Page 89 of The Monster of Hotel No. 7
“I don’t think any of this is true,” Fleet says with amusement in his words. “I don’t understand how Burbank’s bullshit is still being touted as truth toanyone,but obviously it’s all garbage. And I don’t think that’s why anyone is going missinghere.We’re only talking about this because Cosmo wanted to, but what the fuck does Burbank have to do with our city now? Homelessness, the housing shortage, drug addiction, mental illness, those types of things? You know, real problems? That’s the issue Alexandria is dealing with.”
“He’s right,” Elliot chimes in, glancing at his wine. “This city is crazy, but Burbank Gates had no traction. I know a little about him. He was raised by militant Christian parents, became a scientist who really wanted to be a cult leader and realized Christianity wasn’t the way to go for it.”
“Then why do we still talk about him?” Alivia asks, leaning in toward Sullen in a way that makes me want to scream. There is a strange smile curling her lips that I think has everything to do with the acid she dropped. “And why hide the information?” I don’t know what she means by that, but no one interrupts her. “He’s not supremely influential but here we are, discussing him.”
Elliot shakes his head. “Yeah, only because we’reus.”
“Where did you learn of him?” Sullen asks, his voice so much more jagged than everyone else’s. Each person’s eyes flick to him at the sound and I grip the stem of my wine glass tighter, wanting them to back off, even with their gazes. “Why the personal interest? How do you know so much?” he continues, and he’s staring directly at Maude as if she holds all the answers to even his unspoken questions.
Maude spins her own wine glass on the table, smiling as she glances up at Sullen, like she’s so fucking delighted he asked. But he is silent, and she pivots a little in her chair, leaning over and plucking up a large leather bag from the floor, studded with metal in places. She thunks it on the table and pulls out a manila envelope, then drops the bag to the ground once more. Flicking open the envelope, she retrieves a few papers and spreads them on the table, pushing one over to Sullen.
“When Cosmo told me what he was socuriousto learn about tonight, I retrieved these files from the back room of the Emporium. They’re not freely accessible. But Alivia is affiliated with someone who can fetch locked away history in the library at Alexandria U.”
I glance at Alivia as she looks down at the table, her eyes strangely darkening. I wonder if she knows someone in Writhe, or maybe higher up.
Maude is still looking at Sullen, and when she speaks next, it’s with unexpected gentleness. “I remember you were always so averse to religion and any kind of ensuing cult talk, Scully,” she continues. “I wondered if you might hate our topic tonight.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from speaking.
“Wait,” Cosmo says, nudging me with his elbow.
I want to break it.
“You two know each other?” He flicks his fingers between Sullen and Maude as he laughs a little and I want to strangle him.
“From years back,” Maude says primly, a secretive smile on her lips. “I’m fascinated that you two are friends as well.” She glances between Cosmo and Sullen.
“Did I suddenly become invisible?” I bite out, annoyed she’s acting as if I’m not even fucking here.
Every eye at the table turns to me, except Sullen’s.
He doesn’t seem at all alarmed that these two people in his life are catching on to one another. Instead, he’s staring down at the paper Maude passed his way, a printed page I can’t see from this angle.
“I’m sorry,” Maude says carefully, “I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just, well, I don’t knowyou,but I know them—”
“Yeah?” I demand, lifting my chin as I grip the stem of my wine glass tighter. “How well, huh? You fuck both of them?”
Sullen shoots his eyes to me.
It feels like a victory.
Beside me, Elliot clears his throat. “I didn’t know we were getting down to the orgy so quickly,” he says wryly.
I glance at him, meeting his amber eyes as he looks at me with a slight smile. My heart hammers hard in my chest and I lift my glass to my lips, downing all the red, relishing in the soft, tangy burn on my tongue. “Orgies? Are you even old enough to be having sex?”
Alivia laughs loudly at this and despite my annoyance with the turn this night has taken, I feel strangely lighter with her amusement. It seems Maude takes my outburst in stride too because she doesn’t cuss me out.
Elliot lifts a brow. “I’m twenty-one,” he says, flicking his gaze up and down my body. “How old areyou?”
“And how many orgies haveyouhad?” Fleet drawls, leaning in toward the table, his elbows atop it, hazy eyes on me, a joint between two fingers.
I tilt my head and beside me, Cosmo’s arm brushes mine. A second later and I hear wine glugging into my glass as he refills it.
And I canfeelSullen staring at me now.
“I’m twenty-three,” I say to Elliot. “And none,” I answer Fleet honestly. “But there’s always a first for everything.” I turn my head and stare right back at Sullen. “Isn’t there,Scully?”
Maude’s pale cheeks flush red and she takes a sip of her own wine while Alivia looks at me with shining eyes, a smile hooking her lips.
