Page 14 of The Phantom's Vice

“Thanks a million!” Orion turns, racing down the hall before I have a chance to question him any further on it. I just have to hope he hasn’t wrangled a vulture or something else equally riddled with disease.

A minute later, I hear the hatch slam closed, and I turn back to my computer, pulling up my feed on Brett’s apartment. The black-haired beauty is lazing in bed, a bag of greasy Chinese food lying on her nightside table and a book in her palms. Her brave attack cat is at the foot of the bed, staring directly at the place I’ve hidden the camera like he knows I’m watching. He rarely blinks, and those big yellow eyes are full of pure, unadulteratedhatred.

What a little asshole.

I chuckle to myself, bringing my eyes back to my pretty little obsession. With her eyes trained on the page, she reaches into the bag and pulls out a fortune cookie. A few seconds go by before she dogears the page and turns her attention to thetreat. She greedily rips the plastic, a little smile playing at her lips as she breaks the cookie in half. She pops the first half into her mouth as she pulls out the paper note, reading over her fortune carefully. I’m not sure what it said, but it must be something good because as soon as she’s done, she smiles and eats the second half.

Brett breaks into a little dance as she picks her book back up, and my chest squeezes with an emotion I haven’t felt in years—no, decades.

She’s going to ruin my fucking life, isn’t she?

I don’t have time to think about it because as soon as the thought forms, Brett does something even more adorable—she starts kicking her feet. Whatever she just read has her reverting to a childlike state, and I mentally kick myself for not adding audio surveillance—because dear God, I think she’s giggling.

So. Fucking. Cute.

I pull the phone within an inch of my nose, desperately trying to make out the title of this book. I have to know what she just read that made her react like that. Ineedto know.

The cover is innocent enough with pretty little pink and blue flowers.A romance book?I squint, trying again to read the title.The Best… Week? Seems innocent enough.With a shrug, I close out of her feed and dial Orion.

It rings a few times before the call finally clicks through, and I’m met with a slightly murderous tone. “What do you need?”

Well, that good mood lasted longer than I thought it would.“So testy,” I say with a chuckle. “I need you to get something for me, since you’re already out purchasing your… worms.”

A sigh is the only response I get.

“Fantastic. So I need you to go to that twenty-four-hour bookstore and?—”

“Wait. You called me up because you need a fuckingbook?Just order it online.”

I sigh, clenching my hand tighter around the phone. “Not just any book.The Best Week.It’s a romance, I think. And I need it tonight. It’s very important.”

Silence. “Orion?”

“Yeah. I heard you. Just debating whether it’s time to put you to pasture.”

I roll my eyes, starting to lose my patience.Fucking teenagers.“Just… get the book.”

“Yeah, whatever. Be there soon.” The line goes dead, and I roll my eyes again.

Fucking. Teenagers.

A few hours later, the scrape of the front door alerts me to Orion’s arrival. I jump up from my workbench, setting down my tools lightly before heading out to meet him. The first thing I notice is Orion’s bright red face. The second is the way he’s holding the book—pinched between a thumb and forefinger as if he expects it to come to life and bite him.

“Orion?”

Orion throws the book down on the small table by the door, casting an accusatory finger at the pretty flowery novel. “Why—whywould you send me out to buy that?”

I tilt my head curiously. “It’s just a romance book, Orion.”

He shakes his head, his eyes going wide. “No, man. It’s not. It’s like… fucked-up shit in there.”

“Did something happen at the bookstore?”

Orion shakes his head, refusing to look at me. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” He shuffles off, his cheeks still a bright shade of red as he mumbles something about the bookstore workers laughing at him.

I stare after him, my brows coming together.What the hell is in that book?I palm the floralcover, running my gloved thumb over one of the peonies on the corner.I bet this is… smooth. No, not smooth. Silky.

I nod proudly as I pry the book apart at the center. My eyes take in the very first passage, and I immediately snap it closed.Holy. Fuck. This is… this is sick.Out of curiosity, I open it to another chapter, only to find another passage with some depraved scenario.

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