Page 331 of The First Taste

Ares comes trotting up, holding out a neat envelope of cash. “Ye two playing nice, are ye?”

Etienne snatches the money from Ares, glaring at both of us. “Don’t call me again, motherfucker. I don’t need to take money from people who is bat shit crazy, ya heard?”

Then he turns, one hand still at his neck, and starts to bolt across the park in the opposite direction from where I came. Ares shrugs and pulls a face, looking at me.

“Did ye get something good?”

I push out a breath and uncurl my fists. “Maybe.”

Fishing in my pocket for the info, I open the tiny envelope. Inside, there is a plain index card with a name and address printed on it.

“Persephone Corbin,” I read off. My heart starts beating at the sound of her name although I don’t exactly know why.

I squint over my shoulder, looking back toward the little shack where Eros stands. Two girls stand next to him, talking and flirting. Girls are always drawn to my brothers, presumably because they look handsome in their suits and they are so rich that money just drips from them. Eros also happens to be so fucking charming that it’s a surprise when women don’t slip him their panties under the table.

It’s disgusting to watch.

I jerk my head toward Eros. “Let’s go. Grab thatbawbag. I think we have a girl to hunt down.”

I slip the card into my pocket and feel the edges of my mouth curling to a smile.

Persephone

At Cameron’s small grocery store, I push around a cart with a wonky wheel, lost in thought.

No, that’s not quite right.

As I walk down the aisle with all the colorful cereal boxes next to the bagged macaroni and rotini, I’m absorbed by a dark memory.

Running along the beach at night, my fancy dress whipping around my body. I’m afraid, my pulse pounding in my head with every stride. Maddie is running right beside me, her blonde hair rippling in the icy wind. A frightened look takes up all the real estate on her gorgeous face.

She points to a cluster of rocks. Let’s go there.

My fists tighten. Maddie and I scamper up the rocks. I throw a look over my shoulder and of course he is there. Constantine, pupils gone small from doing rails of coke, his expression dark and ominous. He’s gone off the deep end before, but this time…

“Excuse me!”

I blink twice and suddenly I’m back in the grocery store. Not only that, but I’ve stopped my cart directly in front of the queue to line up for checkout. An older woman is scowling at me, her arms full of toilet paper and eggs.

“Sorry.” I blush and pull my cart out of the way.

What am I doing?

My right hand tingles and I clench it into a fist. Nothing is ever solved by reliving the last moments of Maddie’s life. I’ll never get my friend back. I will never be able to go back and not climb those rocks.

Never find the exact right words to say to drug-addled Constantine. Never stop him from pushing Maddie and me off the cliff and onto the rocks below.

My eyes tear up. Embarrassed at my complete lack of self-control, I swipe at my eyes. Grabbing the few items that I’ve collected in my cart, I haul them up to the register. My cheeks burn as I check out, barely able to meet the gaze of the young grocery clerk.

When she offers to take my groceries out to my car, I blurt out, “no, thanks!”

I bolt out of the store like a woman on fire. Flashes of that same tragic memory plague me as I hurry home, my footsteps harried.

Maddie’s scream as Constantine pushes her off the edge.

Blood washing around on the rocky beach.

The sensation of falling down, down, down. It feels endless and at the same time, all too brief.