Page 21 of Stream Heat
Another tremor knocked the wind out of me, leaving me curled on my side like a child. I didn't fight it or try and hide it this time.
"We should let her rest," Malik said softly. Reid agreed, and they made for the door.
I caught Reid’s wrist before he could leave, surprising both of us. A jolt of awareness triggering another wave of need to wash through me. "I'll sign now," I said. "Let's not drag this out."
He hesitated, then gave me this look that was almost sad, if I hadn’t known him. "You always have options, Quinn."
"Not ones that won't bury me," I replied. Then, with more force, "This is a business arrangement. That's all."
He brought up the signature line and handed me the tablet. "Just so we're clear. Content partners. No pack bonds, no designation anything."
"Exactly," I said, and scribbled my name, though it barely looked like mine. "No complications. Professional."
I didn't remember much after that. My whole body seized up, vision tunneling out. The last thing I heard was the sound of my name, first from Reid, then someone else. Footsteps and panic and darkness swallowing everything up.
When I resurfaced, I was still in the room, but it was darker. Quieter. Someone was holding my hand.
Jace, murmuring, "Welcome back," like it was a secret.
"What happened?" My voice was sandpaper. I reached for the water instinctively, and he steadied it for me.
"You had a seizure. Doctor says it's normal, but... it was bad."
I kept my eyes fixed on the ceiling, noticing the IV in my arm and the beeping from some discreet medical tablet. "How long?"
"Six hours," Jace replied. He looked tense, even for him. "Dr. Patel's been here the whole time. She's talking to Reid now."
It took more effort than I wanted to admit to move my head. "Who is Dr. Patel?"
"Specialist. Discreet. Handles suppressant recovery cases off record."
Of course they had a specialist on standby.
"The contract," I blurted, slightly panicked. "I signed it, right?"
Jace almost smiled. "You signed. Right before you passed out."
"Sorry to ruin the drama," I snorted.
He didn't find it funny. "Don't say that. You could have died, Quinn. It wasn't a joke."
I hated the ache that opened up in my chest at that. "So... what now?"
"You get better. That's your job. Content can wait."
"For how long?" I pushed. "I can't disappear for months. I'll lose my audience."
Jace hesitated. "Withdrawal takes a while. The stuff you were on? It's not prescribed for a reason. It’s meant for soldiers in active combat, not content creators."
I kept my voice light. "Victoria was all about efficiency."
"She didn't tell you about organ failure, did she? Or hormone collapse?"
I flinched. "That was in the fine print."
Jace’s eyes didn't leave mine. "You’ll probably be out of commission for weeks. Maybe longer. That’s just how it is."
"Great," I said, instantly miserable. "My only redeeming quality, gone."
