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“You don’t like who?” she says, lifting her eyes as she realizes the seriousness of my tone.
“Stephen or the professor. I don’t like that you slept with them.” In fact, the thought of them together sickens me. It sickens me more than anything.
She shrugs. “I won’t sleep with Stephen anymore—I have no reason to. I have Tommy and you and my book.”
My stomach twinges. “I think…”
She arches her eyebrows. “You think what?”
“Never mind.”
She lets the book fall to her side, and she touches my face. “I’d kill to know what’s going on inside your head, my little sacrifice.”
I can’t seem to control the dark thoughts swirling in my head. The blood, the darkness, the pain, and the anger…it’s all forming into something beautiful. A powerful, addictive lust. Talia is addictive, and I completely understand why Tommy and Remy are so devoted to her. There’s something about her that’s indescribable.
“I’d kill all of them for you.” My hand whips to my mouth, and she doesn’t say anything.
She leans in and kisses me, and my stomach explodes. I smile and let her tease my tongue with hers, enjoying how she tastes like candy. The sensation is so different from Tommy and Remy; she’s so tiny compared to them. I don’t know how they’d feel if they knew we were doing this, but they’ve both voiced their loyalty to Talia. They should want this.
The kiss lingers, then she pulls away.
Her eyes dance. “Let’s go home,” she whispers and grabs my hand, leading me away.
Home.
We sneak out of the building, and Bax is waiting to pick us up in the parking lot just as the sun hides beneath the horizon. He doesn’t say a word as we climb into the back, and smoke snakes out of the vehicle.
He turns and faces us, lanky legs hanging off the dash, and he’s looking up at the sky. “Far out, ladies.”
Talia leans up and snaps the curtain shut. “Not now, Bax.”
“Whatever, man. Totally tubular.”
Talia and I crawl into the back and continue our kissing. I’ve lost all sense of self beyond her, this mission, or whatever this shared purpose really is. I’ve welcomed the chaos that stirs inside. My former life feels like a fading dream. I’m not an innocent little lamb anymore—and truly, I don’t know if I ever was.
My fate, it seems, is entirely in her hands.
TOMMY
Something ain’t right.
I can feel it in my gut, and in the air around us that something is going to change, and soon. Every day that goes by, Didi loses herself, and Talia falls into a darker place. Talia is fighting a war I don’t understand, dealing with internal rage I’ve never encountered. Talia gave me extra attention this morning, which means she’s up to something extra naughty. She then told Didi she could go to campus for the day—after days of insisting she stay in the house. None of it makes sense. I know Talia’s also been seeing that prick Stephen.
Talia, Didi, and Bax never came home from class today. I have no idea what’s going on, and it’s driving me crazy.
“What’s wrong with you?” Remy asks, sitting across from the fire. He’s broody as usual and agitated. The phone rang earlier; it was Remy’s father asking if Remy had any idea what Talia was up to and why Professor Crux was left in a bloody mess in his office. I bet it has something to do with that damn book—not that anyone would tell me, anyway.
I run my hand through my hair. “I’m just worried about the girls, man.”
He pokes at the fire and lights smoke, gazing into the fire. “They’ll be fine.” He says that, but his eyes are tight. He’s worried, too. “They’ll be home soon. My father took care of it with the Sherriff, probably paid him a shit ton of money, but it won’t get to the public.”
“Talia’s up to something bad, man. You see that, right? This is just the beginning… She ain’t done.”
He takes another deep drag, coughs it out, and passes it to me. “Talia’s always up to something.”
Lucy comes out and asks if we need anything, and we politely tell her no. She frowns at Remy, shakes her head, then heads inside. He’s barely spoken to her since Didi’s been around, and I always wonder how deep her loyalty runs. Perhaps she’s leaking information to the press. Remy and Talia are going to have to deal with her one way or another.
Lifting the joint to my mouth, I take a long, deep pull, blow it out, and cross my arms.
