Page 73 of Dark Obsession
“Yeah.” I glanced down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t put two and two together.”
“Did she kill my brother, Nate?”
I locked eyes with her. “I don’t know, kitten. I wouldn’t put it past her. We’ve run tricks in the past, but I don’t know.”
“Tricks?”
“We’re not from the right side of the track, Jenna. You know that already.”
“Right.” She glanced up toward the ceiling. “I honestly don’t know what to think.”
“Then don’t think anymore. I wasn’t involved with your brother. I was just doing an old friend a favor by going over to the house. I thought nothing of it.”
She lowered her chin and tilted my head. “Do you know how fucked up it would have been if you and I ran into each other over there?”
“Yes. I’m glad we didn’t. I didn’t think anything of her request.”
“I know. You’re repeating yourself.”
"Right.” I let out a short sigh. “I don’t feel so good. Stay with me tonight. I need to feel you against me."
She nodded. "Okay. This subject is not over.”
“Alright. Fine.”
“I need to take a bath. I feel gritty." She crossed her arms over her ample chest as her expression relaxed. I hadn’t gotten away with shit, but at least we were done talking about it for the night.
"All right. I'll run you some water. I got some sweats and a t-shirt you can wear." I kissed the top of her head and moved around her. The situation felt too domesticated, and yet I was comfortable in the middle of it. Growing up on the streets and having no one or nothing should have had me pulling back, but I wanted so badly what Jenna represented.
I pursed my lips as the doubts started to rage deep in my skull. I didn't deserve what Jenna offered, what we could be.
The image of my hands wrapped tightly around Ashley's first husband's throat rolled through my mind's eye. He’d screamed and cried for her to come help him, but she stood quietly beside me, only giggling softly every so often. I fucked her in the room where the old man lay dead before leaving for a long night of violence back at the apartment.
Sickness rolled through my stomach, and I reached out and touched the wall. I was a monster. I should kill Ashley.
"Nate? What are you doing?" Jenna's voice was so soft, so sweet.
"I'm not feeling so good, baby girl." I glanced over at her and lifted my hand to stop her as she started to strip. "No. Don't do that. Not yet. I feel ill."
"Do you need me to help you get to the toilet?" She moved toward me as my knees went weak.
"No," I mumbled and knelt toward the ground as she tried to pull me up. "Jenna, stop. Fuck. Back off for a second." I swatted at her, and she jerked back with a yelp. "Something's wrong, baby. Seriously."
"Let me call 9-1-1." She walked out of the room as I crawled toward the toilet.
What the fuck had I eaten? Drank? Nausea rolled over me in thick waves as I reached for the toilet and missed it, vomiting on the floor all around me. I'd never heaved so goddamn much in all my life.
I pulled out my phone as I rolled onto my side and blinked in and out of consciousness. Someone had to help get my big ass up and down the stairs. I wasn't going to make it.
Not Mikey. Erik. Would he help?
I dialed the number, hit speaker and put the phone on my chest as my breathing became more and more labored.
"What?" Erik barked into the phone. "I wasn't where I could-"
"Erik," I moaned softly. "Dude, I need help. Something is-"
"Fuck. Where are you, Nate?"
