Page 22 of Salvatore

“Ah-hah,” Aedry answers.

Donnie turns to me. “She’s adorable. I can see why you like her.”

“You don’t know shit, Donnie.”

“Yeah, I do.” She takes another long drag, releasing it slowly and leaning in to whisper in my ear. “A whore will never get to you. But someone like her, hmmm, I can see why you went all alpha tonight.”

I stop at a light, cupping her chin so I can get a good look at her face. Her eyes are so glassy, I’m surprised she’s as coherent as she is. “What did you take?”

“Just a little blow and a few drags.”

My hand slips from her face. “You have to stop doing this shit,” I tell her.

She holds onto her smile, despite the misery dulling her stare. “I will if Vincent keeps wanting me.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

She doesn’t have an answer, at least not for that. She motions to where Aedry is slinking into her seat, her eyes closing. “Take it easy on her, Salvatore. Someone that good doesn’t belong around people like us.”

“This the place?” I pull into an open spot along the curb.

“Hmm?” Aedry mumbles. Since dropping off Donnie with Vincent, Aedry’s fallen asleep half a dozen times, impressive, seeing she only lives fifteen minutes away from Donnie’s.

I kept her awake long enough to ask for her address and punch it into my GPS. I reach out, intent on clasping her shoulder and shaking her gently. Instead I lift my hand to her face and carefully stroke my knuckles against her cheek. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Wake up. You’re home.”

“I’m Snow White.”

“What?”

“That girl called me Snow White,” she slurs.

“Nah. Snow White’s too pasty.”

She laughs, causing her head to slide against the side window where she’s leaning. She stretches slowly, blinking her heavy lids open.

“Thank you,” she says. “I appreciate you looking out for me.”

I clutch her arm. “Hold up. I’ll walk you in.”

“You don’t have to,” she mumbles.

Her lids start to close again. “Texas, you’re as high as a Learjet. No way are you walking in alone.”

She tilts her head. “Why did you call me that?”

“What? Texas?” She barely manages a nod, so doped up I’m sure she’ll fall asleep. “Isn’t that where you’re from, cowgirl? I heard the accent.”

She laughs again. “I’m from North Carolina, just outside of Raleigh. Huge difference. Huge.”

“Sure it is,” I tell her, smirking. I slip out of my ride. She doesn’t wait for me to come around and all but slides out of the passenger seat.

Her dress rides up to her waist. I barely catch her before she falls.

“Oh, God,” she says. She pulls down the skirt, but not before I get a nice view of the perfect round globe that peeks through her tiny panties. “I’m so sorry.”

I’m not. Damn.

“Don’t worry about it,” I respond, lurching my attention ahead and away from her body. “Do you have your key?”

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