Page 159 of Pretty Poisoned

"Thisis the worst part? You got shot," River snaps.

"Yeah, but now I have to lay in a bunch of dudes' fucking piss and shit and cum. It's going to get in the fucking hole! It's going to become a part of me. Teagan, it's going to change my DNA."

I'm hysterical now; I can't stop laughing, I can't stop crying. I slide down the wall and rest my head on his chest, shaking with silent laughter.

"It doesn't fucking work like that," River sneers. "It probably will get infected, though, so maybe you should both stop laughing. It isn't fucking funny. Youmurderedsomeone, Teagan."

Now, I do stop.

"Bro, you did," Luca says. "You stabbed her like a million times—it was crazy. You look like Carrie on prom night right now. I think I'm getting hard."

"Luca—stop fucking talking!" River shouts.

"River?" I wait for her to look at me before I continue. "I'm sorry. I—she was going to kill him. She shot him, and I already had the knife in my hand. Please don't hate me. I love you. You…you said death was beautiful."

"This is murder, Teagan. Look at her—we don't even know her. This is…this is different."

"That's Heidi's sister, Riv," Luca says. "She was going to kill me. Teagan saved me."

"What did I tell you about talking, Luca?" she says. "I don't hate you, Teagan. This is just…a lot. I know you're both fucking coked out or whatever, but I need it to be quiet for a minute. I need you two to musterwhatever fucking sense you have right nowand be quiet because I'm fucking scared; I really don't see how we're getting out of this one."

"All right—sorry for getting shot."

"God damn it, Luca!" she shouts before punching the stall door with her hand. "Fuck!"

"Luca…" I look at him and shake my head.

Once we're quiet, I realize it's quiet outside the bathroom, too. Declan must have gotten rid of everyone like he said he would. I'm not sure how much time passes while we're waiting—half an hour, maybe an hour? However long it is, I know Luca stays awake for all of it, and eventually, River asks us questions about what happened. She listens, taking it in with minimal reaction until we're done.

Then, she says, solemnly, "I guess we should have just killed Heidi. We're all fucked now."

"This is what I get for trying to be the good guy," Luca says.

"The good guy? Luca, I love you, but you're still not the good guy here," she says.

"He's not a bad person," I snap.

I'm not a bad person.

"Teagan, open the door," Declan says.

I look at them both and then move toward the door. After I turn the bolt, he pulls it open.

The first thing I notice is that all the lights are off outside, including those typically illuminating the pool.

The second thing I notice is the three men behind him, dressed in all black and wearing those gold masks like the ones at the house in the mountains.

I don't breathe as they pass me, filing into the bathroom behind Declan.

One of the three helps Declan pull Luca to his feet. The masked man kneels and removes some clothing from a backpack.

"Girls, help him get these bloody clothes off and get changed," Declan says. "Then, Luca, you're going to follow them out the side gate; there's a van waiting for you. They're going to take you to a doctor."

"By himself?" I ask, helping him into the black sweats.

"I'll be fine, Teagan," Luca says.

The same masked man who gave Luca the clothes bandages his wound before pulling the black hoodie over his head. He hands Luca a pair of shoes and still says nothing. Declan speaks for him instead.

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