Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
BELLATRIX
“Fine,” I said as Vee replied with, “Absolutely fucking not.”
She was loud. But I was louder. I usually was. Vee had this way of controlling her emotions while mine vomited out of my mouth before I could even think to stop them.
“That was awfully quick, myshka.” Casper craned his neck to one side, eyeing me up and down like he was trying to decide which part of me he wanted to lop off and toss into his freezer first. He was definitely the kind of creep who had a bunch of body parts waiting on a tub of ice somewhere.
“You don’t even know what I want to do with you yet. ”
I rolled my eyes. “Does it matter?”
“Nope.” He drew out the word again.
“Didn’t think so.”
I didn’t get to say anything else because Vee was already grabbing me by the arm and dragging me out of the room. Whatever she needed to tell me, she didn’t want him hearing it. Or more than likely, she didn’t want him hearing me arguing with her.
She didn’t stop walking until we were across the hall. She shoved me into a nearby office, glancing over a shoulder at Gabby. Who was watching us go as she twirled her syringe in the air. Threatening to jab at Casper whenever he squeaked the rolling chair a little too close to her.
He scooted forward, she swung an arm. He scooted back, waited for her to drop it, and immediately scooted forward again. Rinse and repeat.
I shook my head. It was clear she didn’t realize how much he enjoyed egging her on.
She was providing him free entertainment and the fucker was eating it up with a bowl of popcorn.
She would have been better off ignoring him.
But she would have to figure out that part on her own.
I had no intention of correcting her with the mood she was in.
Vee slammed the door shut, drawing my eyes from their antics back to her. She muttered something I didn’t catch while pressing a palm to the door. If I didn’t know better, I would say that she was praying. Because I knew better, I could assure you she wasn’t.
She sucked in a long breath, took a few calculated steps into the room, and then spun in my direction.
All her focus on me while mine was split between her and continuing to observe Gabby and Casper through the glass window.
He was spinning in the chair now, and she was pacing in front of him.
Probably cursing him out. If she lifted her head long enough for me to read her lips, I would know for sure.
She didn’t, so I could only make an educated guess.
My eyes bounced over to Vee again, who was watching me watch them.
“Are you insane?” she spit the words between clenched teeth. They weren’t really a question, though; they were an accusation.
“Probably a little.” I shrugged. “But you knew that when you plucked me out of that gutter.”
“You weren’t insane. You were sick,” she countered.
I was both. I was also young and stubborn and so very sure that I didn’t need anyone. Really, I wasn’t all that different now. “Because I refused to take my meds, which we can both admit is a little insane looking back at it.”
Vee huffed but she didn’t say anything else. She knew I was right. “It’s a journal. It’s not that important,” she finally replied.
“It’s important to you,” I reminded her. “And it wasn’t my business to touch it.”
“You’re right. It wasn’t.” Vee’s eyes flicked behind my head, likely doing the same thing I was doing and checking on Gabby. Casper was still spinning and she was still threatening to stab him. “Did you read it?” Vee asked.
“Only the first page or so,” I admitted. “Before they jacked my bag.”
“Adrian.”
“Yes.” I’d already told her it was him, but it was as if she needed to hear it again.
“And how did he get it?” She gestured behind me.
I turned to look at Casper, who was now flat on his back, still in the chair with Gabby crouching over him.
She had a foot planted on each side of his body, her long hair brushing her shoulders while the tip of the syringe pressed against the fat vein in his throat.
She was riled up. He was completely unbothered.
“I don’t know…” I told Vee.
She nodded once. I could see the gears in her head turning. There was something in that notebook that could hurt her. Or me. Or Gabby. Or all of us. Vee was just trying to determine how much. She was also trying to come up with some sort of counterattack.
I knew there wasn’t one when she said, “It doesn’t change anything.”
“I’m going with him.” I nodded.
She shook her head. “No, you’re not.”
“I am. It’s my problem to fix.”
Vee grabbed on to my arm again. I tugged it free. “You can’t fix this, Bellatrix.” She sighed.
“I’m going to try, and you’re going to let me.”
Vee quirked an eyebrow.
I quirked one back. I could play this game all day. Guess Casper and I weren’t that different after all. The surest way to get me to do something was to tell me I couldn’t. “You know there is nothing you can do to stop me. Not really.”
“You’re going to have to kill him.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” she pressed.
“I do,” I insisted, even as my eyes strayed in his direction. “Someone has to bell the cat, right?” I added, throwing her words back at her.
“Yes, they do,” she agreed. “As long as they remember who’s the cat and who’s the mouse.”
“Of course…” I grinned before spinning around on a sneaker and walking back out of the room. “Except I’m both.”
Vee tried calling after me, but it didn’t matter because I wasn’t listening anymore.