Angelika "Red Rose" Ramirez POV
Glenn spoke first. “You are here as the blood moon sacrifice from your village. Do you understand that?”
I nodded.
“You are payment for our protection and, as such, will bend to our will and serve us in any manner we demand. If you do not, the innocent lives of those in your village will suffer.”
Again, I could only nod.
“I am Glenn. This is Elias, Daniel, Darius and Donald.”
During the chaos and fear of the night before, they had all seemed as one to me, brother beasts, with glowing amber eyes. Now, in the morning light, I could see the subtle differences. Glenn was the oldest and the clear leader of the pack. He was tall with ink-black hair tinged with silver and had a forthright manner. Elias was the brawniest of the five and by far the angriest. His massive chest was covered in thick swirls of chestnut hair. He seemed the most beast-like. Donald had yet to speak. He was tall and sinewy. His hair was a light brown which only emphasized the amber of his eyes.
Darius was the only one who had smiled at me. True, I think it was because he found my drunken state amusing, but I clung to the notion that perhaps out of the five, he would be the most sympathetic to my plight. I knew Daniel by the deep rumble of his voice. As tall as the rest, his wide-set shoulders and sharp gaze gave him a fearsome air. He was the one hoping my presence was a sign. I trembled to think what he would do in his disappointment when he learned I was nothing but an unwanted orphan - a disposable member of the village whose only contribution to their lives would be my death. My sacrificial death.
“Are…you…are you going to…to kill me?”
I closed my eyes as I awaited his response. Not daring to breathe, I felt lightheaded and frightened.
“That depends on your obedience,” said Glenn.
I opened my eyes and met his stern glare. “Did you kill the others? Those who came before me?”
“Their fate is none of your concern. Worry about yourself,” grumbled Elias.
“Enough talking. You have had your turn, Glenn. She is mine now.”
“Wait! No!”
Ignoring my cry, Elias grabbed my arm and pulled me up, placing a shoulder in my middle as he hefted me high. Beating on his back, I screamed and yelled as he carried me further and further away from the fire and deeper into the forest. Desperately, I kicked my legs out but that only earned me a stinging slap to my bottom, the power of his open palm felt through the heavy brocade of my cloak. As the light of the fire faded into the distance, the chill of the forest crept in.
I could see frosty puffs of air with every exhale. Long after I had ceased to pound on his back and cry out, he finally halted, unceremoniously depositing me on a bed of pine boughs. Searching my surroundings, I saw a wondrous sight. Great boulders of ice and snow surrounded a steaming pool of water. It appeared like magic out of the forest floor. An enchanted grotto of fire and ice.
As I lay sprawled at his feet, Elias removed the fur pelt which covered one arm and part of his chest. I froze in fear when he reached for the stitched leather and fur kilt which was slung low on his hips.“No! Don’t!”With a smirk, he let the fabric fall, and a menacing extension of his body sprang free. As thick as a tree branch, it seemed to be made of sinew, pulsing with blood. Shaking my head, I tried to crawl backward. Elias stepped on my cloak. Undaunted, I dropped my shoulders so my arms would slide out of the sleeves. Knowing my thin gown would be no protection against the elements, I still would give up the warmth of my red cloak if it meant escape from the threat of the beast before me. Elias gave a low-throated chuckle as he watched me struggle to free myself from the thick folds of my cloak.
“There is no escape, Red Rose. Accept your fate as I have accepted mine.”
“Never,” I responded hotly. His face broke into a morbid pantomime of a smile.
“I was hoping you would have the spirit to fight me, for I am not in the mood to be gentle with you.”
Reaching down, he fisted the delicate fabric of my gown and lifted me bodily by it. As if I weighed no more than a sparrow, he tossed me into the warm water. Sputtering and choking as my head broke the surface, I pushed the wet strands of hair away from my face as I struggled to stay afloat. The wet material snaked and twisted around my legs. With my every movement, the gown became more entangled.
Desperately swinging my arms through the water, I was losing the fight. With an awful swoosh, I once again plunged beneath the clear blue surface. The sounds of frantic splashing, and the frightened call of the birds all vanished. Underwater…silence reigned as I sank deeper and deeper down into the darkness. A strong arm wrapped around my middle, hefting my weightless body upward. I could see sparkling flashes of light, the sun dancing over the water, just before I was lifted high. Gasping as we broke the surface, I was carried across the hot spring to the edge. My toes touched smooth rock as he set me on some sort of underwater ledge. The water lapped around my body just above my hips. Elias stood before me. With his superior height, the water crested low on his hips. That menacing extension of his body bobbed up and down with the movement of the water. I tried to shift backward, but his hand around my waist prevented it.
“Foolish girl, why did you not swim?” Elias angrily chastised.
“I would have had my gown not prevented it!” I fumed back.
“If your gown is the problem, then we need to get rid of it.”
“No!”
His two large fists gripped the collar of the gown and viciously rent the simple, thin fabric in two. Grabbing at the sides, I tried to fight his hands and cover my nakedness with what was left. He only laughed. Pulling me forward, he pushed the fabric off my shoulders and down my arms. I watched helplessly as the two pieces of fabric floated away. With its billowing folds and the ripple of the water, it almost looked like a pair of wings in flight, before the waterlogged cloth slipped below the surface and sank.
Wrapping my arms over my breasts, I glared up at the unmerciful giant before me. Though I’d been stripped the day before, I hadn’t felt truly bared. Even when Glenn…when Glenn…even last night, I’d felt the cover of darkness had concealed me like a shroud. Now, as bright sunshine glistened through the dark trees and bounced off the water, there was no place to hide. Enduring his scrutiny, I could not help but see the stark contrasts in our bodies. Mine is smooth, pale, and slight. His darkly tanned, big, and muscled. Dark hair covered his chest and…lower.
The men of my village were short with the weak, lanky limbs that came from little manual labor. Not so with these five wolf-men. Despite my hatred of my enslavement to them, there was something deep and primal…an instinct…that responded to their display of strength and power.
A core feminine ache to be protected and cared for. The problem was, that protecting and caring for me were the very last things on these men’s minds. Crying out in fright, I turned my head to the side and closed my eyes when he made a sudden movement toward me. I could feel the warmth of his body as he stepped closer. That…thing…brushed high against my stomach. His only response was a deep chuckle. Keeping my eyes closed, trying to block out the frightening and confusing thoughts his presence elicited, I could smell the fresh scent of sandalwood.
Peeking through my lashes, I saw his large hands covered in fragrant foam as he lathered them with a bar of soap. Placing the soap on the rock behind me, he commanded, “Open your eyes.”
Fearing what my disobedience would bring, I obeyed.
“Now lower your arms. You need to bathe. It may have been hundreds of years since I have taken a woman, but I’ll not fuck one stinking of the village.”
Wondering if fucking meant what Glenn had done to my body the night before, I tearfully complied. “Please, you don’t have to…to…fuck with me,” I begged Elias. He didn’t respond. Reaching out, he placed his hands on my breasts. My mouth fell open in shock. Unable to form the words to protest, I could only feel. Caressing and kneading my flesh, he rubbed his hands in circles, leaving a sudsy trail of soap lather. My breasts felt heavy as my nipples tightened painfully into small buds. The scrape of his work-roughened palms over my soft flesh only heightened the sensation of his touch.
When his hands moved to my shoulders and then down my arms, I had to bite my lip to stifle a groan of disappointment. Slipping his hand beneath the water, he flattened his palm over my sensitive core. Still slightly swollen from Glenn’s touch, I winced as Elias’s finger pushed between the folds. His hand moved back and forth, and the friction of his touch caused a fluttering sensation to settle deep in my stomach…and lower.
My breath came in soft, harried gasps as his touch quickened. Sliding my feet to the sides of the slippery stone ledge, I opened my legs wider. His middle finger pressed into my body. Once, twice. This time, I did groan when he pulled free. My now sensitive nipples were tickled by his chest hair as he leaned over me to reach for the soap. Working the soap into a heavy, thick lather, he placed it aside and pushed his fingers into my hair. Entangling his hands in my wavy locks, he rubbed my scalp and ran his hands down large fistfuls of hair, coating each curl in fragrant foam.
His hands caressed down the curve of my back before settling low, just above my bottom. Pulling me forward, my hips pressed against his stomach, he trapped his engorged protrusion between us. Despite the warmth of the water, his skin felt hotter. As if he burned with his internal fire.
Using his right hand, he grasped my hair and turned me to the side, forcing my body back. My breasts were thrust upward as my back bowed under the pressure of his grasp. The water lapped at the sides of my face as he rinsed the soap from my hair. Feeling lightheaded and overwhelmed when he set my body upright, all I could think about was his touch and the growing ache between my legs. Leaning over me, he once again reached for the soap.
Watching him handle it, his palms twisting and turning it, I couldn’t help but wish he was soaping my breasts once more. Tossing the soap aside, he lowered his brow and held my gaze for a moment. Seeing movement, my eyes slipped lower. He was handling himself. Rubbing the protrusion up and down, up and down, covering it in a soft lather.
“Do you know what a cock is, Red Rose?”
I shook my head no.
Nodding to the protrusion in his hand, he said, “This is a cock.” The word was so guttural and coarse. It suited him.“Say it. Say cock.”
Licking my lips, I obeyed. “Cock.”
His full lips broke out into a satisfied smile. “Now turn around.”
Unsure, I just stared. I didn’t want to take my eyes off this dangerous man.“I said, turn around,” he repeated, his voice lowering with anger. With no choice, I turned my back to him.
“Now place your hands on the rock and lean forward.”
Although encircled by great, jagged pieces of rock, there was a large flat space cut out to form a stepping ledge. I placed my palms on its smooth, flat surface.
“Lean forward. I want your nipples to touch the rock.”
Hesitantly, I leaned forward, only to swing back the moment my nipples touched the cold surface. A restraining hand on my back forced me down again. I moaned as the rock edges sent sharp frissons of pain across my breasts. My nipples tightened painfully. “Please, it hurts. The rock is too edged.”
“Up on your toes. I want your ass above the water,” he ordered.
Moving up on my toes would only force more contact with the ice. “Please don’t make me,” I begged.
Elias grasped a fistful of my wet hair and yanked on it sharply. I cried out in fear as he said through his clenched jaw, “Do as I command.”
I lifted my body on my toes. The movement crushed my breasts and middle against the ice. My stomach clenched and twisted from the freezing contact. Releasing my hair, his hand moved down my back. I could feel his finger push between the cleft of my bottom.
Remembering the intrusive feel of Glenn’s finger there, I whimpered.
Unlike Glenn who’d only teased my forbidden hole to intimidate me, Elias pushed the tip of his finger inside.
“Oh God! What are you doing?”
He refused to answer. After swirling his finger along the rim, he pulled it free. I heaved a sigh of relief but it was short-lived. Grasping my bottom cheeks, he pulled them open. It was both painful and humiliating.“No! Stop!”I tried to twist my hips away but the cold scrape of the ice on my nipples and his firm grasp kept me in place. I felt something warm and large press against my forbidden hole. I tried to turn to look over my back but his growl had me swinging my head obediently forward again.
“Can you feel where my cock is, Red Rose?”
“Yes,” I whimpered.
“Where is it?”
“It’s pushing against my…my bottom.”
“Say ass.”
“What?”
“Say it’s pushing into my ass.”
“Oh God,” I moaned in agony.
“Say it.”
“Your cock is pushing into my…my ass.”
XXX
Red Rose Ramirez POVThe awful pressure increased. I tried to clench my body tightly closed. He pushed harder. I could feel my body weakening. My hole began to stretch open. His cock started to slip inside.“No,” I moaned. There was a sharp biting pain as the pressure built then seemed to ease. I could feel him inside of me. I breathed heavily through the pain, thinking the worst must be over. I could feel his body shift behind me, then the pressure increased again. He was pushing his hips forward. I could feel his cock penetrating my body deeper. My inner passage stretched and strained to accommodate his bulk.“Stop!” I screamed. “It hurts! It hurts!”He gave a small thrust forward before leaning over my body.Grabbing my hair, he forced my head back. “Does it hurt? Good. I want it to hurt. I want you to feel pain. I want you to feel helpless.”Hurt. Pain. Helpless. Elias thrust his cock deeper inside me. Punctuating each word. Hurt. Pain. Helpless.“Why? I don’t understand. Why?” I c
Red Rose Ramirez POVHe reached out and took hold of my hair once again. The sting from the pull had me crying out, but that only made it easier for Donald to lower my face down upon his rod. My open mouth was instantly filled with his girth as he shoved my face down upon his lap. I gagged as the tip of his shaft went down my throat, and I panicked, thinking he would surely choke me to death. I tried to back off, but his hand on my head held me down. I pressed my palms down on his thighs to try to gain any type of leverage I could. I would suffocate by the size of this man pressing against the back of my throat.“Shhh, my sacrifice. Shhh. Calm down. There is no reason to fight this.”He pulled out enough that I was able to catch the breath I worried I would never be able to obtain again. Donald didn’t pull out all the way, however, only pushed back in once again. He did this a couple of times until I ultimately realized I would not truly die from lack of air or choke on his cock, and
“You’re hurt,” I said as we entered the cave and I saw a large bloody gash down Darius’ back. All the wolves had switched back to men, and in all their nude glory had walked back to the camp to gather their furs and leather clothes.“It’s nothing,” Darius said as he bent before me to grab his pants.The firmness of his ass bent right before me, caused my breath to catch in the back of my throat.“I think I should clean that up,” I offered. “You don’t want that wound to get infected.”“It won’t,” he said as he turned to face me. “As wolves, we heal quickly.”His cock was large and on full display. I knew he saw that my gaze fell upon his manhood because he said, “But if you want to pay attention to my body in other ways, I won’t argue. When I opened my mouth in surprise, followed by wide eyes, he was quick to give me a wink to show his jest.“Let her clean the wound,” Glenn said. “You know the slashes caused from the battles hurt like hell. Let her try to ease it for you.”Darius made
“So we did our duty and volunteered. The elders told us only that it would be dark magic to fight dark magic. At first it was magnificent. We all felt more powerful than we had ever before in our lives. We could see and hear for far distances. Run to the horizon and back without tiring. It was as if you were one with both the Earth and the beasts. That time when the dark force came, we were ready. It is hard to describe what happens when we fight them. It is as if the wolf in our beings takes completely over and the small part of our soul and conscience which is still human never fully comprehends.” Glenn stopped speaking and just stared into the fire.“When we returned to the village, the gates of the wall were barred to us,” continued Daniel. “It was then we learned we had been betrayed.”“Would no one help or speak to you?” I asked angrily.“Not at the village. Anyone we approached ran screaming from us. Anytime we tried to leave this realm, to leave the forest and the village beh
Angelika "Red Rose" Ramirez POVBefore I could finish, Ben took a threatening step toward me. Grabbing me by the lower legs, he flung me over his shoulder and began to storm off deeper into the forest.“You refuse to obey my command immediately. I will now add to the severity of your punishment.”I could only whimper. A curtain of red curls obstructed my view as I tried to swallow the dizzying nausea caused by his shoulder pressing deeply into my stomach. He did not carry me far as he placed me upright, my feet sank into the soft earth.Looking around, I could see we were in some sort of a grotto. The bright green leaves on the trees seemed to glow as sunlight shone through them. There was a small spring, its bank covered with purple and white flowers. The ground near the spring was soft with moss and leaves.“Take off those things.”Wanting to show I was being obedient, I quickly undid the clasp at my throat and placed the crimson cloak over a nearby log.“Everything, Red Rose.”My h
I looked around Glenn’s broad frame at the other men, and added, “Please forgive me. Believe me when I say that I meant no harm to any of you. I just didn’t think it all the way through before I acted.” Glenn gave a small smile. “Good.” He pulled away and looked at all the men and then back at me. “We have the smoked deer that we have been working on almost ready. Our friends, the huntsmen, left us some boar meat stew that Vanessa made for us. Let us go about our chores today, and then we can all have an early feast in celebration of yesterday’s victory and Daniel’s successful fight today.” I wouldn’t exactly say that I was a good cook, but I knew the basics of a kitchen. My baking skills were in need of improving, and I struggled sometimes at being creative with what meager food items I often had. But I knew enough about cooking to know that something was off about the stew the minute Elias removed the lid of the pot. The slightly pungent odor had all the men sniffing at the pot i
I watched them all sleep. Each one of them. Glenn, Elias, Donald, Darius, and Daniel. My wolves. Yes, they were mine. I couldn’t allow this injustice to continue. Something had to be done. They deserved so much more than sleeping on the floor in a dank cave, cast out from society. Trying to reach the village yesterday was foolish and warranted me a punishment I wouldn’t soon forget, but if I had to do it all over again, I would. Maybe the men had accepted their fates, but I could not. However, after truly considering it, I understood there wasn’t anything the villagers could do.But what about the forest witch? The men had said it themselves; she was powerful enough to break the curse. And though the men felt a duty to protect the village from the dark force and didn’t want to curse any others to become wolves, I truly believed that something could be done. There had to be another way to fight off the dark force. If the forest witch was so powerful, then why couldn’t she destroy the
“I don’t want you to be. If this is to be our last night, then I want to carry the marks on my body as a remembrance.” The men growled in unison. “On your knees,” commanded Rod. I obeyed. “Suck my cock.” Wrapping my hand around his thick member, I licked my lips before opening my mouth wide. The moment the wide head slid along my tongue, I moaned at the familiar musky taste of him. As I concentrated on relaxing my throat so he could slide in deep like he’d taught me, I could feel Ben slide beneath me, positioning his legs between my open knees. “Is this tiny pussy ready for me?” he asked huskily. I could only groan in response as Donald’s cock pushed against the back of my throat. Daniel guided his cock to my entrance before gripping my hips. “You know how I like it, little Red Rose.” Knowing he enjoyed entering me in one painful thrust, my body tensed in anticipation. Using his grip on my hips, he forced my body down onto his cock. Forced me to take him to the hilt. I couldn
Thalia grinned and nodded, biting her bottom lip. Donald opened the door for them. “Allow me.” Darius gave him a look that said everything about how he felt, that his best friend was finally on board for his happiness. “Thank you.” He received a small chin dip in response. As the group filed in, another couple was leaving, big smiles on their faces, too. Darius watched them go. Elias stepped around to practically attack the County Clerk. “Hey! We’re back!” The man’s eyebrows shot up as his eyes darted around the approaching faces. He lit up with recognition. “Ah yes! How could I forget?” A big smile spread. “I was wondering if we’d see you again,” the female employee said. She served as witness and recorded the events as well. She flushed as Elias remarked on her new hairstyle. Then he turned around and grabbed his wife. “Look baby. We left an impression. They remember us.” Daniel snorted and entwined his fingers with Alessandra’s. “Could have been us who left t
Daniel smiled. “I knew what you were going through. Remember?” Darius nodded. “That’s what’s been on my mind. I’m sorry we weren’t there to help you.” Daniel shrugged and glanced around his friend’s faces. “There was no choice.” “Yeah. Now I understand.” Darius took a sip of Guinness. “I want to go see her.” “Well, let’s at least finish our beers first.” Elias clinked his bottle of Bass Ale against Darius’s pint. “Remember just days ago how you were complaining we never spend any time together?” Darius laughed and a huge weight lifted. “You’ve got a gift, Elias.” “Thank God I’ve got one,” Elias said, dryly. So they stayed for another two hours, like the old days. Daniel yanked out his phone and called his driver. “Nigel, buddy. We’re hammered. Come get us.” They climbed out of the dark booth and headed for the door. Elias and Daniel led the way, Donald behind. “Hey, D. I idolize you, just so you know.” Donald cocked an eyebrow sideways. “Is that right?”
Three very different guffaws trailed off as the others left the room, talking amongst themselves about how strange that had been for them. The last one she heard was Elias. “So, Donald, you’re saving it for a special woman, huh?” and Donald’s reply: “Fuck off.” Darius loosened his embrace but kept her close. She looked up at him as he gazed down at her. “You said you love me.” She flushed. “I was having a moment.” “A moment?” “Yeah.” A small frown pierced his brow and he lifted her off the ground, kissing her deeply. Every cell in her responded to him, and then he moaned against her lips, “I love you, too.” Soundless tears trailed her cheeks before she even realized how much emotion had been waiting under the surface. All her life she’d wanted to meet the guy and here he was. Finally. He kissed some away, picked her up and carried her to the couch. “We have to talk business now.” She nodded and picked up the blanket to wrap around her waist so she could hike up
He dropped the hand and turned back to his friends and packmates. They were speechless, too, their moment of entertainment usurped by the bold pronouncement. They’d seen it coming, but that he’d said it aloud, outright and so soon, shocked them all. Maybe even him a little, too. There would be no stupid debate. Not anymore. He’d heard enough arguments from Donald. What good were they? Not only had he dreamed of saving her life before it actually happened, thereby telling him she was a part of his destiny, but today his wolf had taken control for two reasons: how he felt about her, and also because there was another wolf inside the ‘den’ when she arrived—Donald. The beast inside Darius’s soul who knows what is best for him more often than he knows, took her immediately to mark her as his. She’d gotten her instinct right about his bite. His wolf needed to ensure there was never any question as to whose mate she was. That she’d accepted him so readily affirmed she felt the same. Who has
Thalia had been climbing out of her skin. Underneath everything she’d done was the nagging desire to check up on him. She hadn’t mentioned the robbery to Jonas. The air of secrecy among Darius and his friends combined with her aiding the hero of the day in his odd escape, made her keep her mouth very, very shut. How would she explain to police what had happened, if they ever questioned her? The fewer people who knew about what happened the better. And Jonas wasn’t exactly the quiet type. Nor were his friends. They lived big, and a story like this? Too hot to keep mum about. She was loath to admit that she didn’t just want to check up on his well being, she wanted to be around him again. She missed the connection she’d experienced when they were alone in the ally. She’d replayed those intimate moments with him over and over despite her desperate desire to let it go. She hesitated with her fist in the air and ready to knock. Her heart slammed in her chest. She didn’t even know if
Fuck it. She leaned in and softly kissed him. His lips parted in surprise as she pulled away. She whispered in his ear, just for him, “Thank you for saving my life.” “Thank you for trusting me.” She arose and headed for Elias who was by the door. She didn’t need him to tell her, “I’ll take you home.” She nodded and it struck her that he seemed like a statue. She glanced back to Daniel, then grazed a glance over Donald’s solemn countenance. They suddenly seemed… inhuman. “It was nice to meet you.” They nodded and murmured the same. Rihanna and Alessandra looked the most uncomfortable. Don’t make me go home. Let me stay here and take care of him. Let me tell him I’m here for him. I’m here. I’m here… Makati City sparkled outside the limo’s window as they drove west to her small apartment, flashes of blurred color zipping by. She couldn’t see any of it. Her mind was on him. “You’re awfully quiet,” Elias said after they’d been silent for a long time. She glanced ov
Donald sighed and said with more control, “We don’t do the stuff.” Drugs have a different reaction on werewolves than humans. But he couldn’t explain that. At her confusion, Daniel interjected with authority, “It’s not ego. We don’t take pain meds. Just accept it.” Darius watched Thalia glance around his packmates’ faces. He couldn’t blame her for not understanding. How would he feel if he were on the other side of this? She tightened her jaw and shrugged with defeat. “Fine. If you’ve done this before, I’m sure you have twelve inch long tweezers?” “I’ve got better than that.” Donald returned a moment later with a kit that made Thalia pause, full of surgical tools, gauze, Aloe Vera gel, and wood clamps to bite down on. They even had teeth marks in them. “I’m not even going to ask,” she muttered, choosing a very slender metal piece that looked to be an advanced type of tweezer. “You ready?” “Over my dead body you’re doing the removal,” Donald growled. Darius grabb
Fear-charged shouts came from the woman and the boy, begging to know if he was okay. The woman yelled to the man behind the register, “Call the police!” “I’m calling an ambulance!” He shouted back. “No!” the wounded man groaned, speaking only to Thalia as if he needed her to understand. “Don’t let him,” he whispered, leaning down to her ear. She pressed her hand over his, adding more pressure to stop the bleeding. “We have to get you to a hospital.” “No,” he whispered, closing blue eyes against the pain. He bent at the knees, and she caught him. Years of working with patients had prepared her for his collapsed. “I’m a nurse. I know what I’m talking about.” “Then get me out of here,” he whispered in her ear, again so low nobody else could have heard. She stared into the future and the immediate past, making a decision. He’d saved her life. She owed him. He seemed desperate not to go. Praying she was doing the right thing, she called out to the others, “Don’t call
The buzzer from Room 321 had been quiet for a long time. Too long. With her eyes on the room, Thalia rose from the desk and headed to check on Dorothy. Janet called over, “Is that old bitty at it again?” “Why don’t you crawl back under the house,” Thalia shot back. Lacking a witty enough response, Janet just sneered. As she walked into the room, Thalia’s heart exploded. Paler than a sheet of paper, Dorothy stared lifeless into the distance. Thalia pulled back the hospital gown and started pounding on Dorothy’s frail chest, screaming loud enough the entire third floor could hear, “JANET! GET A DOCTOR! CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE!” Her eyes darted to the monitor. It was off, the plug lying on the floor. “Come on Dorothy! Don’t you die on me!” Thalia leaned down to blow into quiet lungs as Janet ran in with a defibrillator machine. Bitch or no bitch, when shit hit the fan, Janet was ready. She charged the machine while Thalia pounded an artificial heartbeat into Doris’s chest, pe