Page 56 of Insatiable

Whatever is rushing through my body is crippling me – my hands are cramping, there are tingles all over my face and the last thing I’m going to do is askherfor help.

“We won’t make this awkward. I know it meant nothing, okay? We can forget it happened if it makes you feel better. Come out and we can watch a movie or something.”

Jesus, why can’t I just fuckingbreathe?

I bring up my messages again, staring at the most recent ones from Bernadette.

Bernadette: I sent you a contact to deal with while you wait for your flight. No mess – do you understand?

Bernadette: Are you at the hotel alone?

Me: Yeah.

Bernadette: Two hours,Kade. This has a big payment for the both of us – don’t fuck it up.

My response to her, not even an hour later, was confirmation that the job had been completed and a picture of the guy’s head. Although I’d intentionally made quite the mess for her to clean. The target was an abusive wanker. He deserved it.

Bile rises in my throat to go with the anxiety riddling me right now.

Stacey’s sitting on the bed, legs crossed and looking worried when I exit the bathroom. I grab my bag and throw it over my shoulder.

“Kade.”

She’s up and coming towards me now. I dodge her hand.

“Don’t fucking touch me.” The words are strangled and forced.

“Where are you going?” She stops in the middle of the room. “Talk to me. Don’t make this awkward.”

I don’t respond as I slam the door shut and make sure it’s locked. I quickly message Barry and tell him to put a guard outside the room. He confirms instantly.

I nod to one of my team as I leave the hotel reception; outside, a black SUV holds more of my guys waiting for instructions. Wherever I go, they’re always nearby.

Always watching my back. Always on alert. Always waiting.

When I drop into the driver’s seat of my R8, I shake my head at the scent of her everywhere.

Can I not escape her? One – she’s myex. Two – she’s my sister’s best friend and always there. Three – she’s coming to America. Four – I’m stuck in a damn hotel room with her.

And five – the biggest mindfuck of the year – I want to go back and screw her brains out, to hear her moan my name again, to feel her skin beneath my hands and the taste of her on my tongue.

I press my forehead to the steering wheel to rid all the thoughts and call to mind the video – the one that started all of this – thankfully losing the semi that was growing.

Mum answers on the second ring. “Hello, sweetheart. We have ten minutes before the visitation ends.”

We do the whole back and forth on how the day has been while I try focus. It’s sunny over there, raining here. Luciella has argued with Base all morning, and she can’t wait to see us.

She whispers something to my dad: “I’ll go to the bathroom and give you two some peace.”

My lungs are still on fucking fire. “Thanks, Mum.”

There’re a few seconds of silence.

“Kade?” the deep, threatening voice rumbles through the phone.

As much as the world is terrified of Tobias Mitchell, he’s my dad. He has his issues, and a terrible past, but I’m not much better. I’ve taken over one hundred lives in only two years, whereas he’s killed four people.

He has the excuse of not understanding right from wrong, but I know fine well what I’m doing when I track a person down and make them bleed and beg for mercy.

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