Page 54 of Insatiable

He’s right, of course. This is exactly what the games are designed for—pushing us to desperation, making us turn on each other. I glance at the grilled cheese, the temptation gnawing at me, but the idea of killing Felix for it is unthinkable. We’ve both come too far for that.

"I'm not going to shoot you," I finally say, lowering my crossbow with slow, deliberate movements. My fingers tremble as I release the weapon, laying it carefully on the ground between us. “If you want the sandwich, take it.”

The ache in my stomach is relentless, a gnawing, primal hunger that feels like it’s clawing at my insides. I want nothing more than to devour that sandwich, but it’s not worth losing everything over. Pain is familiar to me—I’ve endured far worse in Hell.

I glance up at Felix, searching his eyes for any sign of humanity. Instead, I find something darker, something unhinged. There’s a madness in his gaze, a wild glint that makes my blood run cold. Anthura’s words echo in my head. Wasn’t Felix the first person I suspected when she told me there was a murderer among us?

My heart sinks. I’ve made a terrible mistake.

I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my breath, bracing for the worst.

I hear the arrow’s deadly whistle before I feel the impact.

25

THE END OF AN ERA

JULIETTE

Iglance away for just a second, rummaging through my handbag to grab more of the bacon I’d stashed earlier. Before I can take a bite, Ro's piercing scream sends me tumbling off the bed and onto the floor.

"What the fuck, Ro! What happened?" I ask, scrambling back up in a panic.

“Shit, fuck, poop,” she mutters, eyes wide, glued to the screen. Ro never swears unless it’s serious, so I know something big just went down.

I whip my head toward the Hell Cell, and all I see is Quinn, standing frozen, her eyes shut tight. The camera pans, revealing an arrow lodged between the eyes of a statue of George, about five feet from where Quinn is standing. “What the shit fuck poop happened?”

“Felix looked like he was about to shoot Quinn over a grilled cheese sandwich, but then he moved the crossbow to the side and shot the statue instead.”

“He was going to shoot Quinn over a sandwich?” I ask incredulously before remembering I’d have willfully murdered half of Hell for a bacon sandwich before they decided tograce us with breakfast this morning. I chew on the last slice thoughtfully. “actually, I kinda get it.”

We both watch as Quinn cautiously opens one eye, then the other. A split second later, she’s sprinting toward the sandwich like her life depends on it.

“So, where’s Felix now?” I ask.

Ro sits up, her brow furrowed. “I don’t know. He’s starving. He needs food, but he gave up his last chance for Quinn.” Frustrated, she shakes the Hell Cell in her hands. “Cut to Felix, dammit!”

I grab the device from her before she can do more damage. “Careful. You’re going to shake the baby loose.”

Her eyes widen, and she presses a hand protectively to her belly. “Is that possible?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, but all this stress can’t be good for it. I get that Felix was a good lay, but don’t lose your head over the guy.”

“But he did something selfless,” she protests, almost defensively.

“You seem surprised,” I say, raising an eyebrow.

She sighs, sinking back into the pillows. “I guess I am. He really looked like he was going to shoot Quinn and for a split second I actually thought he might.”

“About time!” I exclaim as the screen finally cuts to Tomas. They’ve barely shown him at all. I get it, though—he looks about thirty years older and thirty pounds heavier than the other contestants. The cameras are too busy showing Tate mincing around in her heels and barely-there dress, or focusing on the Quinn and Felix drama, but at least that was exciting. The only person they’ve shown less than Tomas is Orlin, but again, I understand. Orlin probably hasn’t moved an inch since the claxon went off yesterday.

I sigh, watching Tomas clutch his stomach, ambling along like a man lost in his own misery. Poor guy was never built for starving. If there was one thing Tomas loved more than his libido, it was his stomach. Sometimes I wondered if he stayed with me all those years just for my cooking.

"Maybe his size will help," Ro says, her voice casual. "I mean, he can stand to lose a few pounds."

"Don't fat shame!" I snap, sharper than I intended. I used to be a big woman. It's only since I died that I got back to my youthful figure, and I still remember what it felt like.

Ro flinches. "I don’t fat shame. You know me better than that. I’m just trying to put your mind at ease. He’ll probably fare better in there than the skinny ones."

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