Page 61 of Love Sick

I inhale sharply but nod, gesturing I want it all.

“Misha was hearing voices, which was why he turned to drugs. He—”

“I know,” I interrupt, not wanting to relive the pain of that revelation again. “Joy’s son, Kyle, told me. It’s why I’m here. This is the house where he would come to get his drugs.”

Something passes over Dutch. I don’t know what, until he reaches into his pocket, offering me a driver’s license.

It’s Misha’s.

“Where did you find this?”

“Hidden in the walls. Maybe he got high one day and left it behind? Maybe it was security for his dealers in case they needed to find where he lived? Maybe—”

His pause has me wetting my lips nervously. “What?”

“It isn’t a coincidence Alanna knew about this place. Did Kyle tell you who his dealer was?”

I shake my head.

Dutch runs his thumb over my inner wrist. “What if Alanna is connected somehow? She has access to drugs and we know she has no conscience. It would explain how she knew who Misha was. Who you are. This isn’t a coincidence. We both know that.”

This is all too much to fathom. But what I’ve been through over the past however many months, proves that anything is possible.

“What do you want to do?”

I mull over his question.

There are so many things I want to do, but there is only thing which seems fair. “She took away my baby, so it only seems fair I take away hers.”

Dutch gulps because seeing as Alanna doesn’t have a child, it would mean she needs to get pregnant and I don’t have the genetic makeup to do that.

“I wouldn’t ask that of you. And I would never do that to an innocent child. But Alanna must pride herself on her work. You’re her—”

“Project?” Dutch fills in the blanks, and he’s right.

“What if we showed the world what a true monster she really is?”

Dutch nods slowly, and I can see the wheels turning. “She’s kept me alive for another reason—to gloat to her colleagues about the transplant. She has organized a concert in a month’s time to show the world what a wonderful doctor and person she is. There still must be talk about Parkfields. We had an ‘excursion’ to prove to the townsfolk that all was well. It was how we escaped.”

“And Daddy must be on some medical board to make sure no bad press comes its way?”

“It makes sense. He wouldn’t want his reputation tarnished. I mean, it wouldn’t look good if the world found out his daughter was a fucking psychopath.”

“With Jonathan gone,” I say quickly as I know time is running out. “She’s going to need another obsession. You. Although, I think she’s already hooked.”

Dutch appears ashamed of the fact. “I’ll do anything you want.”

“Anything?” I ask because once he says yes, he can’t take it back.

Turning to face me, he cups my face into his hands and lowers his lips to mine until they’re a hair’s breadth away. “Anything.”

His presence warms me. I want him so much, it hurts. So, I seal this union with a lover’s kiss.

I press my mouth to his and the moment I do, I remember…

I remember his kisses.

I remember the love he expressed without any words.

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