halted, not a snarl in sight at my order.
“Good boy.” My survival instincts were out the proverbial window; every ambition to hide my hatred and make my escape easier was gone. So there was no voice of reason to stop me from showing Kyros just how much I loathed him. Not just for the twisted things he had done—for the twisted things those under his power had done too.
Every bit of it was his fault, and I didn’t hold a scrap of that sour hatred back.
Ding!
Funny how quickly that sound had switched from annoying to life-saving.
“Deal with your siblings.” I flung him another order.
Auburn opened her trap. “What did she just—?”
I clicked my fingers at her and she cut off. “Shut your mouth, Auburn.”
Pantsuit laughed. “I like her.”
Whatever.
“Someone get her some fucking clothes,” Kyros roared. He clamped his lips shut, breathing hard.
Man, I was so, so over this.
“She has an excellent body,” Rory said, tilting his head and smiling. “Her breasts are full and pert.”
“Bro,” Lionel whispered.
Rory’s quick peek at Kyros’s heaving shoulders was enough to shut him up.
I stepped into the elevator, pushing the button for level fifty, instead of sixty-one. This bitch needed wine and lots of it. Most of the Vissimo in the tower had already seen me naked. There would be a nude stroll to the cafeteria before I returned to my room.
Leaning against the back bar of the lift, I maintained my cool glare before ten shocked Vissimo faces.
“See you later, assholes,” I said.
I couldn’t even summon the energy to be concerned it was 9:20 a.m. and I was nursing a massive hangover at the same desk I’d been sleeping under before vampires existed.
Two and a half bottles of wine had seen to my current state. I hated wine hangovers—tiny demons were dancing a tango in my temples, I had the mouth dries, and my stomach ached from the acid overload.
I’d passed out yesterday afternoon after a full morning of drinking. I vaguely recollected having the bright drunken idea to just walk out of the tower at some point. I’d woken early this morning back in my bed, so I guess the idea never got to the action part.
Several hours of vomiting and a second exhausted sleep had led me to this moment
Work.
Did a concept like work even matter anymore? I couldn’t summon the energy to care if so.
I’d discovered two railings of clothing inside my room this morning. I didn’t care who might have come in and seen me in my sorry state. I didn’t give a single shit about any of these monsters. I just pulled the tags off a hugging white dress with a thin yellow belt, flats, and new underwear—recalling the fatal decision to forgo panties before the trip to Level 66. Even with the temple demons dancing a tango in my head, I’d had the presence of mind to grab my pack, shoving everything inside, including my dirty laundry. If opportunity presented itself, I was out of here.
I groaned.
Should have stopped at bottle two last night. I had almost no memory—everything was there until I put on the robe to walk to Tommy’s house. Then nothing.
Dammit, I hadn’t had a hangover this bad since Caveman, and seeing as no one had come in to tell me what to do, I might as well continue sitting here clutching my pounding head.
Beast vibrated on the desk.
“Yuss,” I mumbled, picking up the phone, careful not to dislodge the charge cable.
Ten percent in twenty minutes. Enough for the phone to turn on.
“Please let that be enough for you to stay awake,” I begged him.
Beast chimed in a furious trill.
You don’t seriously expect me to believe that?
I groaned. There were about one hundred messages from Tommy. As expected, she’d believed Angelica’s camping cover story not one bit. I’d never camped in my life.
Basi, where the fuck are you?
I went to your place and saw a bunch of guys moving your shit out! Wtf!
My gut twisted.
Not that I could have done a thing to reassure her, but I hated that Tommy spent the last three days freaking out. And Clint could have hurt her if she’d confronted him.
Please answer me, Basil. I’m so worried :(
All the worst things are running through my head right now.
I opened a new message having decided two days ago how I’d handle the cover-up. That I was about to lie to my best friend just added a fresh layer of bitterness to my predicament, but her safety was paramount.
Tommy, I’m so,