Page 71 of Voracious

I pat his shoulder. “I owe you.”

I know it’s a long shot, but there’s a chance it could work. I can’t report them – I can’t go public with their abuse without criminalising myself and putting a target on my family from the underworld. My hands are tied. But Base’s family have strong ties with the mafia, him being the heir and all.

My phone vibrates, and my heart stops when I remember Cassie’s message.

Has it been an hour? Did I imagine the text?

I look at my screen, and my heart sinks.

Bernadette:I have a car coming to pick you up at your apartment at 2 a.m.

I stand abruptly. “Shit. I need to go.”

Base doesn’t catch up to me as I rush out of the pool house, leaving my bag of coke with him. He’ll probably finish it all and pass out in the damn pool. I get into the manor, through the party, and grab my sister by the shoulder. “Base is in the pool house. Don’t leave him on his own.”

I’m gone before she can say anything.

I reach my room within minutes and close the door carefully behind me, breathless as I see Stacey still asleep. Real. She’s real – in my fucking bed with my cum leaking from her.

I swear under my breath, hating that I need to leave. I can’t wait around and try to explain anything. I can’t wake her and apologise. I need to grab my motorbike keys and get the fuck away from here.

As soon as Bernadette finds out I’m not in my apartment, I don’t even want to know what she’ll do.

I pull the duvet over Stacey and kiss her forehead, telling myself over and over again that she’s real. She’s alive. She’s safe. Barry and Base will keep her safe.

Standing back, I run my hand through my hair, checking my phone to see if Barry has replied to any of my texts or calls, but he hasn’t. I know his wife is due, so maybe she’s in labour.

“Kade?”

My gaze lifts to find Stacey sitting up in the bed, the duvet dropping to her waist. She rubs her eyes, struggling to open them fully to look at me.

I stay quiet as I slide my phone back into my pocket, gripping my keys. The sound of the jingling draws her attention, and she couldn’t look more devastated. “You were going to sneak out?”

Now isn’t the time. I have a countdown – 2 a.m.

Instead of being a decent human being, I turn and head for the door.

“No! Don’t walk away from me again!”

I freeze, but I don’t look at her, even as she rises from the bed and walks in front of me, blocking me from the door. “I don’t have time for this. I need to go.”

“Please stay and talk to me. Please,” she begs, her eyes already glazing with tears. “I need to tell you so much, Kade. Please – let me talk.”

I try to walk past her and reach for the door, but she grabs my wrist. It pisses me off that I’m about to do this, but I have to. I remove her hand from me and glare down at her. “There’s nothing to talk about. Move.”

Her lip trembles. “Can we please talk? You can leave right after. Just hear me out.”

I back away, putting distance between us. “I don’t want to talk; I want to leave.Move.”

She goes to step forward and hugs herself instead. “Then you used me.”

I scoff. “I didn’t use you. You got as much pleasure out of this as I did. What more do you want?” I try to hit deeper, my timer ticking down. “You know we’re done. I’ve told you countless times, and you’re still expecting me to forget what you did.”

I try for the door again, and Stacey grabs the material at the back of my hoodie. “Please don’t walk away.”

She’s sobbing, and I close my eyes. I hate when she’s upset.

Her words are rushed as she tries to pull me to look at her. “I need you to listen to me, Kade. I need you to. I… I have an abusive brother, and he controlled me for years. His name is Chris Fields.”

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