Dead Man's Hand (The Journals of Octavia Hollows #2) by Stacey Rourke

Author:Stacey Rourke [Rourke, Stacey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781090333650
Google: UqFgwwEACAAJ
Amazon: 109033365X
Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing
Published: 2019-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

“Karen, you need to put the fork down.” Hand in the air, I approached Karen with extreme caution. There was no judgment in the statement, but extreme concern.

Dry-heaving as yet another forkful of pumpkin pie neared her lips, tears welled in Karen’s beautiful chestnut eyes. “I want to stop… but, I-I can’t.”

Half a dozen empty pie pans littered the table, crumbs and pie-filling staining the front of her silk blouse. Deep fissures cracked her skin, revealing red hot embers burning her from the inside out. By the way her hand shook, struggling to pull the fork away, she loathed every bite forced past her lips. Still, whatever gasoline the wish-granting entity threw on her addiction fueled it into a raging inferno that burned far beyond her control.

Nate and I knew something was wrong the instant we stepped off the elevator onto Karen’s floor. The smell of something burning wafted down the hall, growing stronger as we neared. Wrought with concern, Nate kicked in the door to get us inside.

At the sight of her, he crumbled. Details of his own death stabbed into him, folding him to his knees. “Oh, God. I remember. I was at the Blackjack table. I could count cards just by looking at them. I couldn’t lose. I went from casino to casino, unable to stop. Each win just fed that burning need within me for more, just… one… more… hit.”

The haunting memories of his demise having crippled him, it fell to me to try and reason with the struggling stranger. “Maybe you can’t do this by yourself, Karen, but you don’t have to.” With a careful sidestep, I ventured further into her tastefully decorated abode. “We’re here to help. Together, we can beat this. I just need you to loosen your grip and drop the fork.”

At that one daring step, her hand jerked up as if acting on its own twisted agenda. Her lips clamped shut, the bite sizzling against her steamy skin. “Stay where you are!” she pleaded through tightly clenched teeth.

Rising to his feet, Nate wiped away the tears streaking his cheeks. “I know what you’re feeling, Karen. You feel small compared to this monstrous addiction that’s crushing you. But it’s an emotion. A feeling. Not unlike what I feel for you.” Nate paused and peered down at his hands, as if the words he was hunting would magically be scrolled there. “You’re the most beautiful, kind, compassionate person I’ve ever met. The way you volunteer to sit with anyone at group who may be having a rough moment, needs a ride, or a shoulder to cry on showed me a glimpse into your soul. But it was your smile, the one that lights up any room, that caused me to fall head over heels in love with you.”

Pulling up short, my head whipped in his direction. “Oh, wow. We’re doing this right now? I’m all for true love prevailing and all that crap, but she’s moments from going full Vesuvius.”

Karen’s shoulders shook with a fresh peal of sobs.

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