Page 142 of Insatiable

Kade says nothing as I leave the room. I make my way down the hallway, pull out the piece of paper his mother gave me and quickly type the number scribbled on it into my phone.

It answers on the first ring. “Aria?”

I clear my throat. “It’s Stacey.”

“Ah. What can I do for you, little one?”

I skip the elevator and take the stairs to make sure I don’t lose my signal. “I’m in a hotel room with Kade.”

“You aren’t about to tell me you’ve been fucking my son all night, are you?”

I’m stunned into silence.

“What do you want?” he asks when I fail to respond.

“I was supposed to go home with Luciella, and he called me. He… he’d taken something, a drug, and was in a bad way.” My feet carry me down each flight of stairs. “I got to him the same time as his assistant. He was so messed up he didn’t know who I was. He thought I paid to… to have sex with him.”

Tobias stays quiet, his breathing all I can hear.

I keep going as I descend the steps. “He was covered in blood too. His assistant said he shot someone he shouldn’t have.”

Voice low, Tobias asks, “He has an assistant?”

I stop walking. “That’s your question? He shot someone, Tobias.”

“Did he tell you what happened?”

“No. He was hallucinating quite badly and kept asking me how much I paid and if I’d pretend toherwe had sex.”

I can’t believe I’m talking about this with him.

“Who’s her?” he asks.

“I don’t know. He called her the she-devil.”

“Anything else?”

“Just that he gets paid to kill and… I guess he’s a male prostitute, but I’m not fully sure on that part.” I hate myself for telling his dad, but how else can I help him? Tobias is my only shot at getting Kade out of this. “He wants me to stay with him until I fly home, so he can hide with me.”

“Hide from who?”

“I don’t know,” I reply, handing my card to the receptionist with the receipt for Kade’s clothes.

Kade’s father doesn’t respond.

I chew my lip.

“I think the old Kade is still there,” I say. “I can try to find out more today.”

“Okay. Stay safe, little one.”

The call ends as the receptionist hands over the clothes, and I make my way back to the room.

Kade doesn’t speak as I toss him the bag and head for the sofa, so I can message my friends and ask how their day has been.

We have a chat between the three of us, and Lu sends screenshots of a conversation between her and Base – him calling her Moodypants and telling her she’s missing out by refusing to go on a date with him.

Lu: Can you believe this guy?

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