Page 44 of Wicked Games

“Do you know how stupid it is to knowingly incapacitate yourself when someone is trying to kill you?” he asks in his usual blunt way.

I shrug again, still not meeting his gaze. “At least I won’t see it coming if I’m passed the fuck out.”

Silence stretches between us, growing heavy and uncomfortable the longer it goes on.

Unable to take it any longer, I lift my eyes to his.

His expression is hard to read. It’s thoughtful and calculating, but still hard with an undertone of something I can’t place.

“What?” I finally ask.

“Text Eden and tell her you’re fine.”

“Eden?”

“She’s worried about you,” he says gruffly. “She was here earlier. Do you remember that?”

Slowly, I shake my head. She was here?

Most of the past week is a blur thanks to the copious amount of pharmaceuticals I’ve popped, and I have almost no memories of talking to her or even seeing her.

“What time is it?” I ask, needing to break the silence.

My phone is on the table next to the tray, but I’m pretty sure it’s been dead for hours at this point.

“Almost two.”

What? How can it already be two in the afternoon? How did I lose that much time?

“When was the last time you ate?” he asks, picking up the pitcher and glass.

“Yesterday,” I say as he fills the glass and extends it to me. “Maybe dinner? I can’t really remember.” I take a sip and almost start coughing from the burst of unexpected tastes. “What the hell is this?”

“It’s an electrolyte hangover mix Jace makes. I have no idea what the fuck he puts in it, but it’s saved my ass more than once. Make sure you eat something with it, otherwise it’ll tear your stomach up.”

I glance down at the glass in confusion. Jace is sharing his hangover cure with me? The same guy who coined the nickname little Fefe when I was eleven and has made sure it’s followed me ever since because he knows how much I hate it?

Or is Killian the one who’s sharing it with me and it just happens to be Jace’s miracle cure? Killian’s no stranger to party favors and prescriptions; he’s probably used this as much as Jace over the years.

A laugh bubbles up in my chest, but I force it back down. Why do I keep trying to read between the lines and see some sort of deeper meaning in Killian’s actions? He gave me the drink because I’m hungover from the pills and he’s trying to keep me alive. That’s it. It has nothing to do with me and everything to do with covering his ass and keeping a scandal away from the house and his family.

I take another small sip of the drink and put it back on the tray. It’s not that bad now that I know it’s not water. It’s salty with a bit of sweetness and a hint of spice that’s a bit off-putting, but not terrible.

“Thanks,” I say awkwardly and put the glass on the tray.

He shrugs. “I have to go check on something. I’ll be back later.”

“Okay.” I tear open a protein bar and take a bite.

“Try not to be a dumbass while I’m gone.” He ticks his chin at my phone. “And text Eden so she doesn’t show up on our doorstep again.”

“I will.”

He gives me one last long look, then turns on his heel and stalks over to his side of the room.

I purposely don’t look at him as he digs around in his dresser and pick up my phone.

It’s dead, just like I suspected, and I search out the cord for the charger next to my bed. I’m just plugging it in when Killian leaves, not sparing me a second glance.

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