Page 59 of Slay Ride

What she said strikes a nerve. My brother and his fiancée have enough money between them, but I’m currently struggling to rub two pennies together, thanks to my employers icing me out. It’s a problem I’m trying to forget while I’m at this retreat.

“I’m not rolling in cash, if that’s what you think,” I say. “I took the coat you’re wearing off a dead guy last winter. Figured he wouldn’t need it in hell.”

She recoils and looks down at the coat like she might die in it next.

“Don’t worry,” I say, “I scrubbed the blood out.”

She studies her hands as I pull on my boots. “My pink gloves are going to look fucking stupid with this color combo. Did you happen to pull a spare set of those off a dead guy too?”

I return to the closet and pull my gloves from my bag. “These should match enough, though I’m sorry to say they aren’t off a dead guy.”

“What will you wear?”

I shrug. “I used to make snowmen with nothing more than socks on my hands, so I think I’ll be okay.”

She shoves the gloves into my hands and shakes her head. “You take them. I can wear the pink ones.”

“Suit yourself.” I cram the gloves into my pocket, and we start toward the door.

As we step into the hallway, voices from down below reach our ears. Cat freezes and grips my arm, forcing me to do the same. Her eyes widen as she looks at me for a solution.

“Let me go down first,” I whisper. “They won’t mind waiting on you if you’re running late.”

“You’re right,” she says with a nod. “They’d just leave you behind.”

I roll my eyes and leave her in the dark hallway as I descend the stairs.

Ezra, Kindra, Grim, and Maudlin Rose stand near the entryway. Grim looks over and gives me a wave as I reach the bottom of the staircase.

“Are you excited to test your physical limitations today?” he says as I step closer. It’s the sort of thing you’d expect to be said with a smile, but Grim doesn’t do that very often.

“In Bennett’s mind, he has no physical limitations,” Ezra says. “Isn’t that right?”

“I’m notthatarrogant.” I turn to Rose and give her a nod. “Morning, Rosie. Have you been enjoying this weather?”

She purses her lips and shakes her head.

“Me neither,” I mutter.

“Where’s Cat?” Kindra asks. “We’ve already sent everyone else ahead, and we need to get moving as soon as the sleigh shows up again.”

I shrug. “I don’t know, and I don’t care. She’s probably up there playing with her pussy.”

“She has been masturbating an awful lot on this trip,” Kindra says as she peers up the staircase. “Unless you meant Shorty, her actual cat. Maybe I should hurry her along.” She takes a step forward, but I step into her path.

“No! I mean, I’m sure she’ll be downany minute.”

I put extra emphasis on the last two words and hope Cat hears me. I can’t hold Kindra here forever, and the last thing we need to explain is why Cat is standing around in the upper hallway’s shadows. Thankfully, she materializes seconds later.

“Sorry, I couldn’t decide which coat to wear,” she says as she shuffles down the stairs. “Then I decided on this one and couldn’t find the matching gloves.”

“Isn’t that Bennett’s coat?” Ezra says.

Shit.

“No, it’s definitely mine,” Cat says with a little too much confidence for someone who’s wearing a coat with the name CARTER embroidered across the right front pocket.

I gave her the wrong fucking coat.

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