Page 230 of Toxic Kiss

How the hell did my mother find us?

Teeth grinding, I open the door.

“What are you doing here, mother?”

Anita lunges, wrapping her arms around me while she pretends to cry. I’ve only seen my mother really cry once in my life, and this is not it.

Grabbing her by the arms, I slowly push her back. She puts on a perfect pout and dabs at her eyes with a tissue.

“Cyrus, I was so worried about you. I’ve been a mess.”

“You paid off a judge and got me locked up to get my attention. Excuse me if I don’t give a fuck how you feel.”

“You don’t mean that,” she says, reaching for me.

I step back as if her touch will scald me.

“Yes, I do. Why are you even here? No, forget that, how did you find us?”

She looks down at the ground, but the innocent act won’t work on me.

“Tell me.”

“I still have access to the flight logs, and Auguste always uses the same car service. They told me you were here.”

“Great, my mother is insane and a stalker.”

“I’m not insane. I’m a worried mother. I wouldn’t have had to go to these lengths if Haven hadn’t absconded with you in the night.”

I narrow my eyes.

“It wasn’t a heist, Mother. Haven picked me up from the hospital in broad daylight.”

“Whatever. You know what I mean.”

She flicks her hair over her shoulder, and the tears are suddenly gone.

“No actually, I don’t. What do you want?”

“Son, you need to separate yourself from Haven. I know you don’t see it, but she is bad news. I see you slipping back into all these old habits that will just lead you down a dark path.”

She tries to touch me again, but I move so she can’t.

“Well, that’s rich,” Haven says from behind me.

Over my shoulder, Haven is standing in the middle of the hallway, arms crossed and eyes hard as steel. The guys are with her, each one wearing the same angry expression.

“If it isn’t the abductor now. Kidnapping my son in his time of need, very classy.”

“You’re really going to stick with that story? Ironic, considering why Cy was locked up in the first place.”

“I have nothing but my son’s best interest at heart. Besides, it seems a shame that I can’t get the police to issue a warrant for your arrest. You evidently enjoyed jail the last time you were there.”

What the fuck?

The thought of my mother watching us makes me gag.

“This is the second time you’ve mentioned the video, Anita. You’re the one who seems obsessed with it. It’s perverse and disgusting that you watched your son having sex. Maybe you’re the one who should be in jail if that’s what you enjoy,” Haven growls back, voicing my thoughts.