Page 40 of King of Desire

I look down at the phone. “Potential?”

He lets out a heavy sigh. “Car accident last night. He’s on life support and may or may not survive.”

The air rushes from my lungs. I’ve always known that Darius’s luck is built on someone else’s heartbreak, and my stomach twists. “Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you, Honeyeh, for understanding that this is a moment for grief and understanding. And I want you to know, that if this is not Darius’s donor, we’ll do our absolute best to find a new liver for him.”

“I know, Dr. Lawrence. Thank you.” I draw in a tremulous breath. I will not hope for another person’s death.

“But that does lead me to a delicate question. If our potential donor dies, we could be performing surgery on Darius within the next twenty-four hours.”

My heart starts to pound. “That soon.”

“That’s right. Which is why I need to know if you’ve procured any funds for a down payment on the procedure. I know we discussed the necessity when you first came to see me.”

My insides tear wide open. I’ve made great strides, but I don’t have more than a thousand dollars in my bank account. Not nearly enough for Dr. Lawrence. But if this is Darius’s chance… “I’ll find the money.”

There is a pause on the other end of the line, like he might be trying to decide how I would do that. “All right. Glad to hear it.”

We finish up the call and I hang up. But I don’t move. My lower legs are tucked under me, pressing into the hard linoleum of the floor as I look down at my phone. I need ten thousand dollars by tomorrow.

How am I getting it?

I look down at my phone. I could try Triston, the man I think might fire me. Then again, I’ve got nothing to lose there if I ask. Except, if he’s on the fence about letting me go, this will definitely make up his mind. I scrub a hand over my face.

I could call Mason. It might end my friendship with Charlotte, but this is my brother’s life.

Or…I could call Brittany. Make the money myself, doing something that fills me with dread and loathing, but I could do it on my own.

There isn’t much time to decide as I close my eyes and run through the options one more time.

Then, opening my eyes back up, I touch the screen of the phone and make the call…

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Triston

I wakeup close to noon, a pounding headache pulsing through my temples.

The drive back to my house after I dropped off Honeyeh was fucking torture. I nearly turned the Porsche around at least three times. The fact that I don’t know which apartment is hers, was the only thing that stopped me.

I could call. And say what…I was an asshole from start to fucking finish?

Yeah. Maybe.

I’ve always known that Honeyeh was sweet. Innocent. She’s hardly dated because she’s been taking care of a terminally ill sibling.

The fact that I stripped her and bent her over the side of a bed, and nearly took her virginity with a rough doggy fuck makes me hate myself.

That’s how I repaid her support last night.

But then…in an effort to slow myself down, I turned into a cold fucking prick. I know I sucked.

But I wanted her so badly it was the only way to gain control of my body. I had to turn my feelings off.

Honeyeh deserves to be wooed. Loved. Not fucked like a random piece of ass.

But it wasn’t until she was out of the car that I realized, and she didn’t understand any of it.

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