Butchered After Bark

alone. There’s a man with her, a tall man with a tan trench coat.
Hey? It’s the man with the beard that I bumped into inside, and I grimace as his rather violent thoughts come back to me.
For Blair’s sake, I’m hoping she’s not the one he was looking to slaughter.
Not that I take what anyone thinks literally. I learned a long time ago to give people some serious leeway when it comes to their private musings. In all fairness, there are no rules as to what one can think of.
I watch as the man in the trench coat reaches forward and grabs Blair by the shoulders. For a minute, I think he’s going to kiss her, but he gives her a stiff rattle instead and I gasp at the sight. He steps away before I can bolt over and knock him over the head with this haunted doll, and he reaches into his pocket and hands Blair what looks to be a thick wad of cash.
She carefully examines him before growing quickly animated. It’s clear they’re not having a happy exchange.
A crowd moves between us, and once it clears, both Blair and the man in the trench coat have disappeared.
A crisp, autumn breeze picks up and I shudder. But it’s not the wind that has me chilled to the bone. It’s that icy quasi-physical exchange.
Camila cranes her head past me and begins to wave wildly.
“Well, there you are!” Camila calls out as she waves a trio of girls this way. How do you like that, Bizzy? I’m about to squash any and all theories of yours that insist I have no real friends.
The trio of brunettes head over, and they all look pleasantly happy to see Camila.
Camila pulls them all in for a hug at once. “Bizzy, I’d like for you to meet my friends.” She points to the brunette on the end dressed in a button-down blouse and long prairie skirt, with thick-rimmed glasses and a book in her hand. “That’s Tabitha Carter—we used to waitress together way back when. She’s still just a waitress, though.”
The girl makes a face. Leave it to Camila to dole out the backward compliments. Blair is seriously lucky I have a high pain tolerance when it comes to annoying people.
“Nice to meet you, Bizzy.” She pinches her button-down blouse and waves the book in her hand. “I’m supposed to be dressed as a librarian tonight. Everyone’s been asking, so I thought I’d preempt the question.” Her lips knot up. Just a waitress? She shoots Camila the stink eye. Sometimes I wish Camila were a beetle so I could have the pleasure of squashing her.
Me too, sister. Me too.
Camila laughs as if she heard the woman’s inner ramblings. “And in the middle, we have Raven Marsh—who you can clearly see is an adorable vampire.”
More like a vampy vampire, but I keep the commentary to myself. Raven is pretty with her long black hair that brushes up against her scantily clad bottom and big brown eyes with the longest lashes I’ve ever seen—and oddly enough, they don’t look like falsies.
We exchange niceties as Camila points to the girl on the end who is wearing a tank top and short shorts. Both her arms and legs are covered with makeup that makes her limbs look as if she’s morphing into a snake.
“And that’s Sabrina Ames. Sabrina is a top-notch makeup artist as you can see.”
“Wow,” I muse as I inspect her work. “You’ve even got roses and tiny serpents and dragons drawn over your skin. You look amazing.”
“She’s a walking work of art,” Camila gushes.
Sabrina has thick black hair that touches her shoulders and blunt cut bangs that fringe her icy gray eyes. She’s pretty in an understated way and has an overall pensive look about her.
“Thank you both,” she says.
Camila steps in. “Girls, this is Bizzy—the one who stole my Jasper away.”
I can’t help but avert my eyes at that one as I shed a quick laugh.
I’m about to correct her when Blair joins our circle. Her face is piqued, and the whites of her eyes are laced with crimson tracks as if she’s been crying.
“Are you ladies all up to speed?” She sheds a forced laugh as she looks to her friends.
Tabitha glances to the sky. “Oh, don’t you worry, Blair. We wouldn’t dare get to the good part without you.” Her expression hardens as she openly offers Blair a challenging look. “I think I’ll go get a caramel apple before we begin.” She takes off, and the mood grows somber in our little circle.
Raven laughs, exposing a set of pointed fangs in her mouth that go along with the rest of her vampire attire. She’s got on a red bustier, with what look to be black swimsuit bottoms, fishnets, and a cape—and she might just get pneumonia out of the deal, too.
“Don’t think about it, Blair.” Raven winks her way. “I’ll take care of Tabitha.” And then I’ll take care of you.
She takes off and both Sabrina and Camila exchange a cool glance.
I take it Blair is their fearless leader, and I’m sensing dissension in the ranks.
Fish mewls over at the shivering babe in Blair’s arms. Don’t worry, short stuff. Bizzy is my human, and she runs this place. She won’t let anything happen to you. If you need anything, just bark. Bizzy can understand us because she’s part animal.
Part animal? I press my lips tightly to keep from laughing. Although, after the last two sultry weeks, Jasper might just agree with her.
Sprinkles lets out a sharp bark. Help! I’m in trouble. I see men with knives running around! I’m about to get butchered, I can feel it!
Blair rocks the little cutie in her arms and sinks a kiss over her forehead to soothe her.
There are men with knives running around, but it’s all a part of the haunted act—I hope.
Sabrina offers a stiff smile my way, and her serpent-like limbs seem to slither in this dim light. “ So you run the