Page 90 of The Monster of Hotel No. 7
But Sullen turns to Maude, almost as if he is dismissing me. He lifts one corner of the paper he’s been studying.
“Is this photo…” He trails off, his peculiar voice silencing everyone once more as he ignores me completely.
“The original Hotel Number Seven,” Maude says with a smile, her eyes batting from the paper and back up to Sullen. “Located by Lake V, outside of the city. Much more natural location than what they have now in Alexandria. Anyway, Burbank was a guest at this hotel all those years ago but it’s not even a footnote on Wikipedia, although they do mention criminals, they just leave out which ones, and all the scientists that flocked there, too.”
Sullen is still staring down once more at the paper before him like he’s found God. “The original. It’s still…around?”
Maude nods once. “Absolutely. Allegedly it’s taken care of by the same owners of the new location.”
Sullen’s gaze lifts to mine.
Maude looks at him curiously, her hand sliding over the table to the paper, then moving a little closer, her fingers grazing his gloved ones. “Do you have an interest in this particular hotel, Scully?” she asks quietly.
Alivia is speaking to Fleet and Elliot now, the three of them talking about murders and buildings and things I don’t care about. My pulse pounds hard in my ears and I want to make a fucking scene again, just to grab Sullen’s attention.
“No,” he says, his tone distracted.
Maude laughs, like he’s told a joke.
Cosmo leans in close to me as I watch her say something to Sullen, her eyes brightening, but I can’t hear the words as hard as my heartbeat is clanging in my head.
“He’s fucked up,” Cosmo says so quietly no one else can hear him. “Just like his father. See how much he loves this shit? So while yourfamilyare busy raiding the city, I was actually trying to find out why this little fuck wanted you. And who knows? Maybe I’ve saved your life tonight since Maude is trying to fuck your little boyfriend over there. Maybe he’ll take her instead. I could let it happen, Karia. After all, she has no idea who the hell he is. Why would she? Sullen Rule is a ghost. Always meant to be a victim. But the thing about having psychotic fathers is the sons usually turn out fucking worse.”
“Yeah, you never do want to talk aboutyourdaddy,Cosmo. Let’s hear how horrific you’re going to turn out.” But even as I say it, I watch Maude put her hand over top Sullen’s and he does nothing to stop her.
But when Cosmo brings his fingers to my cheek, curving a strand of hair behind my ear as I flinch, Sullen’s dark eyes lift to my own.
Then Maude’s hand is below the table and I’m certain she’s touching his thigh.
I down another glass of wine. The one Cosmo refilled.
His shoulder bumps mine as Elliot and Fleet speak on my other side, the music dulling my senses alongside the alcohol.
“You can try to deflect all you want but I would never drug you without you asking nicely. Besides, I always knew you wanted to fuck him,” Cosmo says softly, but his voice is harsh. “The way you looked at him on Ritual Drive when he’d come sulking out of his house anytime I was near you…” There’s a self-satisfied smirk in his words. “But he never did get to taste you, did he? Then the first opportunity he has to do just that, he’s got to drug us to get it done?” He snorts softly and Alivia is staring at Sullen as Maude keeps talking, her false lashes batting with every other word.
She’s gorgeous and I hate that.
“But he doesn’t really want you, does he? He was too sheltered for too long. He just wanted any pussy he could get.”
I clench my teeth and narrow my eyes into slits, but I don’t look away from Sullen as Maude leans her head on his shoulder briefly before pulling away and laughing in some mock display of closeness.
“And right now he might get a two-for-one deal. Shit, Karia, I don’t even think I need to ruin this party after all. He’s content to be fucked by anyone. I can get you drunk, take you home, violate you, and sleep with you beside me in my bed. I’ll even let him keep running from Writhe; I don’t give a fuck.” Then his hand comes to my thigh, squeezing hard.
And right at that moment, impossibly as if he feels it, Sullen lifts his eyes to me once more.
Cosmo isn’t paying attention. I can feel him staring at me as he comes in closer, his mouth inches from the side of my face as he slides his palm up higher. “Tell me yes, and I’ll leave him alone for you.” He squeezes my thigh tightly as I watch Alivia speaking to Sullen now, her eyes bright with acid as she gestures with her wine glass. “Tell me yes, we’ll let him have his own fun.”
Sullen’s dark gaze is latched tightly onto mine like Cosmo’s hand is on my thigh. I don’t know if Cosmo lied to me about why he really came here and I don’t understand how Sullen didn’t know any of this information about the original hotel—even though I didn’t either—or why he cares at all about it, but I feel as if I’m entirely on the outside of a game I don’t remember agreeing to play.
I let Sullen touch me.Maybe not the first time, but each time after. I agreed to it while I questioned him. Then I went up againstSteinhimself, ran through an underground hotel tunnel into utter darkness and slept in the back of a family van, all for what?
Did I just want some fun in my life? Am I really as pathetic as Cosmo said I was? Did I go through all of that to watch Sullen be groped by two women we can’t trust?
Cosmo’s hand reaches the center of my thighs. He flexes his fingertips, pressing against me. “What did he do to your eye, Karia?” he asks quietly. “Why did you run with him? What’s going through your pretty blonde head?” His lips graze my cheek and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I remember the serpent dream. The snake slithering over my body as I lay in darkness. “Come back to me.”
Maude is leaning into Sullen. Alivia has shifted closer too, although she seems a little out of it and still slightly less intent on invading his space. Elliot and Fleet are laughing softly together beside me, and Sullen’s eyes burn into mine.
He hasn’t said a word in so long.Does anyone even notice?It’s like he’s a creature for them to toy with.
