Page 158 of Thorns of Malice

"It's over?" she asks.

"Yep." I press my lips back to her body, moving back up her spine and neck until I'm next to her lobe. I inform her, "You have to drink thirty ounces of water within ten minutes."

She arches her eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Yep." I kiss her on the cheek, rise, and pull her up. "Sit down, baby girl."

She does.

I go to the fridge, grab a few bottles of water, and sit next to her.

"Thirty ounces is a lot of water to drink," she claims.

"Yeah, it is, but you can do it," I encourage, opening a bottle.

"Why is this necessary?" she questions.

I hand the bottle to her and answer, "For CogniShift to penetrate the cells, it has to have water. If it gets anything less than thirty ounces, it won't work."

"Really? How did you figure that out?" she asks and then downs half the bottle.

"Good girl," I praise. "I told you, I have the best scientists in charge of the research and development team. That's why I know we'll find a way to reduce the side effects of NeuroZap."

She doesn't say anything and drinks more water. We stay quiet until she finishes and puts her hand over her belly. She groans. "I feel like a blimp right now."

I chuckle and kiss her, then state, "I can assure you that you aren't."

"That's a lot of water at once."

"It is, but you did good," I reiterate, happy she took the drug.

"I have to go pee. I'll be back." She rises and goes to the bathroom.

I pick up the water bottles and go to the trash can. I toss them in, and my door flies open.

"How the fuck could you do that, Dax?" Cooper shouts.

"Get the fuck out of my room," I reply.

He doesn't obey. He races toward me, his face red with anger, roaring, "You kicked Avery out of the house?"

"Damn right, I did," I confirm, crossing my arms.

"That's why you stole her money, isn't it?"

"That and a million other reasons, but I didn't steal it," I declare.

"You did," he seethes.

"No point in fighting over this. You have your opinion, and I have mine. Now, get out." I point toward the door.

He fumes, "No. I can't believe you did this. You're going to pay for this, Dax."

I scoff. "Yeah? How am I going to pay for this?"

He scowls. "You're sick, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

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