Page 28 of Ready Or Not

It takes everything I have not to deck him. But he wouldlovethat. Instead, I grit, “You think you’re God and can just use me to kill off anyone you want?”

A small dimple forms on Manson’s right cheek.

Of course he does.

“Not happening.” Forget the fact I was okay with him killing Rachel just hours ago. Now, I’m going to make her outlive both of us just to spite him.

How inconvenient.

“Let’s go, bambi.” I grab her arm. “I think we’ve wasted enough time here.”

She struggles lightly, but she’s too far gone. I hardly even feel the effects. I’ve needed more and more doses to get me to feel anything recently.

“You can’t leave.” Manson steps in my way. “Not while high.”

“Rachel, did you hear something? Must be an annoying fly in here.” I grab her under her arms and lift her up. She’s so delicateand light, and it’s easy to make her do whatever I want. It makes my pussy throb.

“Riley–”

“If you don’t tell me about Pup, I swear I’ll never talk to you again.” The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them. I shouldn’t care about Pup. I’m not sad that he’s probably dead. All creatures die. But I never knew what happened to him. And that part eats at me.

Manson’s voice lowers dangerously. “I wouldn’t suggest that, Riley.”

I shoulder Rachel into the hall, beyond pissed. “I swear, Manson. Not another word.”

He follows us down the stairs. “You can’t ride your bike with her. She’s tripping. She’ll jump right off the back, and you’ll wreck.”

I ignore him. We make it to the back door and out.

“Riley,” Manson growls.

Instead of my bike, I head to his truck. I pop the passenger side open, dump Rachel in, and then go to the other side.

“You can’t leave without?—”

I fish the keys I stole from his pocket out and dangle them in the air.

There’s a beat of silence.

I don’t wait. I open the door and get in.

“Pup is buried by the tree in my dad’s backyard.”

I freeze. Something uncomfortable grips my chest and hurts. I turn back to Manson.

He just looks at me.

“You killed him?”

Manson doesn’t answer.

He killed him. Some part of me cracks.

I slam the car door and peel away.

13

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