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Durian begins to convulse at my feet. His entire body writhing and gyrating.

And then he goes entirely still.

“Fuck! Not here.” I bend down, but it’s already too late.

Green blood creeps from his nose and eyelids.

Kale curses. “Knocking him out must have caused it to activate faster.”

My eyes flash up to him. “Help me roll him. I need to find whatever is contaminated. We guessed heroine, but with this fucker, it might be cocaine.”

I half-expect Kale not to listen, but he moves in a trance. Stepping on the other side and pushing up Durian’s body.

I reach into his front.

His wallet.

His keys.

Then his back pockets.

A condom.

A plastic bag.

My hands wrap around the bag, pulling it out.

I take a single look at it before closing my fist around the drugs.

“Fuck.”

Everything clicks into place at once. My eyes flash up to Kale.

I stuff the bag into my pocket.

“What is it?” he asks, but I don’t answer.

We need to deal with him next.

“Leave,” I tell him. “Now.”

He opens his mouth to argue, but I tug a knife out, clicking it open and pressing it to his neck.

“For Cinnamon’s sake, I will leave. But this isn’t over.” He takes the warning, getting to his feet and offering one last irritable look before leaving.

He’s right. But it will be soon.

Straightening, I grab my phone out of my pocket, and call our clean up crew.

This body can’t be found here.

When I switch to check Cinnamon’s location, I find she hasn’t listened to me at all.

That she’s at her apartment.

Part of me wants to drive there, to force her back into my home, to never leave my side again.

But first I need to talk to Reuben. Discuss what I have just learned.