Page 77 of Her Dark Angel

Nash’s eyes burn a hole in the back of my head as I take a long, slow sip from my drink. Everyone else drinks too, but it seems my admission is what they want to focus on.

“Oh, Kinsley, you naughty girl,” Iris says, wiggling her brows at me. “Spill all the details.”

I wave her eagerness away with a flick of my wrist. “Oh, it wasn’t anything crazy, I promise. It was just in the back of my boyfriend’s car after a football game in high school.”

“That’s hot,” Axel drawls. He shoots Nash a grin over my shoulder, clearly impressed with my antics.

My cheeks flame with embarrassment.

“I thought you were a goodie two shoes, little devil.”

I throw a look over my shoulder at Nash. “I guess you don’t know me at all then.”

Luca claps his hands together, drawing everyone’s attention to him and away from me. Thank God. “Okay, never have I ever… done speed.”

My heart pounds harshly in my chest as my focus swims. I feel lightheaded. The music thumps in my temples and the water rushing in my ears has me lowering my drink on the coffee table.

Here, Kinnie, take this. It’s good, I promise.

I need to find a bathroom right now or else I might just faint on Nash’s lap.

“I’ll be right back,” I manage to mutter before I stand, feeling the absence of Nash’s thighs against mine as I rush out of the living room.

I climb the staircase on wobbly legs, pushing past lingering partygoers. I feel their confused glances in my direction, but I ignore them.

I don’t know what came over me or why I suddenly feel so light-headed and odd. Maybe the five drinks are finally starting to catch up with me or maybe the reality of who Nash Beck truly is has finally crash landed on my heart. Or maybe it was the reminder of my childhood bearing down on me, threatening to burst from the box I confined the memories in.

Either way, I need to find somewhere quiet to fucking breathe.

Stumbling down the hallway, I gaze at all the closed doors, trying to decipher which one is the bathroom. Surely there has to be multiple in this mansion, so I take a stab in the dark and turn the door handle to the third door on my right.

A shocked gasp leaves my lips when I stumble in on a woman in the Eiffel Tower position in the center of the bed. The two men on either side pay no mind to me or my gawking as I stand in the doorway, unable to tear my eyes away.

“You’re such a good girl, Ava,” the man fucking her from behind grunts, slapping her ass harshly. All the brunette woman can do is squeal around the mouthful of cock she has as the other man fucks her mouth forcefully. “I want to hear you scream for me.”

You’re such a good girl for me, Kinnie.

Let’s see how loud you can scream, hm?

You have such pretty pink lips. They would look so good wrap?—

“No, no, no!” I shout, slamming my hands against my temples in an attempt to shut the voices up. To silence the god-awful memories threatening to consume me. To just stop thinking. “Enough!”

The three of them turn their attention to me, but I’m already rushing out of the room. I don’t get very far before I slam into something hard, stopping me in my tracks. Strong, warm arms wrap around me, holding me close to a firm chest. Although my head is spinning and my heart is beating erratically, I can’t mistake Nash’s woodsy scent.

“Kin, what’s going on?” He brushes his hand over my hair in an attempt to soothe me.

But it doesn’t work.

And now I’m hyperventilating.

Nash pulls away long enough to witness me struggling to breathe, speak, or fucking move. His mismatched eyes widen as he takes me in. My vision blurs at the edges and I fear I may pass out before my heart explodes through my chest. My hands are clammy as they fist Nash’s shirt tightly.

My mind is telling me to breathe through my nose and exhale through my mouth. But the voice in the back of my mind, the one demon that occupies space in the depths of my soul, is still whispering memories with an evil grin on its face.

Just when I think the demon is going to successfully suck me into the darkest depths of my soul, there’s a coldness on my bottom lip. Warmth spreads across my face as something soft moves against my lips, coaxing me out of the darkness and back into the light.

It takes a moment for my brain to catch up, but when it does, I realize what’s happening.

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