Page 63 of Ash and Poison

Sighing, I made my way toward Doctor T’s office. Just as I neared the office, the door opened from the inside. I slipped back, pressing my back against the wall.

Nurse Becca stepped out of the room, her eyes darting around as she quietly closed the door behind her. She turned and walked away, disappearing down the hall.

Becca?

She had been here for well over a decade, but… could she be the one I’d been searching for? I couldn’t imagine her selling a mentally unstable girl to a psychopath, but what did I know?

“What are you up to, sneaky little Pussycat?”

I jumped at the whisper, my heart skipping a beat. Whipping around, I found Diya watching me with a curious smile.

God, she was gorgeous.

She was art; she was abstract. Like a million colors spilled on the canvas. She was destruction. The wildfire moving through dead trees, bringing the forest down to ashes… and I… I wanted to paint her, I wanted to burn with her.

It was absurd and obscene, this need, this addiction, but it was entirely beyond my control right now.

I had relinquished my control over my body already. Now, she owned it, and she knew how to make me dance. The right strings to pull, the right buttons to push.

“None of your damn—” I started, catching myself. Oh, yes, the truce.

Her eyebrows lifted in a playful arch. “Oh, touchy, are we?”

I let out an exasperated sigh, trying to push down the tension prickling under my skin. “I was about to sneak into Doctor T’s office, and I saw Becca coming out of his room.”

“Becca?” Diya’s smile disappeared. “Could she be?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. Diya reached out, her fingers grazing mine. “I have known her for years, and she…”

“She could just be cleaning out his room.”

“She could be,” I said.

“Come with me.” Her voice was quiet but firm. “We can’t do this here.”

When we reached her office, she locked the door behind us, before turning to me.

“Pretty bold of you, Sharma,” I murmured, leaning in closer, savoring her delectable scent. “Dragging me all the way like this. Do you want me all to yourself?”

Her eyes sparkled as she crossed her arms, and her breasts became even more pronounced against her green silk blouse. For a second, I couldn’t think about anything except just wrapping my palm around her perfect breasts.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I just didn’t want to attract more eyes. Vincent is already on your ass, and if you go around like a reckless moron…”

“Worried about me?” I leaned against the wall with a grin. “Be still, my stupid heart.”

She shook her head, rolling her eyes, but I saw the faintest trace of a smile.

“Focus, Maddox. Becca might be hiding something, or she’s just doing her job. We don’t know, but we need to be careful. You can’t give Vincent more ammunition, Ash.”

“I’ll be careful,” I said, studying her. “How is the pain?”

“Much better after the pills. Asher…”

“Yes?” I looked at her.

“Thank you.”

My heart tightened and for a second, I was afraid I might be dying.