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Pressing my back to the door, I rubbed the rope lines along my arm. I felt awful leaving her out there on her own. But being back here had never been a part of my plan, and I needed a minute to adjust.

Sucking in a deep breath, I forced myself to take stock of the room. A stack of towels was placed at the foot of the king-sized bed, a bit of makeup resting on the dresser’s wood top. Everything was exactly the way I’d left it, except for some rumpled sheets.

Has someone been sleeping in here?

I shook my head as I crossed the room and neatened the blanket. It was probably just Butch taking advantage of the extra space in my absence. At least someone was getting use out of the huge mattress.

If I was going to be stuck here, I might as well get comfortable. I crept over to the dresser for a change of clothes before remembering that I had emptied out the drawers before I left and that my bag was laying somewhere in the mud by Feverpoint’s main gate.

Great. Guess I’m sleeping in this.

But before I had to dirty my sheets, there was a soft knock at the door.

“Come in,” I murmured, arms crossing over my chest involuntarily.

To my surprise, Butch came barreling into the room the second the door cracked open, rubbing his sweet little face against my legs in an unusual display of affection.

“I guess there’s one benefit of being stuck here,” I cooed, stooping lower to pet his fluffy, black and orange fur. “Hi, sweet boy. Did you miss me?”

“He’s not the only one.” Nash leaned against the doorway with my bag slung over her shoulder, the lightning tattoos stretching around the width of her muscles. “Looks like you forgot something.”

“No,” I shook my head, “Just waiting for the concierge.”

Nash chuckled softly, savoring the playful moment. My chest hurt at the sadness lacing her smile.

“Thanks.” I cleared my throat as Butch leaned in for a neck scratch.

“Of course,” she murmured. But she didn’t set the bag down, and she didn’t move away from the doorway. For a long moment, she just watched me, like I might disappear if she blinked.

Then, with a sigh, she stepped away from the doorway and into my room. “Listen, Tess, I owe you an apology…”

The words ratcheted around my lungs like a vise. The long conversation with Blade in the dungeon was enough for one day — I wasn’t sure I could handle another heart-to-heart right now.

I opened my mouth to say as much, but Nash just held up her hand. “Look, I know you’re tired, so I’ll make this quick. I fucked up. I should have talked to you. I shouldn’t have trusted Cyrus’ cloudy vision. And we can talk about that more once you’re settled in. But I couldn’t let Fright Night end without letting you know I really am sorry.”

Swallowing hard, I tried to ignore the heat rising to my cheeks. “I appreciate it. I’ll see you later.”

With a nod, Nash finally set down my bag, closing the door softly behind her before padding off toward her room.

A deep sigh escaped my lips, but whether it was relief or mere exhaustion, I wasn’t sure. The one thing I did know was that after hours of Blade’s ropes, my body was ready to collapse.

Peeling off my Fright Night clothes, I took a quick rinse in the shower as the morning sun filled my en-suite bathroom.

Butch must have really missed me, because he was still hanging around after my shower. He even curled up in my arms once I crawled into the bed.

“See? I knew you were a sweetheart,” I mumbled, face pressed into his fur.

I laid like that for a long time, ready to let my tired body get the sleep it was so desperate for. But no matter how hard I tried to drift off, the Freaks occupied every inch of my mind, making it impossible to sleep.

I wasn’t sure how Nash and Blade knew exactly the right things to say. But I didn’t know that I could trust it. My heart might be with the Freaks, but my mind had to stay focused on the money if I wanted to spare myself the heartache I’d endured last time.

Nuzzling against Butch’s soft fur, I closed my eyes and tried to calm the racing of my heart.

I’m still here on a mission. I need to get my money and go, no matter how much it hurts me.

15

NASH