Page 86 of Slay Ride

“You okay?” she asks. “I mean, you just knocked two major events off your bucket list, and you don’t seem very excited about it.”

A flash of yellow rushes past one of the windows by the door—Maverick’s coat. Seconds later, Bennett’s face pops up behind the glass. I backpedal, angling my body in a way that forces Eve and Kindra to give the front door their backs.

“Actually, I think I’m catching a second wind,” I tell the girls. “Why don’t we head to the kitchen and grab something to eat?”

“Now?” Kindra says. “After taking two kills and fucking your crush, you want to eat?”

“Damn, you’re cold as fuck,” Eve says with a hint of admiration in her voice. “I couldn’t eat for a week after my first hit.”

I force a smile because food is the last fucking thing on my mind. I just have to get them away from the front hall.

“Well, the world takes all kinds.” I take a few steps backward. “You girls coming, or do I need to tell all the dirty details to a lump of mashed potatoes and a glass of something bubbly?”

“Bubbly? Shit, I’m in,” Kindra says.

“Me too!” Eve takes my arm in hers, and we start toward the dining room.

I sneak one backward glance over my shoulder, but Bennett is no longer outside the window.

My mind is a blur as we shuffle down the hallway. My mouth runs on autopilot, offering appropriate responses at the right points in the conversation. Even as we accept a bowl oflukewarm soup from Chef Maurice and take a seat in the dining room, my brain and my mouth are operating separately from each other.

I can’t stop worrying about Bennett and whether he made it back to his room without getting caught. But am I more worried for him or for myself?

This situation is turning me into someone I don’t want to be, and I’m not talking about the fucking murders I committed. I’ve become selfish, only thinking about myself and my needs. Lies come easily for me now, even when talking to the people I trust. I don’t recognize myself anymore.

“What was more exciting? The sex or the kill?” Eve asks as she enjoys a spoonful of soup. I think it’s a minestrone, but I’m not entirely sure.

I sip some champagne and swirl my spoon through the bowl. “They were both exciting for different reasons, but sleeping with Bennett probably wins.”

Spoons clatter, and Eve nearly knocks over her champagne flute. “Bennett?” the women say in unison.

“Maverick!” I mentally kick myself. “The sex withMaverickwins.”

Eve raises her eyebrows and her glass. “I was about to say . . .”

“And I was about to run to the basement for a fucking straitjacket,” Kindra says with a shake of her head. “The day you fuck Bennett is the day we are having you committed.”

“Hear, hear. And I’ll co-sign on that commitment.” Eve sips her drink, then studies the soup again. “You said you outlawed human meat for this shindig, right?”

“Yeah,” Kindra says. “Why?”

Eve tilts her spoon toward us, revealing the glint of a nose-ring stud.

“Oh, fucking sick,” Kindra groans. “First Cat says she fucked Bennett, and now you’re telling me that I’ve been tricked into cannibalism again. I’m not even trying to lose weight, but everyone is making it impossible to keep food down at this point.”

The women push their soup bowls away and continue giggling, but I can’t even bring myself to fake it. Because this is the moment I wanted to avoid. The ridicule. The little jokes that cut so much deeper than they realize.

Without a word, I push away from the table and rush out of the dining hall before they can see my tears.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Bennett

Getting back into my room and swapping places with Maverick was the easy part. Being unable to comfort Cat when I saw her race down the hall with tears in her eyes? That was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever experienced in my life.

But I kept my eyes on the carpet and continued walking. Kindra and Eve were hot on her heels, and they didn’t miss the opportunity to shoot eyeball daggers at me. It seems I can’t exist without offending them. They followed Cat into her room and closed the door behind them.

I’m too fucking nosy to let this go, even though my stomach is screaming for literally anything, so I ensure the coast is clear, then head back to my room. The bathroom has great acoustics, and chicks love to chat in the bathroom, so I head there first.

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