Page 58 of The Human’s Heart

I let out a small sigh. “Tell me about it.” Then I turned to him with a smile. “Ready for a refill?”

He held up his nearly empty glass. “Always.”

I snorted and got back to work.

By the time we were an hour away from closing, I was dead on my feet. Zay and his friends were still here, which was honestly surprising. I’d thought everyone would’ve called it an early night, but I guess they’d been studying a lot lately, preparing for their final, so they’d needed a night out. I couldn’t blame them.

I walked into the back to grab a box of bottled beers we were nearly out of, and I heard voices arguing near the bathroom. I wasn’t too worried about it—drunk people were often loud and rude—so I opened the storage room, but I heard a higher-pitched voice yell, “Stop!”

That froze me in my tracks. Considering what many drunk people did—make stupid decisions and sometimes even get violent—I figured I should check it out. So I locked the door and headed down the hall to get a better idea of the situation.

The hallway that led to the workers’ area met up with the hall to the public bathroom, so I stopped at that little intersection and peeked around the corner.

There was a person standing there in a black coat with a hood on. Their back was to me, so all I could see was that they had broad shoulders and were taller than me, even taller than Zaos, I thought.

“I told you I don’t want to do it anymore,” a voice that sounded suspiciously like Beatrix said, and my brow furrowed. Who in the world was she talking to? I couldn’t even see her tiny body with the way the man took up the entire space.

“And I told you that I don’t give a shit what you want.” That voice was very deep, almost growly, and definitely sinister.

Also, he was obviously an asshole.

“I only agreed to it because, well, you know my family. But I’m done. I’m out. I’m not doing it anymore, so just leave me the hell alone.” She sounded frightened, but she also sounded sure and like she wasn’t about to budge even an inch.

“I don’t care!” The man practically yelled in her face, stepping closer to her—I could at least see her feet a bit—and leaning down.

He grabbed her wrist and yanked her to the side, putting them both in full view. He was in her face again. Like so close it looked like he wanted to bite her or something, and honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him with some kind of fangs or something.

She let out a startled sound and tried to pull away, then winced and said, “Ow, you’re hurting me,” when he tightened his hold on her.

And that was it. I was done.

I rounded the corner and yelled, “Let her go.” Then through my bond with Zay, I said, “Someone’s hurting Bea at the bathrooms.”

I didn’t wait for a reply because the man snarled at me. He turned, and I saw a flash of teeth, but that was it because his hood was pulled over his face, casting him in shadow.

“This is none of your business, human.” The way he said human was like we weren’t even worthy to be the dirt on his shoes.

“Hugo! Run!” Beatrix screamed just as the man rushed me.

He moved so fast there was no way he wasn’t some kind of supernatural with supersonic speed. He barreled into me, knocking me on my back.

I let out a loud, “Oomph,” as the wind was knocked out of me.

I tried to catch my breath, but he landed on top of me, knocking the wind from my lungs again. I couldn’t breathe.

I. Couldn’t. Breathe.

Then a manic grin crossed his face as a piercing pain split my chest in two.

Burning. Fire.

Lava on my chest.

My entire body felt like it was lit on fire.

I screamed out, and before I’d even blinked again, the man was gone, running for the back exit.

Fire.