I wasn’t thinking clearly anymore. I knew I had to focus on this stupid fuck, but my mind was clouded by Arsenio’s revelation. Scout had lied to me. She had told him about her curse.
“It makes no sense,” I said. Both to Basil and Arsenio. Why would Elvie think she could break my curse?
“Do you have a tattoo on your chest? A bat?”
“Why?” Arsenio demanded.
“The girl wanted to find everyone who had it. That’s how she found Ludovica.”
Arsenio and I exchanged looks. We were being hunted. Ludovica may very well be dead.
“Are you sure that’s all you know?” I asked the man. He was sweating now. I looked down. He had stopped bleeding. I was sure by morning, his wound would be closed, and the skin grown over the stump.
He laughed then, and Arsenio and I both shared looks of confusion.
“I know the truth now. I always wondered, but she never would tell me. You’re part of The Seven Sins.”
Silence swept over the room as he said those words aloud. It was thunderous in my ears, and while I should have been thinking about Basil, my mind was on Scout.
“How much does she know?” I asked Arsenio. He looked away, guilt clear on his face.
“She knows all of it.”
And with that, I snapped the neck in my hands. Basil’s lifeless head dropped to his chest. In a flash, I was across the room tackling Arsenio.
11
“This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have told you.”
Arsenio sat in the passenger’s seat of my car. He’d been gone with Desi for four days, and when he returned, he asked to meet me at the theater, where he promptly broke up with me.
“I’m not going to tell anyone about you guys.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “To even think I would, tells me that maybe we’ve got bigger problems than this.”
“I think we both have trust issues.” His eyes shot to my chest. I knew I shouldn’t have told him the truth, that I’d been cursed. I rolled my eyes.
“Yeah. I guess. Do I need to find a new job?” I asked, tilting my head toward the building where I was due to clock in any time now.
“No, of course not. I still adore you. We’re just not romantically connected. It’s been like this for a long time. You can’t deny it.”
I couldn’t.
The memory of Desi’s lips on mine flashed in my mind. There was more connection in that kiss than any I’d ever had with Arsenio.
“It’s not safe for you. You’re a target.” He told me.
“That sounds like some line from a movie.”
“Probably.” His eyes darkened then, and his frown turned into almost a snarl. “After this weekend, I’ve realized that it’s the truth. I’ll remember our time together fondly, but we can’t work.” He climbed out of the car, and I waited until he got into his own and left to go inside.
I went straight to my office and closed the door, not entirely sure how to feel. I should have been sad, upset, angry, maybe. Instead, I felt hopeful. Then, when Desi arrived and knocked on my door, I felt guilty.
“What’s up?” I asked, giving him a forced smile. He offered one back, but it was that weird lip twitch thing he did as if he didn’t know what a smile was. I cringed, and he scowled.
“How was work without me to keep you sane?” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
“I survived. How was your trip?” I glanced down at my desk. I shuffled some papers around, but they were blank computer paper, so I knew I looked dumb.
“Interesting. Arsenio mentioned that you told him about your curse.”
