Page 58 of Insatiable

I needed something to fill the void, and partying myself into a comatose state was the best way when I had Bernadette over my shoulder, leading me into the underworld like an animal into a slaughterhouse.

“I watch her,” I admit. “When she’s in the manor, at the studio, or walking around the mall. If I don’t see her at least once every day, I lose my mind. I’ve climbed to her window to see her sleep, and I’ve been trying to hack her phone for the last year. I hacked Luciella’s.”

And I hunt down the people she sleeps with and make them disappear, but I keep that part to myself.

“That’s extreme,” Dad replies. “But I understand.”

Of course he does. “I can’t stop hating her though.”

“It would help if you let her explain.”

My hand nearly crushes the phone to my ear. “No. We’ve already talked about this. Neither of them deserves to be fucking heard.”

“Stop swearing.” Dad is silent for a beat. “What else has happened? Your mother is worried about you.”

I divert his attention from me. “Stacey has a lot of bruises,” I say. “They look fresh. When I saw them, she said most were from the studio.” It’s quiet for a long second, and I add, “It’s making me think.”

I pull a cigarette out and spark it, glad my lungs are functioning enough for me to get the dose of nicotine I need. The ember casts a soft glow around the car as I suck and inhale deeply.

“What are you thinking?”

I blow a cloud of smoke out the window. “She’s a good liar, but Luciella does the same training as her and she isn’t black and blue. Someone hurt her.”

Stacey is probably the best, most manipulative kind of liar. I know. I’ve been on the receiving end of her lies.

“You didn’t notice anything while stalking her like a crazy ex-boyfriend?”

My eye twitches at his tone. “No.”

“Where is Stacey now?”

“Hotel room. The door’s locked, so she won’t be able to get to her.” I inwardly groan as soon as the words fall from my lips.

“Who?” His tone is dangerous.

“No one.”

“Kade. Sowhocan’t find her?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

His hand slams down on something. “Don’t keep something like this from me. Who are you in trouble with?”

I take another draw, enjoying the burn of each inhalation. “If I tell you, you’ll try to escape. You’re better off not knowing. I’ll deal with it.”

He laughs, and it sends a chill up my spine. “You think I’m stuck here? That’s insulting, son. It would take me less than a day to be out of here and halfway to Scotland.”

My brow raises. “You could escape?”

“In a heartbeat. Now tell me what’s going on?”

I ignore the second part. “Why haven’t you escaped then?”

“My family is happy – why would I ruin that? I hurt your mother by trying to love her the way she needed. As much as she will always be everything to me, I could never give her what she wanted.”

I hang on to this subject, knowing he’s so deluded when it comes to my mother that he’ll stay on it. “I think she still loves you. I see it in the way she changes when you’re there.”

It’s true though. Mum’s face lights up as soon as she sees or speaks to my dad. She loves my stepdad Ewan, that much I know for a fact, but she’s totally different and morealivewhen she’s around my dad.

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