Page 125 of Insatiable

I pull up the handle of my suitcase and rush back into the airport. But I freeze in place when I see the board closed and the desk empty. Where are my friends?

I have a text from Tylar saying they’re going to lose their signal and to hurry up.

“Freckles, please talk to me.”

“Where are Dez and Base?” I ask for the tenth time. “You need to get to them. Go back to the club.”

He doesn’t reply.

“Where are you?” I ask. “Tell me where you are.”

“I already…” He breathes deeply. “I already said I’m at… the alleyway.”

“Send me your location – I’m coming to get you.”

Kade groans, but a notification pops up, and I rush to the first Uber I see. An elderly man greets me and places my things into the trunk, and I show him my screen, the call still active. He inputs it into his database and the route shows up.

“I’m tired.”

“Stay awake.”

I beg the driver to speed, and Kade repeats the same thing over and over – that he wants to hear my voice. He doesn’t believe it’s actually me and thinks someone is playing a trick on him. The longer the drive takes, the more confused he gets. I place him on hold quickly, but Lu and Ty both go straight to voicemail, as do Base and Dez.

“Are you still there? You sound like my ex. Her name is Stacey.”

I press my forehead to my knees. “IamStacey.”

“Hmm. You wish.”

I close my eyes. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

“I can’t get the blood off my hands, and someone is doing cartwheels in front of me.” He huffs. “Kind of creepy. Hey! Fuck off, will you?”

“Calm down. I’m nearly there.”

There’s another voice. Barry. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Kade yawns. “Chilling.”

Barry takes the phone. “Who is this?”

I hang up as soon as the car reaches the alleyway. The driver sets my bags on the kerb, and I rush down to see Barry standing over Kade, his phone light shining down on him.

I gasp when I notice him slouched on the ground between two large bins, back to the wall, another joint between his fingers. He screws his eyes up against the blinding light, raising a red hand to shield himself from it.

“You two here to kill me?”

Barry sighs.

I kneel between his legs and shine my own phone light on my face so he can see me. “It’s me. Come on.” I offer my hand and blanch at the red stains all over his clothes. “Put your arm around me.”

“That’s very forward of you, but okay.”

He takes my hand, and I try not to stare at the crimson on his skin – or his eyes, which are going in every direction possible. Barry and I help Kade up, and he staggers, throwing one arm across my shoulders, the other over Barry’s.

“The car is over there,” Barry says, and we hurry.

Kade studies my face. “You look like my ex.”

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