Page 181 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

scanning the bar,

the door,

the tables.

It’s the usual crowd.

Nothing to be alarmed about.

I shake it off and flex my fingers around the cue, try focusing on the stripe. But my skin still prickles, feeling eyes crawl out of the dark and latch onto me.

I crack the cue into the white ball harder than necessary.

Two stripes split fast,

diving into opposite corners,

slapping into pockets at the same time.

Andrew’s brows shoot up, his mouth falling open as his eyes climb up to me.

“Okay… that was hot.”

The cue twirls lazy in my fingers. “One: Ben and Honor stay at the penthouse.”

He opens his mouth⁠—

I cut him off. “Two: you’re doing Hell Week with them. Starting tomorrow.”

He tries again⁠—

I shut it down again, “And before you ask, Hell Week plays by my rules. So our contract? Doesn’t apply ‘til after.”

He shakes his head.

“Nah. The ultimatums always apply.”

“Fine,” I negotiate. “You get two out of the three that week.”

He taps the floor once with the cue.

“Which one’s out?”

“Sleeping in the same bed.

“Too tempting for me.”

“Aight. Fair.” His shoulders press back, spine stretching taller against the wall. “Hell Week,” he repeats, squinting at me. “That’s not ominous as fuck.” His stare drifts past me, trying to imagine how that plays out. Then he pushes off the wall, his head shaking. “Yeah... I got a bad feelin’ about where this is headed.”

I shrug. “Doesn’t matter. It’s tradition when a new body moves in. And Honor moves in tomorrow.”

He eyes widen. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow. And if Honor or Ben don’t pass Hell Week? They’re gone.” A dark little grin steals my mouth. “Same goes for you.”

He nods, lips pressed tight. “Uh-huh. Yeah, nah—you see, that look in your eye you got right now?” He points at me. “That’s witchy shit.”

He starts to say more,