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“Let’s go.” He wobbled when he first got to his feet, but managed to right himself quickly, which was exactly what I wanted—steady but easily thrown off balance.

“Where are we going?” I asked, even though I already knew.

“Across the street.” He turned to point toward the door and lost his balance. Grabbing on to my shoulders to keep from falling, we both struggled to stay upright.

By the end of it, he’d ripped my shirt and pulled my wig out of place. I hurried to straighten it, hoping Matthew didn’t notice my hair underneath. Not because I was hiding the fact that I was wearing a wig—that should’ve been obvious to anyone who cared to look. It was because I didn’t want Matthew or any of the Kings to possibly recognize me.

“I’m sorry,” he slurred.

“It’s fine. Let’s go,” I rushed out and practically dragged him out of the bar.

“You in a hurry? Your little punani wet for me?”

Yes, I was in a hurry. And eww! No the fuck it wasn’t.

“Yes,” I forced out. “She’s dripping.”

He slapped my ass, and I almost snapped right then and there. Instead, I grabbed his hand and briskly walked us across the street toward his hotel room. He was too drunk to realize he hadn’t given me any directions or told me his room number.Thankfully, he was able to keep a decent pace. As much as I wanted to kill him, I also wanted to get the fuck out of there as fast as possible.

A flash of worry hit me when he flawlessly opened the door to his room and stepped inside.Was he not as drunk as I thought?Then he fell against the wall and all my fears disappeared.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he slurred. “Just need some water.” Pushing off the wall, he stumbled toward the bathroom but fell onto the bed before he made it.

“I’ll get it for you,” I offered. “Let me help you into bed first.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled. “Just need some water. And a nap.”

“A nap?” I asked in mock horror. “We can’t have that.”

“Yes. Water and nap. Little nap. Please.”

“Of course,” I said sweetly. I found a cup in the bathroom and filled it with hot water from the sink. Then, I walked back to the bed and threw the water in Matthew’s face.

“What was that for?” he whined, sounding close to tears.

“I want you to be awake when I kill you.” Pulling the knife from my belt, I pressed his forehead down and back with one hand while I cut his throat from one side to the other before he could react. I stared into his eyes and smiled as I removed my wig. “I was one of the mermaids at Hannah’s party. She told me about you. I had a bad uncle too. I sliced his throat. But I wanted to make sure he was dead, so I stabbed him.” I plunged the knife into Matthew’s abdomen.

“Again.” Jab.

“And again.” Plunge.

“And again.” Stab.

I looked up at Matthew’s face and sighed. “Damn. My uncle died before I finished stabbing him too.”

I stood and wiped the knife on Matthew’s shirt before I grabbed my wig. Then I turned toward the door to leave andfroze. A man was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at me like he wanted to kill me.

SEVEN

SUGAR

Iclocked her as soon as she came through the doors of Liquid Anarchy. It wasn’t the obvious wig or her perfect ass. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something about her that had me watching her more than I usually watched customers—even the ones I fucked.

Because I was watching her more than necessary, I saw it happening before it actually happened. She’d been watching a table with two men since she arrived. I assumed she was interested in the one who looked like a rich prick—not the dingus I recognized as a guest from Charli’s—but I knew she was going to make a beeline for that table. And I knew they were going to leave together, which is when I should’ve stopped watching her, but I didn’t.

They were near the front door when it happened. He drunk stumbled and used her to catch his balance, almost taking them both down. She kept him from falling, but her wig was pushed back, revealing her hair underneath—dark brown with streaks of teal.