Page 67 of The Vipers and Their Vendetta

It suddenly occurs to me that whoever put the note under the door could still be in the hallway outside. I dart for the door, unlocking it and yanking it open. I stick my head out, checking left and right for anyone lurking outside, but it’s empty.

Merde.

I gave them plenty of time to get away by being half asleep and not understanding what had woken me. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to fucking sleep. I want to punch myself on the side of my head for being so stupid. How could I protect Vani when I was sleeping?

I still have the note in my hand. Is this the first one she’s received? Or have there been others? I remember the message someone scrawled on the lockers, too. Are they connected? Or was that just someone screwing around? The message on the lockers had a juvenile feel to it, like it could have been a game, but the note feels dark and intense. Full of hatred.

Who could hate Vani in such a way, and why hasn’t she told us, assuming there have been others?

Unless…she thinks we’re the ones behind them.

She wouldn’t think that, would she? I contemplate the possibility. Maybe she does, especially if she believes we were behind her sister’s death. She’s also accused us of assaulting her, which is fucked up, but if that is how she feels, a few poison pen notes are nothing in the scope of that.

This puts me in a difficult position. I’m not supposed to be in her room. What do I do? If I confront her about the note, I’ll be announcing that I’ve been using her keys to sneak in here, nightafter night. She’s going to be fucking pissed at me—even more than normal.

If I take the note to show the other Vipers, I’ll also have to admit to them that I’ve been sneaking into her room, and then they’ll be the ones pissed at me. Beyond pissed, it will cause a load of hassle.

I weigh up my options. Vani’s already angry with me. The other Vipers will surely forgive my transgressions, though they might also put a stop to me coming in here, or at least want their turn. Then what? We all sneak in here? No way they’ll be quiet and careful the way I am. I don’t disturb her. She’s taken care of by me, made to feel good and watched over.

They’ll fuck that up, and I won’t have that.

This time is precious to me.

I make my decision to wait it out, and in the meantime, I’ll look into this myself. I slip out of her room, and then crouch to slide the note back under the door for Vani to find.

CHAPTER 25

Vani

I squint open my eyes,the morning light making them water. My head is pounding, and my tongue is thick and furry and stuck to the roof of my mouth. Dear God, I need some kind of hydration. My blood must be fifty-percent alcohol. How much did I end up drinking?

I do my best to recall the end of the night. What the hell happened? I remember being with Angelica and the others, and dancing, and drinking fish bowls… I groan. That’s where it all went wrong. I’m pretty sure there were shots involved at some point too.

I check my nightstand to find meds and water there. That seems very together for a girl as drunk as I must have been. I have no memory of putting them there.

Christ, my head is splitting. Moving gingerly, I push myself to sitting and pick up the glass of water. I place the pills on the back of my tongue and knock them back.

Five minutes later, I don’t feel much better. I groan and glance at the door to my room, trying to recall if there’s anything I’m supposed to be doing today.

Something on the floor catches my attention. My heart lurches into my throat and the room spins around me. Whatthe hell? Not another one. Feeling as if the room is rocking whenever I move, I climb out of bed and pick up the note.

With shaking hands, I open the folded paper.

Should have died in the crash – bitch!!!

Oh, God. My blood runs cold, and my face paradoxically burns as if I’ve been slapped. That’s seriously fucked up. I was going to ask the Vipers about these notes the last time I went to their place, and got sidetracked by all the sex, and then they treated me like shit.

I had decided to get my revenge on them and not talk to them about this. Let them play out their pathetic games, and I’ll get my own revenge. Smashed up paintings for Saint, ruined cars for Lex, and I’ll find something Zane cares about and destroy that too. This note changes that equation, though. This is actually sick. I need to think about things.

Keeping this to myself is a bigger decision now because this note has upped the ante. Confronting them could be dangerous if they’re depraved enough to write this.

Wouldthey write it? This seems too far, even for them. Surely, they wouldn’t have wanted me dead. They were the ones who came to find me.

I really can’t deal with this right now. I feel far too sick. Still disturbed by the note, I slide it into my bedside drawer and decide to think carefully about what to do next. I keep making rash decisions, and I don’t think they’re helping me any.

A pounding at my door matches that in my head.

“God, calm it down,” I grouse.

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