Page 27

TWENTY-SEVEN

ROSALIE

I felt free. For the first time in—I didn’t even know how long—it felt like I could breathe again. The cabins were absolutely breathtaking, surrounded by acres and acres of land and trees. Pastor Valentine rambled off a shit ton of orders before we loaded the bus, and even if I wasn’t feeling all that religious these days, it was nice to get away.

Valentine didn’t even look like a pastor today. He stood before us, dressed in a pair of black joggers paired with a dark blue T-shirt. A bag was tossed over one shoulder, his hair messier than usual. He was absolutely stunning standing there.

“The rules are simple. There is one cabin for the women, and one for the men.” He motioned to the two cabins positioned on either side of the clearing. “Further back is my cabin. Don’t disturb me unless it’s important.” He readjusted his bag over his shoulder before continuing. “I’m going to leave you all to get settled. I expect you all dressed in hiking gear. Wear your swimsuits underneath.” His gaze found mine, forcing my breath to stutter in my throat. We hadn’t seen much of each other since he got drunk and things nearly escalated. “Rosalie, if you’ll come with me.”

Chatter broke out around me, followed by excited squeals from some of the girls. None of them paid me any mind, opting to head toward their selected cabins instead. The only people I knew here were Archer, Tyler, and Valentine, and I was trying to keep my distance from Archer and Tyler for obvious reasons.

Rolling my shoulders back, I started toward our pastor, falling into step beside him. He was silent as we walked, the tension stretching between us like a weighted blanket. Part of me wanted to clear the air, but the other part of me didn’t want to risk embarrassing myself further. There was a high chance he didn’t even remember it happening.

Once we reached his cabin, he unlocked the door and held it open for me. My lips parted in awe as I took it in. The floors were made of wood—as expected—and there was a large, leather couch centered within the living room. A fireplace sat adjacent to it, and even though the place was mostly bare, it was still nice.

“I didn’t want to give these to you in front of everyone,” he said, closing the door behind him and flicking on the light—not that it made much of a difference since it was still so bright out.

I turned to face him, a question forming on the tip of my tongue, but it died instantly when I glanced at the backpack hanging from his fingertips.

“What is that?”

“Clothes,” he replied. “I’m sorry it took me so long, but…”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. Thank you.” I reached for the bag, my fingers brushing against his unintentionally. My breath caught in my throat as a surge of electricity spiraled through my veins.

Pastor Valentine jerked his arm back like he’d been burned but upheld a stoic expression.

“Thanks,” I said again, more awkwardly this time. I moved to step around him, and he turned his body to let me pass.

My heart was beating rapidly as I navigated the way back to my assigned cabin. He was off-limits, but my body wasn’t getting the memo. I’d already been with Seven, Archer, and now, Jordan, but my traitorous pussy wanted to add Pastor Valentine to the list, too.

He wants it.

Fuck him bloody.

Imagine what his intestines look like, spilling from his body.

A shudder rolled through me at the mere thought. I didn’t want to hurt Pastor Valentine—not even sexually. He’s done nothing but help me.

Shoving those vile thoughts to the back of my mind the best I could, I slowly approached our assigned cabin. From the outside, it looked just like the others. A wooden building with a window on either side of the door. Blinds blocked my view, preventing me from peering inside. I reached for the doorknob and twisted, leaning into it in order to push it open.

Voices bled through the gap, greeting me instantly.

Despite being away from the asylum for a little while, there was still a cold chill settling deep within my bones. It’s been there a lot lately. Especially when I closed my eyes or lost myself to my thoughts within the shower. I’d never been close with my mother, but there was still a part of me that missed her, a part of me that yearned for her love and approval. How could that be? Why would I care about her approval when she clearly didn’t give a shit about me?

Because you’re pathetic.

She’s better off without you.

Her biggest regret is you.

You ruined her life, Rosalie.

My stomach twisted painfully as I willed the taunting voices to drift into the back of my mind. They seemed to play off of my biggest insecurities.

Sighing, I closed the door behind me, glancing around the cabin. It looked exactly as Valentine’s had. Leather couch, fireplace, and a small kitchen off to the side.

A few girls were crowding the hallway, trying to squeeze past the others to get to the bedrooms. I hesitantly moved to join them, making sure to keep a good distance away from the others. There were a lot of women here I didn’t recognize, leading me to believe that some of them resided within a different wing.

Nervous energy prickled along my spine as the several bodies before me shifted and conversed amongst one another. It took a while, but the hallway eventually cleared out. I blew out a breath of relief, glancing either which way to see which rooms were full and which weren’t.

“In here,” a girl called at the end of the hallway.

My steps faltered as I moved my gaze to hers. I’d never seen her before in my life, but she was staring right at me with a friendly smile. She looked a little bit older, but not by much. She was beautiful, with curly, brown hair, tinted skin, and dark brown eyes. She was also much taller and skinnier than I was.

Hoisting my bag higher over my shoulder, I cautiously drifted toward her. The walls felt like they were losing space between them, closing in on me until the only sound I could hear was the beating of my racing heart.

It’s a trap.

Everyone here has killed before.

She wants to hurt you.

My hands curled into fists at my sides. Shut up.

Maniacal laughter drifted through my skull, causing me to wince. This wasn’t normal. Maybe I did need to speak to someone about this.

The girl stepped out of the way as I approached, giving me the access I needed to enter. There was a bunkbed on either side of the room with a single closet to the left. It wasn’t anything fancy, and the thought of sharing a room with three other people had my anxiety churning all over again.

“I’m Angelina,” the girl spoke again, keeping her overly friendly smile in place.

“I-I’m Rosalie.” I glanced around again, taking note of the other women occupying the space. One of the girls was already stripping down, not caring that she wasn’t alone.

It was easy to see which beds were already taken. The girl undressing had her bag resting on the lower bunk to the left while the other girl was busy climbing the ladder to the top bunk on the right.

“I’m fine with either,” Angelina stated, seeming to know exactly where my train of thought had gone.

Reluctantly, I moved toward the top bunk at the left side of the room. Being crammed in a small space with three other girls already had me on edge, but being on the top would probably ease my nerves some.

“Is there a bathroom nearby?” I asked

The half-naked girl released a snort as she fumbled with the button on her jeans. “Good luck with that. You’ll be waiting a while. Last I checked, there was a line forming.”

“It’s nothing we haven’t seen before,” the girl standing a few feet away from me remarked. She had a pixie cut and her hair was as red as blood. “I’m Tawnie by the way.” She motioned toward the other girl—who was now tugging her shirt on over her bikini top. She was pretty, too. With medium-length brown hair, bronze skin, and brown eyes. “That’s Kim.”

My heart was pounding in my chest. I’d never even seen these girls before. Who were they? Why were they here? Surely, Dr. Blake wouldn’t have allowed them to come if he thought they were an immediate danger to society. Then again, Archer was here when he’d just choked the fuck out of me a few days ago. They all seemed to know each other, meaning they were more than likely from the same wing. Those weren’t good odds for me.

Swallowing back my fear, I dropped my bag on the floor and kneeled before unzipping it. My fingers trembled as I reached inside, sifting through the assortment of clothing I’d been gifted.

I tugged out a black shirt, roaming my gaze over it with indecision. It was a little lowcut for my taste, but it was no more provocative than some of the things I’d been wearing. Plus, I’d be wearing a lot less than that soon, anyway.

The girls fell into chatter around me, helping to put me somewhat at ease. It was easy to focus on the task at hand when I didn’t think they were paying me any mind. I reached into the bag again, feeling around until I found a pair of black leggings.

Joy swelled in my chest. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d worn anything other than a skirt.

Once all my clothes were gathered, including a flimsy black bikini, I swapped my clothes for them as quickly as possible. Just as I was tugging my shirt down, Angelina gasped, startling me in the process.

“What happened?” she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

I froze, jerking the hem of my shirt down to cover the stab wound she caught a glimpse of.

Kim rolled her eyes. “Wow Ang, real subtle.”

Angelina frowned, but didn’t press it anymore, which gave me a way out, and I’d be stupid not to take it. Zipping the bag back up, I lifted it from the floor while rising and sloppily tossed it onto the top bunk.

I didn’t bother waiting for the others, slipping my shoes back on and making a beeline through the door. As soon as I entered the hallway, a weight lifted from my shoulders. Two girls were seated on the couch, giggling and talking amongst each other when I made my presence known. There was another girl, leaning against the breakfast bar as she snacked on what appeared to be a container of grapes.

It didn’t take much longer for the other girls to join us. The noise in the room only amplified with each patient who entered. Once we were all finished, Tawnie and Kim led the way outside, followed by Angelina and a bunch of other people I didn’t know. Unsurprisingly, Valentine was already outside, flanked by all of the boys.

My gaze immediately pinged to Archer, but I averted my attention as soon as we locked eyes. Getting involved with him was the stupidest thing I could have done.

Valentine removed the clipboard from under his arm and started reading off names, checking to see that we were all present. Once he was finished, he went over a list of rules we needed to abide by.

Stay close, don’t wander off alone, if we need to pee, to tell him—as if that wasn’t humiliating or anything. He said a lot more, but my head was reeling and the voices were whispering at the edge of my subconscious.

“—We’re going to do quite a bit of walking today,” he continued. “There’s a hydration station at our destination, so I hope you all took the time to use the restroom, eat, and that you drank something beforehand.”

Exasperated murmurs and shouts of protest erupted around me.

Pastor Valentine’s lips twitched slightly, as if he was enjoying this. He was confusing, intriguing, and didn’t fit the stereotypical preacher. I wanted to peel back the layers of his mind—to know his every thought. What kept him up at night? Why did he decide to become a pastor in the first place? What were his darkest fantasies?

“Once we return, I expect you all to get showered, dressed, and meet me outside again,” he explained, raking his eyes over the clipboard again while simultaneously ignoring more complaints strewn his way.

After he said his piece, he started off toward the woods, leaving us to follow behind him. I couldn’t help but notice how some of the girls automatically migrated toward the guys. I suppose it made sense. We weren’t allowed to see them otherwise, and?—

My thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Tyler of all people slid up beside me.

“Hey.” He shot me a small smile.

My fingers curled into my palms as nervous energy prickled along my skin. “Hi,” I replied lamely.

He blew out a breath, keeping his eyes forward. His dark brown hair was scattered across his forehead, and he was a good couple of inches taller than me. He was attractive, and probably even safe —as safe as you could get in a place like the psychiatric institute, anyway.

Twigs and leaves crunched beneath our shoes as we walked through the trees.

“You’re not angry with me, are you?” he finally asked after a few long moments.

My eyebrows dipped in confusion, and I turned to take him in again. “Why would you think I was mad at you?”

He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “You’ve just been…distant.”

“Yeah, but not because of you ,” I admitted.

He fell silent again as he processed that. Nothing but trees surrounded us, followed by the assortment of bodies flanking us from all around, with Valentine leading the way up front.

“Is it because of what Shay said?”

My jaw tightened at the mere mention of her name. Not only had she said that hurtful shit, she’d also stormed into Jordan’s room that morning and made the situation infinitely worse.

“Partially.” Cheyanne wasn’t off the hook either. Upon first meeting her, I thought she was someone I’d be able to become friends with. Instead, she’d proven to be quite judgmental, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. She couldn’t make excuses for her friends while belittling people who weren’t any less than them.

Tyler started to say something else, but his voice faded into the background when I spotted Archer up ahead. Angelina had just moved up beside him, grinning at him like he was the hottest piece of meat she’d ever seen.

My stomach twisted into knots, even though I had no right to feel any amount of jealousy. He was free game. Since meeting Archer, he hadn’t so much as entertained another girl, so I was confident that he wouldn’t now. At least… I thought that until he turned his head and shot her one of his sexy smiles that had been reserved for me alone. My shoulders instantly deflated, and a sting of betrayal slashed through my chest, even though it was unwarranted.

“Rosalie?” Tyler’s voice tugged me out of my self-sabotage, and I turned to look at him again. “Did you hear me?”

“No. Sorry. I’d gotten sidetracked.”

He huffed a laugh, but didn’t seem offended by my lack of interest. “Yeah, it’s been a long day,” he agreed. “I was saying that Shay doesn’t speak for all of us. We just tend to ignore her, otherwise it’ll be a never-ending argument.”

She speaks for Cheyanne, apparently.

Instead of saying that, I just nodded. There was no point, anyway. I was the outsider.

The walk was much shorter than I anticipated. Probably about fifteen minutes or so. There was a large body of water, and it wasn’t a lake like Valentine had suggested it was before. No. This was a beautiful, natural spring—so blue that you could see right through it.

To the far left of the clearing was some kind of building that resembled a shack of sorts. I could tell it was old by the rust forming all over the exterior.

“How cold do you think it is?” one of the girls asked, peering out at the water glistening beneath the sun.

“Freezing, if I had to guess,” a guy spoke up.

Valentine turned to face us, his gaze sweeping around the area before he glanced down at his clipboard again. Like before, he began reading off everyone’s name to make sure we were all present. It was becoming monotonous at this point.

Once he was done, he cleared his throat. “The hydration station is through there.” He pointed toward the little shack I’d been staring at earlier. “It’s fully stocked with water, Gatorade, premade sandwiches, chips, and fruit cups. You have thirty minutes to head inside, use the bathroom, and get refreshed.”

Tyler scoffed. “Thirty minutes?” he repeated, looking over at me in bewilderment. “What a fucking joke.”

I snorted a laugh as everyone dispersed around us, heading in the direction of the small building lying merely feet away. We followed behind them, waiting patiently as the line gradually moved forward. Since it was such a small space, it was an extremely tight fit. A few people headed straight for the bathroom, while others went to grab food and drinks.

People bumped into me from every-which-way, pushing me into Tyler.

There was a medium-sized fridge positioned near the back of the room with portable tables adorning the sides of the building. Tyler was right. Thirty minutes wasn’t nearly enough time. Not with how many people were here, or the lack of space.

I spotted Archer near one of the tables with Angelina at his side. He was fixing himself a plate, his tight shirt molding to his defined physique. Once he was finished, he grabbed a second plate and offered it to her with another friendly smile. She accepted it graciously and turned to begin fixing her own food.

Maybe he was just being kind.

He doesn’t want you anymore.

She’s prettier.

He got bored of you.

All he wanted was your pussy. You made it too easy.

Bile rose to the back of my throat. Why did I keep making these mistakes? Nobody has ever wanted me. Not my mother, not Gentry, not Alex, not even Cheyanne, and apparently not Archer either. I knew that his… condition made him unpredictable, especially when it came to his emotions and love life, but I still let him weasel his way in somehow.

Suddenly, my stomach felt hollow. Like a pit had opened and filled the empty void with nothing but despair.

“I’m not that hungry anymore,” I murmured. “I’m heading outside.”

Tyler frowned but didn’t say anything to stop me as I turned on my heels and made my way toward the exit. My mouth was a little bit dry, so I could have gone with something to drink, but I needed to be alone even more.

When I stepped outside, I released a loaded breath, reveling in the way the sun beat down on me, warming my skin. It wasn’t excoriatingly hot out, but it was hot enough.

Valentine was seated at a picnic table, his gaze fixated on his phone as he lifted a silver flask to his lips and tilted it back.

“Drinking on the job now?” I called out as I steadily approached him.

Valentine jumped with a startle, spilling some of the alcohol on his shirt in the process. He quickly swiped it away while hiding his beverage from sight beneath the table. “It’s water,” he lied smoothly, straightening his posture.

I arched an eyebrow. “Then why is the stain on your shirt brown?”

His gaze met mine. “Must be a trick of the light,” he added with a hint of a warning in his tone.

“Are you gaslighting me right now, Pastor Valentine?”

The muscles in his jaw tightened as he averted his gaze, his cold disinterest only amplifying the empty feeling that had settled within my gut.

“Why aren’t you with the others?” he asked, changing the subject altogether.

I glanced over at the water, watching the small ripples form along the surface from the slight breeze. It was nice out here—a place that would be easy to get lost in. Nothing but nature surrounded us, followed by the soft chirping of birds in the distance.

“I prefer to be alone.” I shrugged. “It was too crowded.” He didn’t need to know about my internal boy problems. Even thinking it had me wanting to thump myself upside the head.

Valentine sighed, seeming to sense that something was going on in my head. He patted the bench next to him, causing me to furrow my brows in turn. Reluctantly, I crossed the clearing and lowered myself into the seat beside him.

“Here.” He offered me his flask beneath the table, nudging me in the knee with it. “And be quick.”

My lips parted in surprise as I stared down at it as if it were nothing short of foreign to me. Wasn’t he supposed to be upholding the rules? Choosing not to question it, I accepted and quickly unscrewed the cap. My hand shook around the beverage, nervous energy prickling up my spine.

What if someone came outside and caught me? What if Valentine got in trouble for it?

Blowing out a breath, I willed my thoughts to mellow out. The likelihood of that happening was high, but if I was quick, it would be fine—assuming nobody smelled it on my breath.

I brought it to my lips and swallowed a good mouthful, grimacing as it snaked down my throat. The taste was…odd. It was nothing like the beverage Seven had fixed for me at that party. That one had tasted good and had been somewhat sweet with a hint of something strong. This one was purely strong. I hissed through the heat rolling through my mouth and took one last drink before offering it back.

Just as he was twisting the cap back on and stuffing it into the pocket of his sweats, the door to the shed opened and people started spilling out.

Valentine cleared his throat and rose, leaving me at the picnic table alone. He waited patiently for everyone to come out, and once they did, he ushered all of us to stand in a line before him. Blowing out a breath, I moved to obey, taking an empty spot next to Tawnie.

“The first question I need to ask is… can everyone swim?” he asked, glancing between us. When no one objected, he nodded and continued. “As I mentioned before, no one is permitted to wander off. If you can’t swim, stay in the shallow end. If you need sunscreen, I have some in my bag over there.” He motioned toward the tree.

I glanced around. I’d be surprised if anyone needed sunscreen. The trees were tall, casting shadows over the water. There was still a possibility someone may burn, but it wasn’t likely for most. It also depended on how long he intended to keep us out here.

After he was done rambling, everyone broke off into groups. Some started stripping immediately, while others headed for the sunscreen.

“Where’s Angelina?” Tawnie asked, more to herself than to me, as she looked around for her friend.

Ignoring her, I peeled my shirt off, walking over to the picnic table and placing it on the bench. Next, I did the same with my pants after kicking my shoes and socks off. The sun was warm against my skin, and a part of me wanted to just lie on a towel and bathe beneath the hot rays.

I slipped my shoes back on, knowing there would probably be rocks at the bottom of the water.

I’d been to a few natural springs growing up. Alex and I had even taken Daisy on a few occasions. She absolutely loved the water and never wanted to leave once she had a taste of it. My chest tightened painfully at the reminder. I missed her so much it hurt.

“You killed me.”

Those words continued to haunt me, playing on a constant loop within my mind. I knew it wasn’t really her. But I couldn’t help but wonder if that’s what she thought. Had she felt betrayed? Did my mother think I did it on purpose?

I blew out a breath and shook my head, trying to rid myself of the horrid thoughts that had surfaced.

Turning, the breath got knocked from my lungs as I worked to process what I was seeing.

Angelina was wearing a gorgeous purple bikini that fit her body like a glove. Behind her, Archer stood shirtless, his tan skin glistening with sweat. He was rubbing sunscreen all over her back, taking his time like he wanted to cherish the feel of her skin beneath his hands. His fingertips teased the waistband of her bikini bottoms, dipping right beneath them before coming back up again.

Anger shot through my veins at the mere sight of them together like that. I’d never been a jealous person, and logically, I had no right to feel this way. But I couldn’t help it.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, I stormed across the clearing, heading toward the water. Fuck him. He didn’t get to act like a jealous asshole one day and turn right around just to flirt with some other girl. That wasn’t fair. Maybe I should cut my losses. He literally choked me out because he thought I’d hooked up with Seven. How would he react when he found out it was Jordan I’d spent the night with instead? Did he even give a shit anymore?

As soon as the water greeted my skin, chills erupted all over my body, freezing me in place. It was colder than I remembered. A shiver shot through my body, shaking me from head to toe.

After a few moments of freezing my ass off, I took a few more steps.

“Your body will adapt to it faster if you dive under,” Tyler told me as he approached. His hair was already wet, and water droplets dribbled down his skin. It was hard not to admire how lean he was.

“I-I d-don’t think I can,” I stammered, shuddering.

A devilish gleam entered Tyler’s eyes, and a grin stretched across his face. “I can help you with that.”

Horror punched through my chest, and I immediately started shaking my head. “Tyler, don’t you dare,” I forced out through heavy breathing. I took a step back, but he was already lunging for me.

His arms circled my waist, pulling me snug against his warm body. A shriek slipped past my defenses as he lifted me like I was nothing and threw me into the water. I barely had enough time to hold my breath before plummeting beneath the surface, the cold biting into my skin furiously.

My shoes connected with the ground, and I used it to push myself up, rising above the water once again.

“Asshole,” I snapped, splashing him.

Tyler just laughed, the sound echoing around us.

I reached up and brushed my hair out of my face, my gaze immediately locking with Archer’s, who still stood on land with Angelina at his side. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw ticked with anger as he stared back at me. He grabbed Angelina’s hand, tugging her toward the water like he was on a mission.

Tyler’s voice snagged my attention, and I turned to him again, relieved for the distraction. “Feel better?” He smirked.

“Fuck off.” I laughed.

Though, he was right. I felt a lot better than I had.

It was easy to get lost in the voices surrounding me and in the water circling my body. Despite everything going wrong in my life, this was a nice reprieve.

Tyler shoved a hand through his brown hair, pushing the damp strands from his eyes. I didn’t know much about him. Just that he’d blown his school up or something along those lines. He seemed like a decent enough guy, but then again, so did Ryder. If what Jordan said was true, I really couldn’t trust anything at face value.

The two of us stuck close together, wading in the cold water, and talking about random shit. It was lighthearted for the most part. We didn’t know each other well, so it wasn’t like we had a whole lot to speak about.

After a little while, Tyler turned to me. “I’m going to head to the restroom. You good here?”

“Yep.”

I needed to find some more shade anyway. The sun was growing hotter against my skin by the second, making me uncomfortable. If I didn’t move now, or put on some sunscreen, I was going to burn.

Once he started making his way toward land, I turned and began swimming to a more secluded area. Trees and large bushes surrounded the place, so it wasn’t like it was a difficult task. Just as I’d approached some large shrub blocking my path, I paused.

The water was moving a lot more aggressively this way, almost like a current would. The ripples in the water were fast, the liquid rising to meet my ribcage before dropping. Rising and dropping. Over and over again.

A whimper pierced my eardrums, causing my eyebrows to rise. The sound came from right around the bush blocking my path.

My heart started thudding rapidly. What if someone was drowning? The way the water moved around me was consistent with that theory. As fast as possible, I started swimming again.

But when I rounded the corner… nobody was drowning. In fact, it was much worse than that. Much worse than anything I could have thought up.

There was a large rock shooting out of the water—almost like a boulder—and Angelina was bent over it with Archer behind her. He had to have been standing on another rock to get to the height he was at, but it was concealed. He was driving into her hard and fast, one hand on her hip with the other cupping her mouth, trying to keep her quiet.

Tears sprung to my eyes instantly, followed by the bitter taste of betrayal.

He was just like Alex. He never cared about me. I shouldn’t even care whether he did or not. My emotions surrounding him were so complicated. But this…I wasn’t okay with this .

As if sensing me, he turned, his blue eyes connecting with mine. The betrayal must have been written all over my face, because a flash of regret slithered its way into his features.

I’m done.

I refuse to let shitty guys take advantage of me any longer.

I never thought I’d be excited to go back to the institution. For the most part, the retreat was fine, even if we didn’t do much of anything regarding spiritual shit. I wasn’t surprised though. Valentine was clearly having some kind of mental crisis of his own.

I was ready to head back to bed and forget this shit ever happened. I’d been avoiding Archer like the plague ever since. It wasn’t hard considering we were in separate beds. But now that we were back…I wasn’t sure how that would play out. He never tried to explain himself, so maybe he still wouldn’t. Maybe he didn’t care anymore, which was perfectly fine with me.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on my shoulders as I made my way to my room, but when I entered my hall, confusion slammed into me. Mr. Mike, some man I’d never met before, and Seven were standing in front of my doorway, blocking it off.

They all turned to look at me as I approached, and Seven’s callous smirk told me this was anything but good.

The man whispered something to Mr. Mike, who nodded before shooting me a hesitant glance and then spun on his heels to head in the opposite direction.

What the hell was going on?

“Rosalie Swanson,” the man spoke as I approached, making sure to keep my distance.

My gaze darted between Seven and the random dude at his side and I nodded with reluctance.

“I’m Dr. Theodore,” he explained. His voice was gravelly and deep, but not in a sexy way. In fact, there was something off about him and in the way he spoke. “I’m going to cut to the chase. Do you want to explain to me why there was a dead girl in your room?”