Page 66 of Collide

“I bet you’re loving this aren’t you?”

“Loving what?” I snapped back at him, taking the bait and theninternally cursing myself for doing so.

“Living here, freeloading off the boss,” he sneered, he was closeenough for me to smell the bourbon on his breath, and to see his eyes clearly, they didn’t seem to be focused.

“Freeloading? Are you fucking serious right now?”

Seriously, what the hell was his problem?

I hadn’t asked Kai for a single fucking thing. I tried to step aroundhim, fed up with his bullshit, but he moved with me. He was twice the size of me, so I had little chance of actually getting past the prick.

I wondered how he’d react to a knee to the balls.

“I’ve seen the shithole of a place you called home, this is a palacecompared to that. I bet you were laughing your ass off when Kai offered you the deal. Tell me,Star,” he sneered the name only Kai used for me, “what does Kai get out of this little arrangement, ‘cos he sure as hell isn’t interested in fucking you,” he hissed venomously.

Won’t lie, that hurt.

Not the part about my old apartment being a shithole because he wasspot on about that, but the part about Kai not being interested in me.

Yeah, that hurt.

“Firstly, what the fuck has it got to do with you what Kai gets, that’sbetween me and him.” I stood my ground, displaying bravado I did not feel in front of this man, but I’d be damned if I was going to show him any weakness. “And secondly, how the fuck do you know Kai isn’t interested in fucking me? Given the way he’s been with me the last few days, I’d say he wasveryfucking interested.”

I let a smug smirk grace my lips when really, I was feeling anythingbut. Kai hadn’t tried to kiss me or anything more than touch my hand, maybe Hendrix was right, maybe I had read it wrong and Kai wasn’t interested in me, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to give Hendrix the satisfaction of thinking he was right.

He took a step closer to me, towering intimidatingly over me. I tiltedmy head back to look up at him, and in his eyes was nothing but pure hatred aimed at me. It scared me right down to my bones.

“Where do you think he is right now, huh?” Now it was his turn to looksmug, and when I didn’t reply, he smirked. “I’ll tell you where he is, he’s at his nightclub where he can fuck any of the girls he wants. In fact, he has a different girl most nights, sometimes he even has two at the same time. I assure you, sweetheart, he ain’t interested in your skanky cunt when he can have any elite pussy he wants,wheneverhe wants.” He said the last part slowly, just to make sure I understood every word he had said.

Tears pricked my eyes as my face twisted into a snarl. But I couldn’tsay anything, I knew my voice would crack, and I couldn’t let this asshat know he’d upset me. Instead, I bit my cheek to stop the tears from falling.

We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before hechuckled.

“Night, Riley. Sleep well,” he said as he walked away, his laughechoing in the silent hallways.

I stood for a few more moments, making sure Hendrix was longgone before I slammed my now cold milk down on the side, and stomped off back to my bedroom knowing full damn well I had even less chance of sleep coming to me now.

Chapter 19

Riley

I’dbeeninafoul mood all day.

I wished I could say it was purely down to lack of sleep, but it wasn’t.The constant images of Kai at a club with scantily clad women draping themselves all over him had lodged itself firmly in my brain, and jealousy like I’d never felt before was burning through my veins.

Kai fucking Wolfe had turned me into a maniac.

He’d given me a wide berth all day which of course only added to mytheory that he was exhausted from being awake all night having a threesome, or a foursome, or a fucking orgy.

Gah!

I wanted to spend the day hiding under my bed sheets and sulk like atoddler who couldn’t get their own way, but of course, Kai had plans for me. Which is why I found myself staring at my reflection in the mirror, having had my hair and makeup done, and wearing the most stunning dress I had ever seen.

Yep, Kai had sprung on me that we were to attend a charity ball in theCity Hall and I was beside myself with excitement.

Not.

Earlier in the afternoon, Jacqueline had been brave enough to knockon my door to announce the arrival of a young girl called Hannah, who had come to do my hair and makeup, and to dress me, like I was incapable of dressing myself.

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