Page 106 of Hate So Deep

Her lips curl into a smile and she pulls around into the farthest lane before turning on her blinker.

“I know just the place.”

“Fuck,” I mumble and roll over.

When the buzzing starts up again, I blink open one eye and glance around in a daze.

My reflection glares back at me from the mirror across the room and I shove my hair out of my face before leaning over the bed.

Mom.

Her name flashes across the screen and I pause. Why the hell is she calling me at—squinting at the clock on my dresser, I groan—five in the morning?

Shit.

Swallowing down the acidic bile rising in my throat, I swipe the damn phone off the floor and collapse onto my back.

I think I drank too much.

Yeah, I definitely drank too much.

Setting the phone aside, I stumble into the bathroom before falling in front of the toilet.

After retching, wretchedly, I might add, I drop to the floor and welcome the cool tile as it seeps into my heated skin.

My head feels like it’s about to pound right off my neck, my mouth is sour, and I can barely push myself up from the floor before slapping on the light.

I’m reaching for the drawer where my toothbrush and toothpaste live when I glance in the mirror and pause.

My long dark hair lays in a tangle around my head. It’s easy to see from my red ringed eyes that I’ve been drinking but that’s not what has me backing to the wall.

Nope.

Pulling at my shirt, I draw it over my head and drop it to the floor before staring at it.

What the hell happened last night and why is my shirt soaked in blood?

When my phone rings again, I glance at the caller ID and groan.

Why is she calling me from downstairs?

“Yeah,” I whisper, cringing when her sigh assaults my ears.

“Lauren, your brother is in the hospital. You need to come down here. Now.”

Chapter 40

NOW

Dirk

I still can’t figure out why the two douchebags attacked Lauren over her brother. We haven’t found Toro and every time I think I’m getting close, we lose the scent again.

After a follow up visit to Gage, I confirmed he didn’t know shit but left him a few parting gifts to remember me by.

Either way, she has to stop asking fucking questions before this gets worse than it already is.

This is why I brought her home because the odds are whatever happened to produce that much blood, it took place here.

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