The door closed behind her silently, hiding the huffs of laughter as she stepped away from the suffocating room. Forcing herself to not think, to barelybreathe,Ray just focused on her steps as she walked. And walked.
It was duringthatbrief numbness, that mad silence, that Ray realized something.
If she wanted to win,she thought as she removed her phone from her pocket and dialed the same number,she would have to do more than just obey. More than just wait.
The phone clicked and Ray didn’t wait. Just walked out the hallway and out the damned house, “Fuck the slow burn.” She snapped as soon as she stepped out in the cold air and heard a slight intake of breath from the other end, “Let’s just set it all on fire.”
She’d have to make them believe they had no one else.
Ray was out of the hotel, with nothing but the breathing on the other end and the cold air to keep her company as her gaze snagged on the beach bar they’d built. It was midnight, she was alone, and this wassuch a bad idea,but Ray still swerved on her toes.
It was when she grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the closed glass door that the other person finally responded.
“I’ve been waiting for you to say that forages.”
No one but her.
A grin curved her lips as she twisted the lid and took a huge swig. Just as the voice on the other end lowered their octave to say,
“Let’s fucking burn them all down.”
19
He’d been lying on his bed. He’d been asleep. Well,not really,but he’d been comfortable. It was warm and it was a great night to fall asleep on an empty stomach.
Then his phone rang.
And Angel had all but jumped off his bed to grab the small device.
Now, he’d been staring at the name for about five seconds before the phone vibrated in his hands again. Partly because it was 2:00 at night and becauseshe was calling.
He knew he shouldn’t have, but a part of him was really,reallyso curious. Angel’s lips were pressed together in a show of annoyance when he picked up the call and pressed his phone to his ear.
“Tell mewhyyou are calling me at–”
“Have you ever danced on the beach, Angel De Santos?”
Angel froze. Or stilled. Or maybe his heart stopped. He really couldn’t tell. Because her voice was so much softer than it hadeverbeen, and it was so late at night, and she should be asleep.
“Excuse me?” He managed to drawl out as he sat up on his bed and looked out the windows. At the full moon.
“I’m asking if you’ve ever danced on the beach? In the sand, with the ocean at your feet. Without any music, without any–”
“Are you high?” Angel interrupted incredulously, getting off his bed to walk over to the window. His eyes snagged on the stunning view of the beach. Of the ocean.
“Just answer the question, Raven.”
So that was going to stick.
“No Storm. I think I might prefer dancing in the rain rather than in the sand.” He’d meant it sarcastically, but Ray hummed from the other end. And he froze again.
“Well, I guess you aren’t the right person to call then–”
“Wait.What?”he snapped, maybe thinking she was about to hang up when he noticed it. The lightest of slurs in her voice, the way her words seemed to come out all jumbled. His eyes widened,
“What, what?” she shot back.
Holy shit. Was Raylene Walker drunk?
