Page 18

CHAPTER 18

SCARLET

In the bathroom, I study my reflection.

Reddish pink splotches scatter across my normally ghost-white skin. Deeper red marks dot my neck. I strain into the light. Did he mark me? Or is that beard burn?

My palm covers my nipple, and I’m hit with the feel of his mouth and tongue. My core tightens in response.

I did it.

I took the last step to recovery. I had sex. And I enjoyed it. I wanted it.

Vincent is no longer my only.

I can honestly say I’m now glad I didn’t force myself to have sex with just anyone to get it off my list. Nick…it’s like he understood what I needed and could handle it.

He was gentle, and what just happened in there…in that room…it’s so unlike any of my prior experiences. Even before Vincent turned vile, it was never like that with us. He was?—

Knock. Knock.

“You okay in there?”

I reach for a towel hanging on a knob and pull it to my chest, then crack the door open.

“I’m going to shower.”

One eyebrow lifts and he smirks. “Want company?”

I giggle. The ridiculous sound bubbles out, and the sound is unnatural and freakish.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

He narrows his eyes. “Why?” His gaze lowers to the clutched towel. “You know, that’s quite unnecessary.”

I look to the ceiling, smiling like a loon.

“Let me shower. I’ll see you in a bit.”

He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. “Fine. I suppose I should shower, too. I’ve got a slate of meetings. But for the record, I don’t care to shower alone.”

“How sad for you.”

He narrows his eyes and wiggles a finger at me. I lean forward and snap my teeth as if I’m going to take his finger off, but he gathers me up, towel and all, pushes me right up against the doorframe, and kisses me thoroughly.

When he breaks away, he taps my nose. “You are a tease.”

“I am not,” I shout at his retreating back. We had sex. He can hardly call me a tease.

I don’t know why I wasn’t ready to shower with him. I stood before him naked, but I felt… I’m not sure. Exposed. Raw. I need time to process. One thing I learned in therapy is that listening to yourself is important. I don’t need to understand all the whys, I simply need to hear myself. Or maybe it’s not simple at all.

Who am I kidding? None of it’s simple. But I don’t regret standing up for myself. And his reaction to me saying no? Well…a smile keeps breaking free.

After I shower, I wander through the house with that silly smile popping up at random. Walking down the hall. Pouring myself coffee. Passing Nick’s closed office door.

I need fresh air. Some exercise. The day is overcast, as it has been since I arrived. I hold a finger up to test the air—it’s dry. The absence of drizzle is an improvement. Wearing an old pair of Wellies that sit by the side door, I cross through the garden and down the path to the stable.

Dog comes trotting up, tail wagging.

“Hello there.”

He jumps up, his front paws landing on my front.

“Down, boy.” I can’t imagine that’s approved behavior.

Obedient, his paws hit the ground, his lolling tongue saying he’s not in the least bothered by my reprimand.

He trots ahead and pauses, waiting for me, tail wagging.

“You must want food.” Or no, he wouldn’t look to me for food. I’ve never fed an animal on the premises. “Don’t want to be alone?”

A horse neighs, but Dog’s attention doesn’t stray.

I reach him and scratch behind his ears. His tail wags back and forth. Lina told me Dog showed up one day and never left.

“We’re both strays, the pair of us,” I tell him.

He trots ahead, tail wagging, and I follow.

The breezeway door is open, which it always seems to be. I suppose on bad weather days they must close it to keep the animals warm and dry.

I’ve never ridden a horse and have no intention of saddling one up, but I’m growing fond of the scent of leather and hay, and even the earthy smell of manure. I can see why Lina spends most of her time here.

It’s interesting. I’ve perused her influencer posts, and they are all about clothes, cosmetics, and nightlife. But I bet she could have some fantastic videos of the animals, or even of her trail rides. Perhaps those videos wouldn’t resonate with her target market.

Lina’s horse’s head hangs over the stall door. I reach up to pet him, but he jerks, and I back away. He’s a beautiful boy. Ebony eyes, glistening black fur. A light coat of dust reflects the sun when it hits right. If I had the nerve to reach over the stall door and pat his neck, I bet a cloud of dust would rise.

His nostrils flair, and I back away, heeding the warning. Lina said he’s friendly, but all the same, I won’t risk those enormous teeth clamping down on me.

Dog trots ahead, out of sight.

I move on, intent on reaching the trail. There’s a chill in the air, but once I strike out on the path, I should warm right up.

A dusty black boot pointed skyward atop the shavings in an empty stall catches my eye.

Odd .

I circle back and see Jodhpurs.

My heart kicks up a notch.

“Hello?”

I round the corner.

Lina lies in the shavings. But it’s her pale arm that slows time. A needle juts from it. Her eyes are closed.

I reach for the wall to steady myself and blink off the wave of dizziness.

“Christ. Lina.”

I possess medical training. I trained as a nurse until accounting became far preferable to mending Lupi Grigi men.

Pull it together.

I bend beside her and place my fingers against her throat, searching for a pulse.

Her lips are dark. As are her nail beds. My index finger digs into her still-warm skin, and I examine the protruding needle.

It must be heroin. Has to be.

Beneath my fingers, there’s a pulse.

I yank out the needle and scan the stall.

She’s overdosed.

Think .

“Helloooo!” I scream. If anyone is here, I need help. I can’t carry her back to the house by myself.

A horse neighs. Dog runs in, tail wagging, nose in my face.

I brush him away from my face and stand. “Stay with her. I’ll be right back.”

I take off running as fast as I can in the unwieldy Wellies. It’s possible Nick has Naloxone. If he doesn’t have the drug on hand, he’ll have to help me load her into a car. How far away is the hospital?

I sling the door open and let out a blood-curdling scream. “Nick!”