Page 45 of End It All

"Vodka and some tequila. I wanted something dark but it was broken in the bathroom sink," Benito retorted.

I stiffened. "That's not my fault! He was passed out in the shower."

"Shut up and have another J?ger."

God, I really didn't want to, but I also couldn't pass it up. My nerves were on fire. I glanced at the bedroom and frowned. The doctor they had introduced me to, Melony, seemed like she knew what she was doing from the way she walked into the apartment and commanded it as if she lived there, but I still didn't trust her. Or any doctor for that matter. They were terrifying, with needles, scalpels, and their bullshit. Getting tested every year was good enough for me.

I took my shot, throwing it back before I slammed the glass on the counter. Benito stared at me, that soulless look that forced a shiver down my spine. I didn't know how the fuck he was married. Every time I saw his face, it looked as if he was ready to kill someone.

"So, you ran from Cesare," he said again.

"I already said yes."

"And you came back here."

I stiffened. "Yeah."

"Why?"

I tried to wrack my brain to figure out the reasoning behind my fleeing, but there was none. The man was a brute, a bit of an asshole, but he had gone out of his way to make sure I was comfortable, dressed, and fed. As far as he showed me, he was okay. I still had a chip after the way he'd left, but he was nice enough.

And yet I still couldn't shake the unease that threatened to swallow me whole when I was around him.

"I just... like it better here."

"He's still looking for you," Benito said.

"No shit," Harlow muttered, his eyes firmly locked on the bedroom door. "Like that crypt keeper motherfucker was ever going to let you out of his sight."

"Enough," Benito growled.

Harlow finally glanced in our direction. "Don't protect that bastard."

"I'm not."

"You are."

The awkwardness from them filled the space until I snatched the bottle and poured myself another shot. Once I took it, I burped and glanced between them. "Okay, why don't you like him?" I asked Harlow.

"He's an asshole, he's cruel, he bosses Benito around like he's his trained pet," he said, ticking off each reason on his fingers.

"Watch it," Benito snapped.

"He has children and abandons them. Did I mention he's an asshole?"

"Yes," I said.

"Well, let me say it again. He's a massive, crappy, sadistic, asshole. I know the type," he muttered. "What the hell is taking Melony so long?"

I stiffened. "You're really that concerned about Quincy?"

Harlow spun on me. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

I stared at him and shrugged. Whatever was going on between them, it didn't make sense to bring it up in front of Benito. Maybe they had something or maybe it was only one-sided on Quincy's part, but it didn't matter. It would just cause drama. And while I’d love to watch the shit show unfold, that seemed like a horrible idea when I was living in the middle of it.

My gaze flickered to Benito. "I need you to get me out of going back to his place," I said. "Put me to work, give me something to do, but I don't want to go back. It feels... wrong. I need a place to escape for a while, but with him is not it. Besides, if I left Quincy on his own tonight, he would probably be dead."

Benito nodded as he looked me up, down and back again. "And what exactly are you running from?"

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