Insatiable (The Edge of Darkness, #1)(87)

Kade yawns. “Chilling.”

Barry takes the phone. “Who is this?”

I hang up as soon as the car reaches the alleyway. The driver sets my bags on the kerb, and I rush down to see Barry standing over Kade, his phone light shining down on him.

I gasp when I notice him slouched on the ground between two large bins, back to the wall, another joint between his fingers. He screws his eyes up against the blinding light, raising a red hand to shield himself from it.

“You two here to kill me?”

Barry sighs.

I kneel between his legs and shine my own phone light on my face so he can see me. “It’s me. Come on.” I offer my hand and blanch at the red stains all over his clothes. “Put your arm around me.”

“That’s very forward of you, but okay.”

He takes my hand, and I try not to stare at the crimson on his skin – or his eyes, which are going in every direction possible. Barry and I help Kade up, and he staggers, throwing one arm across my shoulders, the other over Barry’s.

“The car is over there,” Barry says, and we hurry.

Kade studies my face. “You look like my ex.”

“I know,” I say, looking at Barry. “Do you have a hotel to take him to?”

“No,” Kade blurts out as Barry tells me yes, pulling away from me as I sit down beside him. “I don’t want to work.”

I stop him from trying to open the car door. He’s that fucked he can’t fight me off.

“I’m not fucking working!”

“You aren’t,” I reply. “Please calm down, Kade.”

When we reach Barry’s hotel, I’m still rubbing his back; he’s slouched forward on the seat with his head between his legs.

We manage to get him inside. The receptionist doesn’t ask why there’s a man standing with his head against the lobby wall, talking about flavours of chocolate. She does offer me water and lets me know there’s a cleaning service if I need it.

Trying to get Kade into the elevator is difficult. He thinks I’m putting him into a prison. He tells me he isn’t an animal that can be caged. So me and Barry carry him up the stairs, which he falls down four times. The last time he manages to grab my arm as he topples.

He laughs as I fall on top of him, telling me that not only do I look like his ex, but I’m also as clumsy as her too.

Kade has already unbuttoned his trousers and is asking me how much I paid as Barry grabs water from his fridge.

“I need to go clean up this mess. I’ll be gone for a few days. Stay here. Make sure he drinks plenty of water and rests.”

“Where are you going?”

He looks at Kade. “If I don’t sort this out, Kade will most likely end up in prison for the rest of his life. He shot a political leader in front of a lot of witnesses.”

I look at Kade as Barry leaves – he’s swaying around the room, humming “From Now On” from The Greatest Showman.

“Drink this.” I hand him the water. “And try to make yourself sick.”

He grimaces. “Sick? No thanks.”

He downs the water and tosses the bottle, then proceeds to talk to me about recycling.

Kade then lies on the bed, staring at the roof. “Can you pretend we had sex?”

I frown. “What?”

“Just… tell her we did. I don’t want to work,” he says, slurring some more .

Slowly – and messily – he starts to strip off his clothes. His top first, then he attempts to pull his trousers down, which I eventually help him with. Everything is muddy and covered in blood. Even his socks and hair.

“I probably won’t get hard.”

“Did you kill someone tonight?”

“A few someones, yeah.” He pulls a joint from behind his ear and attempts to light it with a lighter that isn’t there. “Fuck.” Both hands drop, and he groans. “I hate this.”

I go into the bathroom and soak a cloth, coming back in to find him sitting up on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, only in boxers. I rinse the cloth off after wiping his face and come back for his arms, his chest and the back of his neck.

I’m standing between his legs, scrubbing at his hair, when he captures me in his arms. My body reacts to his possessive touch – I stop wiping when his strong arms tighten and rest my hands on his shoulders.

“Are you okay?” I ask quietly as Kade presses his forehead to my midsection.

“Can I hold you and pretend you’re her?”

I tilt my head, narrowing my brows as I look down at him. “Who?”

“My ex-girlfriend.”

I toss the cloth aside and brush my fingers through his hair. “Okay,” I say softly. “Lie down.”

“Will you tell her we had sex? I won’t take money from you. I promise.”

“Tell Stacey? Pay you for… sex? ”

“Fuck no. She’d hate me even more.” He furrows his brows in confusion. “Obviously for sex. Why else would you be here?”

“Oh,” I respond, feeling ill. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Did you pay her yet?”

“No. Just…” I swallow. “Lie down.”

He flattens himself on the bed and looks at me. “You’re really pretty though.”