Page 125 of Lovely Darkness

“Oh, come on now,” Donovan says. “Enough with the lies. Nick is your cure, Wendy. He’s had your cure the whole time. Tell her, Nick.”

Wendy angles her body in my direction and I open my mouth to deny this bullshit, but Donovan cuts me off.

“Wait,” he says. “Drink first.”

“We’re not drinking—” But that’s as far as Adam gets. Because Donovan fires the gun. A bullet hits the ceiling above Maggie’s head and chunks of plaster fall down, showering her in a mist of white powder.

“What the fuck are you doing!” Indie is screaming.

But Donovan screams louder. “Drink!”

“It’s Carter,” Doc says. “That’s got to be Carter!”

This makes Donovan laugh. “There is no Carter inside me, Doc. Sorry to disappoint.” He side-eyes Indie when he says this. “There has never been a Carter inside me. It was just sick, old me. Now.” Donovan points his gun at the nurses. “Please pass the drinks around. Everybody gets one.”

The nurses don’t need to be told twice. They move on command, each of them picking up a tray and loading it up with the tiny plastic cups filled with Lectra.

But Indie, it seems, isn’t in the mood to be compliant. “Why are you lying to me?” She’s screaming it. “This is not you. I know you—”

“You don’t know shit.” Donovan growls these words at her, cutting her off, the malice in his voice taking her by surprise. Then it’s like he catches himself. He takes a moment as the nurses bustle through the room. One of them stops in front of Wendy and me. But I’m watching this interaction between Indie and Donovan.

They were in on this.

But not.

That’s what I see.

Indie and Donovan had some kind of understanding, maybe. Some plan. And now, thinking back on that trip to the house last night—why? Why did she need to go to that house?

They separated us.

Wendy went with Indie, Nathan stayed with me.

They’re both in on it.

At least, they were in on it.

Seems like Donovan is just as rogue as Indie when it comes to reliability.

Donovan, calmer now, says, “Just do as you’re told, Indie. Be a good girl and drink. It’s all gonna even out in the wash. Trust me.”

Indie’s not in the mood. She lunges for him and I wince, waiting for him to gun her down.

But he doesn’t.

Indie doesn’t get more than a foot, anyway. Nathan St. James has her by the arms. In fact, he has pinned them behind her back.

I look over at Adam thinking… isn’t this interesting?

But Adam’s too busy watching Indie. Probably coming to the same conclusion I am.

She’s in on it.

And Donovan just cut her out.

And Nathan is in on it too. Because he was prepared to stop Indie when she attacked.

So maybe he’s still in.