Page 182 of Chaos Kills

He says something else, but I don’t form it into real words. Everything feels like it’s spinning, and I’m out of control.

Until I’m slightly bumped, forcing my eyes to land on Bay’s face.

A look of calm illuminates every single one of her features, and I want to sink into them. I want to heavily study something else because I can see Vivian’s outline, but I refuse to look at her. I’m taller than Bay, so I can see over her if I really wanted to, but I concentrate on the pitch-black color of Bay’s hair and the smell of motor oil and something floral wafting in my nose.

“Asshole, this is my man’s house,” Vivian leers back to somebody. “I’m welcome—” Bay suddenly pivots, and I wish she hadn’t. She’s close, but not close enough to touch, and I need her to ground me.

I need her to breathe.

“You must not have learned from the other day,” I hear Bay profess evenly. “If I have to warn you, you’re gonna be a cripple by the time I’m done.”

I hear Vivian scoff, and I inch closer to Bay, finding the creamy skin of her neck another fascination.

“Is that a threat?” Vivian is purposely pushing Bay’s temper, and I should be on alert so she doesn’t get hurt, but I’m still comatose, still unable to function properly.

“Promise.”

Bay disappears from my view, and I hear a blood-curdling scream ripple through the air, sending a violent chill through my veins.

Bay needs me.

Bay needs me.

“Come on.” A large hand finds my bicep, and I smell weed and fresh salt air.

Reeve.

I shake my head, muscling myself to look at my brother. “Bay…”

“Is currently beating the shit out of Vivian,” he muses through a female grunt. “You better get used to it, you piece of shit.”

I know this.

Except, I don’t expect to always be around it so closely.

“Focus on me,” Reeve says gently, turning my body to fully face him. “You guys gettin’ along?”

I don’t know what that even means.

“Why did you do this to yourself? Are you…” His hazel eyes search mine as he blows out a breath, clearly not wanting to talk about this as much as I. “You comfortable with her?” I shake my head and he glowers. “Then why thefuckdidn’t you ask one of us to do it? I would’ve stepped in you dumbass?—”

“Reeve, get your ass over here and fucking help!” Cairo’s command poses no lack of urgency as Reeve quickly goes to assist.

Meanwhile, I continue to stare out at the pool and get my bearings. However, I don’t miss Bay’s next words.

“I’ll fucking kill you if I see you by him again!”

FORTY-TWO

bay

When Cairo askedme to stay, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him no. Not when I just witnessed the full effect of the Vivian and Ozzy show.

What I imagined in my head didn’t fitthat.

I thought they were together, maybe Cairo and Oz shared her at one point—because that seems to be a thing around here—but my husband had a silent freakout the moment her voice registered in the room.

That’snotfucking normal.

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