Page 85 of Insatiable

If she pointed at a random person and told me to shoot, I’d pull the trigger with no questions asked. Yet I can’t stand to breathe the same air as her. I’ve even pictured myself killing her once or twice and regretted the mental images instantly.

The sooner she meets up with Luciella, the better.

Fuck. My head is banging. The lobby is bright, and I can barely strain my eyes enough to see. The walls are morphing together; the floor is lava yet soft under my palms.

Definitely dodgy drugs.

The door I’m leaning against opens, and I fall back into Stacey’s hotel room.

Dark hair comes into view, green eyes staring down at me, confused and terrified.

“What the hell?” she hisses before frowning at the crimson stains all over my clothes and body. “What in the world happened to you?”

I mumble and rub my eyes with my finger and thumb. As much as words are running wild in my head, I’m too fucked up to speak properly. What I want to say is that I finished work and want to know if she’s still scared of me, but I slur each word in messy syllables.

I try to get up, but my body refuses. I look like an overturned turtle on coke.

“Why are you covered in blood?” she asks, glancing up and down the hallway before opening her door wider.

It’s not my blood. I’m perfectly fucking fine.

“Get in.”

Demanding Stacey is hot.

I can’t move though.

“Oh for God’s sake.”

Somehow, she manages to drag me into her room, picking up the blade I’d kept by my side and shutting the door.

“What did you do?” She’s pretty when she’s mad. “Are you drunk?”

I haven’t touched a drink, but I won’t tell her that.

Not that I could, because the room is fucking spinning and I feel like I’m floating. I rub my eyes with my knuckles. Nope, I’m losing my sight.

That’s new.

The room goes dark – or are my eyes closed? I don’t know.

I feel something wet and gentle against my face. Stacey kneels to wash the blood off me with a hand towel she’s dipped in warm water. I wince as she drags her fingers through my hair, catching and tugging.

She doesn’t stop me from holding her hips to stay upright.

“How did you get blood in your hair?”

Freckles, darling, I’m a fucking animal. Youshould’veseen me Jackie Chan my shit today.

“Are you going to answer me?”

“Don’t…” I pause, trying to slow my thoughts as cocaine rushes through my veins. I open my eyes, and they burn with lack of sleep. “Don’t… be afraid of me.”

My vision blurs again as Stacey wipes the cloth across my forehead.

“I can deal with you hating me, Kade.” She scrunches the cloth to soak my hair, and my head drops to her shoulder as she rubs the fabric on the nape of my neck. Water trickles down my back. “I can’t deal with you throwing your life away on whatever trouble you’ve got yourself into.”

I weakly snort.

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