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Uma grabs her things, and despite the situation, holds her head high as she goes to leave. Before she reaches the door, I stop her and quietly say, “I am so sorry this is happening. This will get sorted out and we can find another time for story hour, yes?”
She smiles, but there’s sadness in her eyes. “It’s not that simple. I need to go where I’m celebrated, not ostracized.” Uma pats my arm, a clear goodbye. “Best of luck, Mylo.”
I understand her dismissal. It hurts my heart to think she will never return to our humble library and the kids won’t get to experience her delightful presence again, but she’s right. It is not her responsibility to prove to Officer Burton or anyone else that she isn’t the threat he makes her out to be. And though Burton singled her out, it’s not why he’s doing this. No, this is about me and the problem he continues to have with me and my brothers.
Shutting down story hour and closing the library to “evaluate each book for offensive or explicit content” is his way of destroying my reputation in the most public way possible. I wonder if there is a legal way for me to fight this. I’m sure he targeted the drag story hour specifically because there was nothing I could do to stop him. It wouldn’t even surprise me to learn he was the one who graffitied our windows where Uma’s posters were displayed. He seems intent on either putting us behind bars or driving us out of Sudbury.
But I refuse to run from this. If a fight is what Officer Burton wants, that’s what he’ll get.
As soon as the last car pulls out of the parking lot, I stride toward him. “You’re not going to get away with this, you know. Shut down the library for a month, or even a year,” I tell him, holding my arms out wide. “I’m not going anywhere, and when this crooked book evaluation is complete, I’ll be right here, offering stacks of gay romance novels for the whole town to read.”
“You need to lower your voice, son, or I’ll be forced to charge you with disturbing the peace,” he says, the grip on his pistol tightening.
“I…am not your son,” I growl, unable to conceal my rage for another moment.
I can smell the fear that pools in his gut the closer I get to him. He is clearly threatened by my size, and I take a deep inhale, savoring the bitter scent. He has not even seen my winged form, and he’s already this terrified? What a thrill it would be to wrap my claws around his thin, weak neck and snap it in half with a single squeeze.
He holds up a hand. “Take a step back, Monroe.”
I don’t move. I hold his gaze, letting the growl deep within my chest rise to the surface. Burton furrows his brow as he glares at me. Can he tell there’s a murderous beast inside me, aching to be released?
“Get out of my library, or I will remove you myself,” I grit, knowing it won’t lead to anything good, but unable to stop the words from falling out of my mouth. He doesn’t belong here surrounded by the brilliant words and stories that have shaped this world. In here lies knowledge and facts––both of which he seems averse to. He pulls his gun out of his holster, and I can’t help but laugh at how long it took him to reach this point. The barrel of the gun is aimed at my chest, and I take a step closer, daring him to pull the trigger.
“Hands up!” the officer to his right shouts, and it doesn’t take long for all four officers to have their guns trained on me. There’s no danger to me even if they were to shoot me, but that’s not something I want happening in the library.
I do as they say, raising my hands above my head while accepting that I must act as a human would in this moment. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I say, stepping back.
“Freeze!” Burton shouts.
The other officers inch closer until they have me surrounded in a tight circle. Burton turns me around as he yanks my wrists behind my back. “Mylo Monroe, you’re under arrest for threatening a police officer and disturbing the peace.” He rattles off useless terms relating to the charges before reading me my rights, which occurs precisely the way I’ve seen on TV. This realization provides little comfort, considering how much trouble I appear to be in.
Officer Burton tugs me by my shackled hands out the front doors and into the parking lot. He pushes my head down as he shoves me into the back of the police car, my legs immediately cramping from the lack of room. Though I doubt a complaint about legroom would be welcomed at the moment.
Flashbacks of the day we broke Axil out of his jail cell flood my mind on the way there, and I wonder when I’ll see him and the rest of my family again. Officer Burton leads me to the back of the station when we arrive, and he can barely contain his glee when my handcuffs are removed, and he locks me into my metal cage.
He flings the key ring around his middle finger, and as he turns the corner, I actually hear his laughter. He’slaughingat me.
Is he so bored policing the quiet town of Sudbury that making an arrest excites him? What is wrong with this shell of a man?
Kill him,my draxilio urges.Stomp on his throat while he sleeps.
I cannot,I send back. I wish I could, because at this point, there is nothing that would delight me more than being the one to end Officer Burton’s reign over this town. As a bonus, end his life too. But too much has happened. They would convict me immediately. It’s not a death any of us could get away with. Not after he’s made it clear how much he despises us.
Leaning against the cold cell bars, I ponder how to undo this predicament. Who do I speak to about ensuring the library stays open? Who would care? Is there a government body that polices the police? Can they be trusted to deliver justice?
My head begins to ache with the many possibilities of how this can only lead to my unemployment, and this town losing the only place for people to gather and discuss literature. I take a seat on the steel bench and lean my back against the bars of my cell, my mind drifting to Samantha. Visions of her smile, the feel of her soft tummy, and the scent of her perfume provide enough comfort to keep me from shifting inside this cell and burning this entire station to ash.
It takes hours, but eventually my request is granted to make a phone call. I call Axil and tell him to spread the word. His growl is steady and intimidating as he agrees, vowing to snuff the life out of Officer Burton’s eyes. I remind him not to say such things, at least not during this call, and he composes himself before hanging up.
My bail is posted by early evening, and Zev, Kyan, and Axil are waiting in the front lobby of the police station when I leave. “We are going to Tipsy’s,” Zev says, throwing an arm over my shoulder. “You look like you could use some cheering up.”
Tipsy’s is relatively quiet tonight with just a few men in the back of the bar playing pool and one at the end of the bar eating nuts and watching a sporting event on the big TV.
Vanessa wraps her small hands around my middle and squeezes tightly. “I was so worried about you. Are you okay?”
“I am…well enough,” I reply. Truthfully, I’m not well at all, but rage fills me with enough adrenaline to fake it.
Izzy looks as if ready to draw blood.
