Page 35 of Poison

"You know I don't mess with that stuff. I have Nova. Will that work?"

"No, I owe Bliss to someone," I lied. The last thing I needed was for her to pry for information.

Her big brown eyes darted around the room until they landed on a man standing off in the corner. "That guy'll have some. He's the local dealer. He's how I score my Nova."

I lingered as Darrien came back with three Poison Apples. Since this was going to be the last time I ever saw Cherry, I decided the least I could do was have one final drink with her. I nodded gratefully when her beau gave me my drink, and Cherry and I clanked our glasses together. I chugged mine down in only a few gulps. "I have to get going. Have a good night, Cherry." I pulled my friend into a tight hug.

"I'll come to Hell's Gate tomorrow night. I promise."

I offered up a half smile and nodded. I couldn't stomach lying to Cherry and telling her I would be there. It was bad enough that she was the one who led me to thetool thatwould be my undoing. I hoped she would get over it and realize my death wasn't her fault. Hell, out of everyone in my life, Cherry was the only one who truly understood me. As fucked up as it was, she would understand.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I walked over to the man in the corner. With pale skin, dark eyes, tattoos, and an all-black outfit, he was dangerous-looking.

"I need some Bliss."

His head tilted as he shoved a toothpick in his mouth. "How much you need?"

I considered that for a moment, not knowing the exact amount I would need to get the job done. "Enough to last the week."

"One hundred sinders."

I reached into my pocket, pulling out the last of my money. Frankly, I was amazed that a week's worth of Bliss was that cheap. I hoped it wasn't junk. But if he was the guy Cherry got her Nova from, it couldn't be that bad. The dealer was most likely selling just the right amount to last me through the week. One dose at a time.

Handing him a wad of sinders, he gave me a baggy full of tiny blue crystals, and I stuffed it into my pocket so that my damned bodyguard wouldn't see it. I didn't need Hobbs to find out about my plan until after I had done the deed.

I hugged myself again and marched out of the building, only offering a small wave to Cherry as I left. At Hell's Gate, I was let in without an issue, and sadly, so was the stupid ass bodyguard. When I got to my booth, I twirled around, stopping Mason or whatever his name was in his tracks. "You're my bodyguard, so guard. Don't let anyone in my booth. Especially not a long-haired male waiter."

He nodded, crossed his arms intimidatingly, and turned his back to me. I let out a small sigh of relief as I sat on the bench, tossing the baggie and my green case onto the table. I dumped some Bliss onto my special spoon and heated it up with a lighter before filling the syringe. Then, I heated up a second round and repeated the process. This should cause an overdose with no problem. Finally, I will be at peace.

The rubber tourniquet was tight around my arm as I stuck the needle into my skin. My teeth chattered a bit with anxiety, but eventually, I convinced myself to push the plunger. The relief was immediate. It felt wonderful, so light and fluffy. That feeling only lasted a few moments before my body became heavy. And then I fell onto my side, unable to move. I couldn't breathe. My lungs were working, but so much slower than they should be. Something dribbled from the corner of my mouth, but I couldn't move my arm to wipe it away. My body was getting cold, and as I lay there, I could hear a commotion. I couldn't tell what they were saying. It was as if someone was shouting through a wall.

The next thing I knew, someone forced me onto my back. I couldn't do anything about it. My body refused to move.

Alex stood over me, but I could only hear him speak in a muffled tone, and not all of it got through. "Isaac…" He said more words, but I couldn't make them out. "…did you take?"

He was asking me what I took. I couldn't respond, even if I wanted to. My lips didn't work. I couldn't even lick whatever was dribbling from my mouth. Alex's headturned, and I heard him shout, "He's overdosing! Get the…"

My eyesight was screwy. Everything was dark. The blackness was creeping around my vision, and things were getting further and further away. It was almost as if I were falling into a well, and when I finally hit the bottom, I would be at peace.

A sharp pain struck me in the chest, and I sat up, gasping for breath. Alex, Vic, and Mason stood over me. Too close. Before I could warn them, I vomited at their feet. "That sucked," I rasped.

Alex's eyes were wide with panic. "I reckon. You died!"

Mason reached for something in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, afraid of the answer.

"I'm calling Hobbs."

Panic welled. Why the fuck couldn't Alex just let me die? Everything was going to be so much worse. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I glared at him. "Why didn't you just leave me be?"

He took a step back, confusion clear on his face. "I'm not just going to let you die on this bench."

"Why not? I don't want to be here anymore! I'm so fucking tired of being used!"

"We aren't going to let you kill yourself, Isaac!" Vic interjected.

Baring my teeth at him like an animal, I forced myself to my feet. My body was still heavy, but I could stand upright. "Why? So you can pay to fuck me like everyone else?"

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