Page 136 of Merciless Intents

It took us several minutes to get back into a gaming group, and we were happy to see KilldURMom was not part of it.Little bastard.

By the time we played through the first couple of minutes of our match, I could hardly keep my eyes open. I couldn’t focus, and I felt dizzy as hell—almost like I was drunk or high.

“Man, I feel like shit. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m exhausted suddenly.”

“You okay?” Emma asked. “You sound like shit, like you’re about to fall asleep. You kind of sound drunk.”

Drunk?

“I haven’t had anything to drink or anything. I rarely ever drink. Usually just with Justin and Luna. Thisss isss diff’rent.” Shit. My words slurred really badly.

“Wait. Didn’t you say you just got a drink? Is it possible someone spiked it?”

“Nnno. I don’t think ssso. The bottle popped whennn I opennned it.” I lifted the bottle and realized my arms felt weak. My whole body started to. I blinked several times, trying to focus on the bottle.

“Turn it upside down and squeeze it. See if there’s a pinhole in the top.”

I did as she asked, and a drop welled around the top under the rim. “Oh, shit. There’sss a hole.” My eyes closed, and I could feel myself losing consciousness, but I forced myself awake. “Jussstin Blackwell,” I managed to spit out. “Finnnd ‘im.”

* * *

“Ah! Fuck!”Pain seared through my right arm as I fought my eyes to open. I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d just screamed out loud or if it was in my head.

My eyelids felt like they had weights hanging from them, but I managed to get one cracked open.

“Oh, look! She’s waking up.”

That voice… I know that voice.

“Isn’t that bad? She needs to stay asleep. She can’t see our faces.”

That one sounds familiar, too.

My eye finally focused on a face just as it spoke again.Fucking Becky!

“How much longer? We need to get out of here before she wakes up. I don’t want her Jackie Channing our asses.”

A male voice laughed. “With the shit I gave you, she won’t wake up for a while. Especially with her low BMI. She might randomly wake up, but she’ll conk back out. Trust me, she won’t remember a fucking thing.”

“I’llll fffk kll you.” It wasn’t my best threat, and it hadn’t even come all the way out. It sounded fine in my head, but with as loopy as I felt, I had no idea how much of it was actually spoken.

Becky laughed as I grimaced in pain again, unconsciousness taking me under once more.

“Nighty night, Jack.”

Jack? Who’s Ja—

* * *

“Temperance! Temperance! Wake up!”

Justin… That’s Justin.

“Tempe? Hey, babe! We’re here.”Luna. I’m awake.“Her face is moving, but it doesn’t look like she’s awake.”

My body moved, and I felt nauseated, but I couldn’t do anything if I’d wanted to.

“No, she’s waking up. Look, her eyes are darting back and forth. Go get a bowl of cold water and a washcloth. Put ice in the bowl.”