I dug my nails into my palms like the added pain would help block out the images.
“Almost to your house.”
My heart skipped in my chest, my stomach tensing so hard I bent over between my knees in case I puked.
If I was lucky enough to be home alone, I could already see how my night would end.Dead.If the drugs already in my body didn’t do it, I would take matters into my own hands.
Or maybe another hit of what they gave me would take the edge off. I wouldn’t be feeling this shitty. I’d feel happy. Like I did with Nox. I could raid whatever stash my dad had or ask him to call one of his friends to hook me up.
“What time is it?” I squinted around the car looking for a clock.
“Uh, 9:30.”
I let out a shaky breath, nausea curdling my stomach again. I could kill myself, get high, or…
“You remember that house we met at?”
“Uh, that kid you said was a classmate?” He asked.
“Yeah, drop me there.”
“Shiloh, that’s not a good—”
“You take me there or you leave me here on the side of the road and I’ll walk there.”
“Christ, you’re fucking difficult. You’re not thinking clearly, Shiloh. You’re in no shape to be socializing.”
A moment of silence passed, and I wiped the sweat dripping down my forehead.
“Yes, thank you,” I spat, still hunched over, staring at my shoes. “I’m well aware I look like a fucking cracked out prostitute. And I’ll deal with it. They know about my allergy. They’re expecting me. If I don’t show it’ll just cause more of a headache for me.”
Lies.I knew they wouldn’t actually come looking for me, but I needed a reason not to go home. I was too selfish to not seek the only haven I had in this fucked-up town.
He sighed, glancing over at me. The silence only made the pounding in my head more prominent. “Los Siete isn’t done with your baptism. You won’t be protected if his parents try to get the authorities involved. You’re not only putting yourself in danger, you’re risking that kid and his family too. If you say something you don’t mean to, if they call the police…Shiloh, think this through for a second.”
I’m fucking trying to think! I go home and I die. Or I go to Enoch’s and hopefully live.
“Do you want me to live through tonight? Or do you want me to die, and Carlos take your little brother in my place?”
Adrian’s jaw ticked and a long moment of silence passed.
“I will fucking gut you alive if you open your fucking mouth. If anything happens, Shiloh, if anything happens tonight, that family’s blood is on your hands. Got it?”
My eyes burned with tears and I rapidly blinked.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“This is for you,” he said, leaning over and pushing my body back up and into my seat so that he could open the glove compartment.
He retrieved a bag and dropped it into my lap.
“Phone is paid for, programmed with my number and a number to reach Carlos. I know I don’t need to but I’m gonna say it anyways, if anything happens you callmefirst.Always. You’re not a full member yet, but so help me, I will force you to stay alive long enough to get to that day. So callmefirst if you get into any trouble.”
He paused to give me a stern glare, and I nodded in understanding.
“And take the pill in there. Morning-after so we don’t have any accidents. Everyone’d been tested for STI’s before, in case you were worried about that.”
I almost thanked him. Instead, I scoffed, closing the paper bag.
