Page 60 of His

I drop my head over the ledge of the pool, the twinkling lights from the buildings below sparkling like jewels in the desert. My gaze drifts from building to building, the hundreds of windows all pointing at us.

Between the sensation between my legs, the wine, and the head rush from being upside down, I grow dizzy.

I’m flying.

I feel like I’ve taken some sort of psychedelic drug.

It’s glorious.

The orgasm rips through me wave after wave after wave.

I’m brought back to earth by the distant sound of a cell phone ringing incessantly.

Frowning, I lift my head, squinting from the head rush.

“What’s that?”

“Cillian’s direct line to me.” Astor frowns. “I never turn it off. It’s for emergencies only.”

After helping me off the edge and back into the pool, Astor swims across the pool and hurries to the table.

Wading to the other side, I watch as his face drops.

He hangs up, looks at me.

My stomach sinks.

“That was Cillian. Valerie’s very sick. We need to get back.”

Thirty-Eight

Brittney

Standing in the corner, I watch Jackie administer Valerie’s medicine. She’s not doing well, alarmingly so. Over the course of the day Valerie’s health has declined rapidly. Jackie hasn’t left her side.

The medicine kicks in almost instantly, and Valerie falls asleep.

As Jackie notes the dose and time in her laptop, she says, “Where is your report?”

I blink. Report? I assumed since she’s been here most of the day, I didn’t need to be leaving an hourly report.

“Um—I, I was just about to do that.”

“But you didn’t.” Jackie slides me the side eye. “Fine. Just update me now.”

I clear my throat. “Valerie has been talking a lot of gibberish.”

Jackie’s pen freezes mid-air. She looks over her shoulder. “She’s been speaking to you?”

“Yes—kind of.”

“What has she been saying?”

“Mostly weird things that don’t make sense.”

Jackie nods. “That’s congruent with what Mr. Stone reports. It’s likely her new medication. Just respond to her in kind, and make sure she feels heard and safe and?—”

Just then, Valerie opens her eyes, clutches her chest, and doubles over in pain.

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