14. So Long

[LIZZY]

I shouldn’t have poked the lion with a stick.

Although Vector Alfonso was more like a cruel, bloodthirsty royal Bengal tiger, I didn't think it really made a difference when I was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.

In hindsight, I should have expected this when I begged him to let Joey stay with me. That was obviously dumb from the start. Why would I deliberately bring that little kid into this world of devils and monsters? But when it comes to Joey, logic is thrown out the window and plunges into the Mariana trench, leaving me nothing but the primal instinct to protect him at all costs. I knew what I was signing up for when I refused to part with Joey. I knew I was the only one who could keep him safe. I just knew.

So here I was, willing to go to any length to keep the devil away from that little boy.

Joey was left with Vector's guards, who continued to give him rides on their backs one by one. Which, to be honest, was a very strange sight to have. Every time Joey