I laugh through my coughing.
He drops to my level on the ground and grips my hair, whispering harshly into my ear. “I’m going to sneak into your little mansion, slit your stepfather’s throat and shove my cock in your mother’s mouth until she can’t breathe. I’ll fuck her corpse and send you the video. Then, after that, I’ll take your sister.”
My blood boils, my smile dropping.
I keep myself controlled, my expression blank. “When I get the chance, I’m going to make you suffer,” I snap. My forehead smashes into his nose, and I hear it crack. He yelps and quickly stands. “You go anywhere near my family, and I’ll fucking kill you.”
He holds his bleeding face. “You little—”
“Oh shut up the both of you.” Bernadette’s voice echoes in the room – it’s coming from the speaker on Archie’s phone. “Kade. What the hell are you playing at?”
One of the bodyguards rights my position as Archie’s blood drips on the floor.
I hope it hurts, the motherfucker.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply to Bernie .
“Who is working for you? Who was firing back at us?”
I hold my breath, refusing to speak.
“You created your own little team, didn’t you? Sneaky, sneaky boy. It’s a shame they’ll all be dead soon.”
“Doubtful,” I snap. She’ll never find them.
“Who was she? Who was so important to you that you went to such extremes to protect her?”
“No one.”
“You know the goddamn rules, boy,” Archie spits, his stupid bloodstained moustache twitching with his anger. He rips open the folder, spreading pictures over the table. Different angles of me and Stacey at the club. Standing at the bar, me touching her. Her dancing with my target then us out back.
Me fucking next to my target and killing him while deep inside Stacey.
Then the one he took of her. She looks so innocent and frightened, and my insides twist that I put her in that position.
“Who is she?” Archie asks.
His fist connects with my face before I can spit on him.
Another from the left – one of his men wearing knuckledusters on both hands. My mouth fills with blood as my teeth cut into my gums.
Good. I want pain. I want to feel every single fucking blow they throw my way.
They question me on who the mystery woman is, and to be a prick, I ignore them, just so they can throw more punches and pour ice-cold water over me. It soothes the raging heat inside.
Bernadette eventually tells them to stand down and to get out of the room, leaving just me and a phone sitting on the desk, surrounded by images of my ex.
“If you tell me who she is, I’ll call off the hit on Prince,” she says, and my face drops. “All I want to know is her name.”
“She was just a fuck to pass time,” I lie. “I met her at the club, then we met up again tonight.”
“How many times did you sleep together?”
I grit my teeth, spitting crimson on the floor. “Twice. It won’t happen again. Call off the hit.”
She hums. “Then why did you hide her?”
I lick my burst lip, tasting metal on my tongue. “She was innocent and didn’t deserve whatever shit you were about to throw at her. You going after her was petty fucking jealousy.”
She chuckles. “Fine. I want you on the next flight home. Come to me and apologise in person.” She’s smiling. “Earn your forgiveness.”
I gulp down the sick rising in my throat.
“I don’t like hearing about you sleeping with other people I’m not aware of. No more sneaking off with cheap whores on motorbikes. Do you understand?”
My knuckles turn white. Did she just call Stacey…
I close my eyes to tamp down my building fury.
Hearing Bernie speak about her like that is fucking irritating. She doesn’t come close to how stunning Stacey is. But if I bite, I’ll give it away that she was more than just a fuck.
“Do you understand, Kade?”
I glare at the phone, forcing the words out of my mouth. “Fine. But you stay the fuck away from my friends. ”
“Beg me not to kill him, and all will be forgiven.”
I click my neck to the side, shaking my head. “Please,” I grit out through my teeth, a headache coming on. “Please don’t kill him.”
“Done. Hold your fire, James. Go back home.”
They must’ve had a sniper aiming into the hotel room.
Then she speaks to me. “You have a lot of making up to do. I look forward to seeing you.”
My body tenses. “Right.”
She laughs. “Don’t make any plans for the rest of the month. I’ll need some extra company while I’m in Italy.”
The call cuts off as one of her men enters the room, and as my hands are cut from the zip ties, five more pile in. Two have bats, three have knuckledusters and the other a metal pole. Typical – these fuckers need to use weapons against me.
I prepare myself for a fight as I swing for the closest, breaking his jaw on contact. The pain searing through my knuckles drives me to hit the next one. I hear the snap of someone’s neck as I blindly lose my fucking shit.
This I can handle. This I’ll take to keep everyone safe. This is the price I’ll pay to make sure they never find out who Stacey Rhodes is to me.
At least I got to kiss her.
BOOK 2 OF THE EDGE OF DARKNESS TRILOGY
COMING SOON
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I know this isn’t the end of the series, but as it’s my debut, I have so many people to thank. It means the world to me that you took time out of your day/night to dive into the world of Insatiable. Kade Mitchell has been a strong voice in my head since I wrote his parents’ book back in 2020. My online readers have been here since I started this book over two years ago, and they gave me the courage I needed to take this huge step.
We did it, guys! We published!
My girl Gemma, you’ve supported me from the very moment I told you I downloaded a writing app. You dance with me in the studio until we’re dead on the floor, and you’re always there for me when I need you. Olive you so much.
Katerina, Wolfie, Shawna, Jay, Wendy, Julie, Jess, Nikki, Kendra 1 and 2, Sookie, Cheka, Lindsey and all my other online friends, you’re the best and none of this would be possible without you. Avery, my cover designer, you deserve a medal. Kiki, Colleen, Megan and everyone at The Next Step PR, I cannot put into words how much you kept me right. My fellow Scot and editor Laura, thank you so much. You did a cracking job polishing my baby. Shawna, thank you for taking time out of your day to be my last set of eyes and proofreading. You took a lot of pressure off when I was going through such a hard time in my life.
Mum—you are my rock!
My husband, Thomas, you truly are my forever. I’m your Freckles, and I love you to the moon and back. Our boys are the luckiest in the world to have such an amazing father.
SPECIAL MENTION
For my fur baby who went to doggy heaven while I was in the middle of publishing this book. We got ten amazing years with him, and I wish we had ten more. My comforter when I was down, my little spoon, my sidekick while writing, my four-legged best friend who kept me company throughout my twenties.