton.”

The bag begins its journey around the circle. I can’t see what Quinn and Aven pull from inside, but it makes the former giggle and the latter grimace. The bag moves to Frankie and Maverick next, and they both seem more disgusted than anything.

“Do you know who they are?” Josie asks, and I give her a tight nod.

I’ve seen their files. They’re a bit sloppy as killers go, but our special division cleans up after them and protects them from detection. We’ve taken a special interest in them. There aren’t many documented cases of folie a deux, and far fewer which were allowed to continue to their natural end. I wanted to see them carry on for a bit longer at least.

The files lacked pictures, however, and they aren’t at all what I expected. I always imagined them as country bumpkins or creepy backwoods people. They look like your average alternative couple—dark hair, band tees, and . . . taxidermy?

“Is that a bloody squirrel?” I ask.

“God, I hope not,” Rayna says as she pats the creature’s head. “If he’s still bleeding after all these years, your whack-a-doo scientists might confiscate him for testing. Can’t wait to try their new fixative, by the way. Samuel says it’s stellar shit.”

A muscle below my eye twitches as that damn plastic bag keeps crinkling through everyone’s fingers. The sound will drive me insane. But that isn’t all that’s driving me insane.

I glare at Jim. He’s getting a bit too comfortable going behind my back. That fixative isn’t yet ready for the public.

“You said we needed to run more tests.” Jim rolls his hand through the air. “Taxidermists seemed the logical next step.”

“But more strangers, Jim?” I cock my head and glare harder, not caring if I’m making our guests uncomfortable.

“Well, when Samuel explained what he had in his bag, I explained about the little fixative project we’ve been working on. He suggested I let them test it. You didn’t expect me to test embalming agents on living beasts, did you?” Jim’s hand goes to his chest, and his eyes widen. “Did you?”

“Uncomfy,” Rayna squeaks.

Josie looks ready to kick me in the shin, and gentle gasps ripple through the lot of them. Now I’m forced to swim up the Thames with no arms. Blast and bother. Everyone thinks I’m a psychotic animal-hater.

“That wasn’t at all what I suggested,” I bark. “In fact, the words animal testing never left my mouth! I said to test on the animals down at the underground facility. The Cattle, Jim. The bleeding Cattle!”

The gasps turn to groans, and everyone relaxes.

Josie leans closer. “I didn’t really think you’d⁠—”

“Save it,” I grumble.

She zips her lips and sits back.

I’m really not in the mood for any of this. After seeing those pictures, I should have just washed my face and turned in for the night. I’m on edge, and not even a kiss from Josie could⁠—

My back straightens. “That’s it,” I whisper.

“What’s it?” Josie asks. She takes the bag from Eve, and not even the horrific crinkling can drag down my rising spirits. Not after an epiphany such as this.

“Nothing, my beauty.” I shake my head and smile, then clamp my hand on her thigh and give it a squeeze.

She giggles and bites her bottom lip. It’s almost seductive enough to get my dick hard again. Not quite, though. Not until I’ve had the opportunity to really consider this possibility.

That bet may be mine yet.

A smile breaks across Josie’s face as she digs in the bag and pulls something from inside. “Rayna, have I got a fun game for you!”

She raises two penis skins into the air. They appear fresh, which is concerning. Where in the hell did they acquire this many ghost cocks in the last twenty-four hours?

“No need to panic or call the cleaning crew,” Jim says with a laugh. “Don’t have a coronary, either, King. Rayna asked if she could take them from the corpses after the last event, and I felt that would be just fine.”

I relax. Until Josie shoves one of the floppy skins into my hand. Now I just want to vomit.

Rayna takes the empty bag, balls it up, and hands it to Dalton, who disposes of it in the trash bin several feet away. I close my eyes and count to ten. It’s a good thing we already have a cleaning crew on standby.