Page 36 of Dirty Monsters

I started to scoff. Wren seemed to have made a lot of fucking friends in this place. She didn't need me. Before I could voice anything, Lisa added, "A sober friend."

She had to be kidding me. There was no way I’d trot around with Wren all day when her newest quest was to fuck me over. I needed to talk to Mrs. Tessier myself and get this shit straightened out.

"Ro," Lisa tapped her pen onto the table and pinched her lips together. "I know this isn't ideal, but I need you to remember a few things. Number one being we are a top dollar facility, and we facilitate by any means necessary."

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to finish her speech. I knew how prestigious this place was among those with money and issues. It was one reason it paid so fucking well.

"The second thing is you really have no room to argue these decisions. After what happened with Molly, it is best if you walk the fine lines we need you to walk. This isn't a punishment because I truly believe you didn't touch Molly. If I thought you had, I wouldn't let you near Wren, much less alone. However, time needs to pass, and you need to lay low. Spending time with one patient will lessen the chances of anything else popping up."

I sat with my mouth gaped open. I didn't even have a response or a rebuttal. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Nowhere to run, damned if I do and damned if I didn't.

Lisa gave me a nod, thanked me quietly, and walked off in time for me to turn and see Wren walking into the common area of the house. She didn't see me sitting at the table in the corner, but I saw her.

She had a fake-ass smile on her face, a fake laugh flowing from her mouth, and her arms wrapped tightly around Shawn's. He was gazing down at her with a real smile and what I assumed were hopes and dreams of finding his way into her room later.

I stood abruptly, losing my fucking mind for a minute, and stomped over to Wren.

"Let's go, Wren," I snapped, pulling her arms from around Shawn's.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," I glared at Shawn, and despite the fact that he was an extremely rich patient who frequented Beachside, I narrowed my eyes at him, daring him to mouth off at me. I was backed into so many damn corners I was having a hard time giving a whole lot of fucks about how I appeared.

"I'm not leaving anywhere with you, Ro."

I glanced down at Wren and snarled. This entire mess was her fault. I should have turned her ass into Linda for being on the beach the day when I had the chance. Not only could I have covered my own ass in the Molly situation, but I could have also gotten rid of her then and there.

"I just talked to Lisa, and she says otherwise. Looks like we both get to spend some time in hell." Shawn was glancing between us, no doubt wondering what was happening.

He must have realized shit was above his head at the moment and decided to bow out before things got worse. "Hey, Wren. You work this out, and we can hang later, okay?" He pulled her arm from his and kissed her hand, another move that almost left him fucked up.

She nodded, and I stomped away, knowing damn well she’d follow me. It was time to have a fucking chat with my little sister.

I followed Ro outside and down the side of the house. He knew I’d follow, like a little puppy, but I was too curious about what he had to say to care how pathetic I seemed.

Once we were isolated, Ro turned on me and slammed me hard against the stucco wall. His hand settled above my breast, his strength being the only thing keeping me upright. The impact was so quick and unexpected, my knees threatened to give out on me.

“You’re hurting me,” I cried, probably more dramatically than necessary. Ro wasn’t causing me any pain, only fear, but I’d take any leverage I could to keep the upper hand.

I didn’t count on Ro not giving a shit. I didn’t count on him pushing into me harder. He leaned in close, and I realized I was no longer with Nurse Ro. I was with big brother Ro, and I didn’t know who the hell he was anymore.

Apart from last night, I was eleven the last time I saw him. He was sixteen and much lankier than he was now. We both grew up, but Roreallygrew up. He wasn’t a boy. He was a man, and damn, did he have the body to prove it.

Last night, I avoided him and didn't give myself time to process the impact this would have on me. My main mission was to get away from him and make him angry simply for the fun of it. Maybe it was the high, the drugs making me feel more brazen than I actually was.

But once I woke up that morning, I was indecisive and lost. Now that I realized Nurse Ro was one of my monsters, I should have been scared. Instead, I was angry, and as much as I hated to admit it, I was turned the fuck on.

I never had my release; I never felt my high from the orgasm Lip promised me. I was left wanting something I didn’t receive. Something not even the weed could erase.

“Then we are back to normal then, huh? It’s what I do, Wren, right? Hurt poor little you?”

Even his words didn’t scare me. Ro wouldn’t hurt me right here; he wouldn’t risk the new life he had, would he? He said last night he didn’t want anyone to know about my adventure, and I know it was simply to save his ass.

“From the day I was born," I seethed, merely to taunt him and get under his skin. His nostrils flared, and he pressed harder into my chest, moving his hand up closer to my neck. "Is this why you didn’t say anything? Didn’t want my dad to move me somewhere safer?"

"When I pulled you into the closet, I thought you knew who the fuck I was. I covered for you being out on the beach. I covered for you last night. You think I’d have done it if I knew I could get rid of you by telling my boss there was a conflict of interest?"

"Let me guess. Keep your enemies closer?" I bit out. I didn’t know why he didn’t back the fuck off when he realized who I was. I didn't know why he didn’t tell me. He let me come on to him and grab him and tease him, but he didn’t say a fucking word. He even pushed into my hand, hard and hot. He knew who I was then, and he might have been as fucked up as I was.