He takes a shuddering breath. “She stole some drugs from me.” My grip on the phone tightens as he rushes to add, “I had no idea, Lev. I didn’t know she was fucking…” I hear a few bottles clink, a swig, the click of a lighter. He exhales and whispers, “I didn’t know who else to tell. You know Parker and Soren won’t get it.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah, Jesus wouldn’t get it either.”
My head spins with the realization of how badly Alex has been hurting. “Did we break the bitch, or was she never a bitch to begin with?”
“I don’t know, man. I’m a fucking mess over it.” He sucks air, choking briefly before exhaling loudly. “Gonna have to move my stash somewhere else.”
“Yeah.” I don’t know what the fuck to say. “Have you talked to her?”
He sighs. “Sort of. Yeah. Kind of. I don’t know.”
“I’ll go talk to her tonight.”
“Listen, Lev, don’t do anything fucking stupid, okay? She’s fragile. Any tap to her shell right now is going to make her fucking crack. Next time, we’re going to be scraping her body off the goddamn highway.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Jesus Christ, Tomas.”
“I’m just saying to take it easy, all right?”
“All right, fucking heard.” My throat clicks as I swallow. “I’ll talk to you later. Don’t hurt yourself.”
I don’t hear his parting words. I don’t even hear the line click when the call disconnects. The only thing on my mind is Alex.
I have to go see her.
***
The rear of the Moretti mansion glows with sun-charged lamps that bathe an immaculate garden. As I peer up at the veranda to where Alex’s bedroom sits, I wonder what she’s doing up there. I wonder if she’s okay.
In minutes, I scale the gutter and land on the concrete balcony, noticing that none of the lights are on. It’s not particularly late, but I also don’t anticipate that Alex will even be home. Don’t people end up in hospitals for suicide attempts?
The shapely handle curves beneath my palm and turns easily. It’s unlocked. I’m not so cocky that I think she’s expecting me, but I also can’t help the way my heart flutters at the idea of her letting me in. It’s something I crave considerably, her touch being one of the few things on my mind since our last encounter. The way she sucked me off, the roundness of her eyes as she looked up at me, and the sounds she made while I ate her alive…
I shake my head. Take it easy.
A few steps into her bedroom is enough for me. I spot Alex in her bed, her eyes wide open and locked on the bedroom door. I’m struck by how sad and tired she looks—like she’s completely given up. Did we do this to her?
“Alex,” I whisper. She doesn’t respond, so I step closer, daring to sink into the bed next to her. I start to reach for her hand, palm itching for contact. “Hey.”
Dead eyes focus on me. “What?”
Holy shit, she just looks empty.
I swallow hard. “Was this because of…?” My eyes float to the door and then back to her. “Who did this to you? Amos?”
Her lips press into a tight line as she remains quiet.
“Alex, please, talk to me.”
Nothing. She stares back at me, hardly blinking. It’s like I’m speaking a different fucking language, and it’s pointless to try to get her to talk.
I sigh as I stand up. “I can leave you alone.” My hand rakes through my hair, tousling the spikes out of place. “Dad will be pissed, but…”
She grabs the hem of my shirt. “Don’t go.”
“I don’t want to add to your pain.”