Page 18 of The Monster of Hotel No. 7
I look to Cosmo again.
He dips his chin. “Don’t look at me,” he says, his tone harsh. He nods toward Isa, beside me. “Answer her.”
“I think we would do well to remember she is also a victim here.” Von’s voice.
I turn to look over my shoulder and he’s there, leaning against the wall, arms crossed in shadow as he stares at Isadora. He’s dressed in black tech pants, a white T-shirt stretched over his chest, contrasting with his curly red hair.
“Sullen Rule hasn’t been seen nor heard from in two years,” Isadora says articulately, each word clipped from her mouth. “If he’s here, it’s for a reason.”
“Why are you saying his name?” I can’t stop blurting it out.
“You said it first,” Isa answers, her tone flat. Cosmo must have told her what I whispered in the dark.
“Have you spoken to Stein?” Cosmo asks the question, and I don't know who he’s speaking to. But at the name, I tense, sitting up straighter and pressing my knees together, hands atop my thighs. My heart thuds fast in my chest but I don’t look away from Von. He is safer, right now, than the others.
I know he doesn’t want me anymore, but Cosmo is pissed off about something, just like Isadora, and Von has a softer heart with me.
“What’s going on?” I keep my voice low and Von’s gray eyes flick to mine.
His expression is cold, but he speaks without anger. “Cosmo has a gash on his wrist. He was poisoned with something; whatever cut him. And the vodka you had, the bottle was spiked. Actually, all fifty bottles were. It’s a good thing you didn’t drink the rum; the report my dad ran said that dose could’ve killed you. Cosmo came to and heard you screaming. Found you on the floor in the bathroom.” He jerks his head past the lounge of the bar, where I remember Sullen Rule walking me.
But did that happen?
“Was I naked?” I blurt it out before I can stop myself.
Von narrows his eyes. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because clearly she’s been fucking the freak of Writhe and—”
“Shut up.” I turn quickly, facing Isadora again as my skin heats and her eyes grow hot on mine. “Don’t say that. You don’t even know him. None of you do.”
“But you do, don’t you?” Isadora asks, arching a brow.
“Why are we discussing all of this in front of Cosmo?” I start, looking for a way out. “He’s not even—”
“Because I’m going to have a scar on my fucking wrist and none of this is shit I don’t know.” He snarls the words as I face him and jump my eyes over the champagne flutes and bowls and books on the table. No after-party after all.
How much time has passed? Where was I? And why do I half-wish... I was still there?
Sullen.
“I didn’t cut you," I say slowly.
“Yeah? Well whatdidyou do, Karia?”
“You’re the one who got me drunk.You’re—”
“Wait. You made the drinks?” Von’s cold voice to Cosmo.
“You didn’t tell us that.” Isadora’s matches her boyfriend's tone now, and they aren’t ganging up on me anymore.
Cosmo gestures toward me and his familiar grin slips back into place, but I know right now he doesn’t mean it. “Are you joking? Do you even know anything about your friend here? Shewanted me to get her—”
“Shut up. All of you, justshut up.”I speak then, not wanting Cosmo to expose my kinks to two people who don’treallyknow them and don’t need to.
I try to remember the last thing that happened before I slipped under.
My hand flies to my chest and I grope myself outside of my shirt. But aside from a little tenderness, there’s nothing to prove Sullen Rule sucked on my nipple. Or… pressed a needle into my belly.
