Page 124 of Lessons in Cruelty

With the obsession.

Except when it adds fuel to the cruel fire burning inside me.

Spent, I try to force myself to sleep, but they don’t call it post-nut clarity for nothing. I stand, padding silently to the bedroom and willing myself not to look at Haven as I walk into my bathroom.

I swipe a finger over the vanity, and stare at the crumbs of white powder spotting my skin. Then, I retrieve the first aid kit and take out the bottle of pills inside.

Forcing a swallow, I hunt around in the bag as quietly as possible.

“Where is it?” I mutter to myself, absently rubbing my finger against my gums. “Where the fuck is it?”

I find an empty ibuprofen bottle in the trash. I have no idea when I tossed it in there, but it was buried under more used trash.

My hands shake as I check the first aid kit again.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe⁠—

No. No…

The bottle of tranquilizers glows orange in my hand.

I drugged my student. Ate her unconscious pussy. Almost fucked her.

Left scratch marks on her skin and tasted her blood.

Tainted her.

And I’m going to do it again.

I won’t rest until I’ve claimed every inch of her.

Chapter 32

Kai

“Fuck, Kai, at least open a window.”

I blink at Ezra through the haze of weed smoke between me and the door. His dark green eyes narrow when I remain parked on my ass on the floor of my dorm room, then he charges across the room and throws open my window.

Sweet, skunky smoke flees my room like civilians after a week-long hostage situation ends with the cops gunning down their kidnappers.

Wish I could open a window and escape that easily.

Ezra waves a hand dramatically in front of his face. “You know you can’t smoke that shit in here.”

I grin at him around the joint I’m puffing on. “You know I don’t give a fuck, right?” I gesture with two fingers between us. “Familial immunity.”

My brother snorts, shaking his head as he takes a slow scan of my dorm room. The way his nose wrinkles, it’s obvious I disgust him.

Ezra is the epitome of a germaphobe, with his immaculate gelled hair, his perfectly pressed clothes, and his obsession with hand sanitizer and mouthwash.

He nudges an empty beer can with his foot. “Celebrating?”

“Fuck, yeah.” I throw my hands up, one of them holding another beer. “Bitch is fucking gone.”

I was in no state to go to class today, but I have ferrets everywhere and they were quick to inform me that Haven did not show up to any of her classes today. It’s two in the afternoon on a glorious Wednesday, and I’m taking a long weekend.

Like a really, really long weekend.