Page 26 of With a Broken Wing
The nerves rumbling in my stomach turned to a burning acid in my throat. I looked down, dropping my voice to a near whisper. “What do you want?”
“That depends. What doyouwant?”
“I just need enough to get by for a couple months. Maybe like sixty?”
He widened his eyes. “You want sixty Xanax?”
“Or anything. I just need something to get rid of the thoughts.”I need something to make me numb. Like I’m not living this life.
He nodded. “I can give you a mix. Some Xannies, some other benzos, and I’ll throw in a couple of painkillers and muscle relaxers.” When I nodded, agreeing his offer would work for me, a sly smile pulled at his lips. My stomach soured when he opened his mouth to continue. “You’ll owe me a couple offavors. One today, and one when I need it. No questions asked. No hesitation.”
I swallowed. “What kind of favor?”
The skin of his hand was softer than I’d expected against my cheek. “Well, today we’ll call it your pick. Next time, it’s dealer’s choice.” As soon as the words left his lips, he was unfastening the button on his jeans.
My mouth went dry, and I debated running. Did I really need the pills? I’d gotten by without them for years. I could do it again. Then I remembered the cold sweat on my neck and back and the shaking in my hands I couldn’t still.I needed this.
* * *
Present Day
I crawled off the bed to find my phone on the floor.
ME:Fisher?
FISHER:Yes, princess. Miss me?
Confirmation it was him made the room spin around me. Did he know where I was? Should I call someone? Who would I call?Nobody knows.
ME:What do you want?
FISHER:Well, that’s not a very nice way to greet an old friend. I’m cashing in my favors. Dealer’s choice, remember?
ME:You only get one.
FISHER:We will see about that. You’re going to do what I say because as soon as you don’t, you’ll regret it.
ME:I’m not home.
Did I think telling him I wasn’t home would get him off my back?
FISHER:I know, and I’m not coming to Atlanta. I can wait until you get back. I’ll be in touch.
FISHER:But don’t avoid me, princess. It won’t end well for you.
FISHER:I can make your death look like a suicide. You’ve tried it before. They’d believe you would try it again.
I couldn’t stop the tears from welling up and spilling down my cheeks. Sobs wracked through me, and I couldn’t take a breath. He knew I was in Atlanta. Buthow?
Throwing my phone across the room, I reached for the bottle in my purse and held it in my hand. I wanted to dump the pills. I hated them for the growing hold they had on me, for my depending on them for normalcy. Instead, I twisted the cap and slid my finger into the bottle, grabbing hold of one, pulling it up the side, and pinching it between my fingers.
The bitter taste I craved was comforting on my tongue, and I savored it for a moment before swallowing it with a gulp of water. I rolled onto my side, wrapping the blanket around me as tightly as I could and taking deep breaths. In.One, two, three, four, five.Out.One, two, three, four, five.
What would Demetri do if he found out about Fisher? About any of my past? I could already imagine the look of disgust on his face when he realized I wasn’t the good girl he thought I was.That I want him to think I am.
It tooka conscious effort to treat Jacob as a family friend, shaking his hand before I climbed into the car, when really, I wanted to slam his head into the concrete in front of his office. His words echoed in my head.It’s really too bad Andy couldn’t come with you today. She was quite a sight to behold last night. I remember her being sweet like that at William’s wedding too.When he winked, it took all of my restraint not to throw my fist into his face.
He wasn’t wrong, though—she wasquitea sight to behold last night, but not just at the party. Her milky skin, covered only by the tiniest slips of lace, had been flushed, and she looked at me with arousal in her big hazel eyes. The way she licked and chewed on her lips and her fingers twitched like she didn’t know what to do with her hands brought out the predator in me.
