Insatiable (The Edge of Darkness, #1)(21)

I fight a grimace and look away.

“You’ll like her.” She hops off the desk. “Follow me.”

On the third floor, she chuckles and turns to me. “Remember when we had Rachel join us? Well, she’s even prettier. And more adventurous.”

I might just shoot myself in the head right now. The gun is burning into my back, begging to be used.

But if I kill her or myself, my entire family will be obliterated – Bernadette’s annoying tripwire if I ever turn on them.

If I refuse to do certain work, Luciella gets threatened. If I refuse to fuck someone, then Dad doesn’t see my mother for weeks.

No one in my family knows the reasons behind their bad luck. I’m apparently a university student, living his life in Stirling.

But that’s far from the truth.

One day, I’ll get away from her; I’ll escape this life.

When she opens the door to reveal a blonde fingering herself on a four-poster bed, moaning and writhing on the velvet sheets, Bernadette tells me to unzip her dress, and I pray this will be a quick night.

But then she pushes the needle into my neck and any chance of that goes out the fucking window.





8




KADE

FLASHBACK 1

THREE YEARS AGO

Three tents are pitched. One for me and my friends. One for Luciella and hers. And far away from the group of eighteen-year-olds – bar Base and Dez being twenty – are Mum and Ewan.

She is here.

Not that I’d ever have the balls to talk to her nicely.

Ever since we were fifteen, I’ve gone out of my way to piss her off.

Points for maturity.

Me and Base sit on the log in front of the fire, him passing me the joint when Mum and Luciella aren’t looking, while the girls attempt to make their own fire.

I train my eyes on a certain dark-haired specimen while my friend talks about his weekend in Moscow. Stacey laughs at something Tylar said.

She’s not even funny.

“Fuck being in a relationship,” Base says as he looks at people kissing. “It’s hard to find loyalty.”

I snort, looking away when her eyes find mine. “You have the biggest choice out of us all since you fuck both men and women.”

He passes me the joint, blowing out smoke. “There’s a difference. I’m sexually attracted to both, but emotionally and romantically, I could only ever date a woman. Does that make sense?”

“It does.” Base took ages to come out and say he was bisexual, worried we’d view him differently, but we all got drunk and celebrated instead.

“It doesn’t mean I have a bigger choice. Like, no offence, mate, but I wouldn’t go near you. You’re too tall and I reckon you’d be dominant. I’d fuck Dez though, but don’t tell him I said that.”

I chuckle. “I won’t.”

For the next five minutes, Base texts on his phone while I people-watch. The guys have coolers filled with beer outside the twelve-man tent, and some of them are chatting with the girls.

“What about you?” Base eventually asks.

I frown, opening another beer. “Me?”

He nods. “I’ve never seen you with anyone. Me and Dez spoke about it a few times. We reckon you’re a virgin.” He winces. “That sounded bad. I don’t mean it that way. You just don’t spare anyone a glance.”

I go silent, wondering if I should stand up and walk away before I punch him or admit that I’ve never been attracted to anyone, or had the urge to kiss or fuck or anything like they do. I’ve never had a one-night stand like they all have.

I used to be embarrassed about it, but I guess I don’t really give a fuck anymore.

It’s not like I’m completely devoid of sexual arousal – my hand does a good-enough job without emotions or the feeling of someone else doing it.

No – one person is on my mind. She’s my sister’s best friend and she hates me.

My eyes search the campsite until they land on her, sipping her drink and staring at the barely lit fire. I’ve figured out a lot about her by watching what she does. She’s not very sociable, doesn’t talk that much. She’s a fantastic dancer. I may have walked in on her stretching at the studio once, and the image of her bending over has imprinted on my mind.

She has a few tattoos. Nothing drastic. She suits them.

She smiles at something Dez says, and my hand grips my beer. As much as she looks innocent and sweet, she’s annoying; steals cigarettes out my mouth and walks away, rolls her eyes when I correct her, even if I’m right. She’s called me every name under the sun, and it makes my day ten times better.

I shouldn’t look at my sister’s best friend the way I do, but when Stacey Rhodes walks into the room, you can’t not look.

She glances at me again, but this time, I stare back, feeling the cool air against my neck.

Base nudges my shoulder, and I break her gaze. “So, are you?”

I look at him as he sparks another cigarette. “Am I what? ”

“A virgin?” he asks. “You can tell me. I’ll help you get laid.”

I grind my teeth. “Fuck off.”

Base laughs through the smoke. “Relax. I’m not trying to make fun of you.”

I hum and stand up. “Don’t ask me that again.”