Intoxicated By You

Teagan scratched her sleeve up farther, and I could see the track marks up her arm. My heart hammered in my chest. I knew how unpredictable drug addicts could be. If provoked, she could swerve the car and crash. Drug addicts couldn’t be reasoned with logically.

Drake: Where the fuck is she taking you?

Me: Her place. Then the dock. Hurry. I think she’s on drugs.

Drake: I’m on my way. But when she stops at her place, if I haven’t made it, get out of the car.

Me: Okay.

I’d missed the signs. Somehow, I’d missed all the signs for who knows how long. I was trained to see this, and I’d completely overlooked it. But it now made sense.

We pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. “Be right back. Then we’ll be on our way.” She went to close the door but then reopened it. “I missed you, Alexa. I really did.”

Teagan left the car running and ran into her building. Her movements were awkward and lacked fluidity. In a panic, I opened the car door, but I paused when I saw her cell phone in the seat. The text app was pulled up. When I heard Drake’s truck pull into the parking lot, I decided to look at her text. It was from an unknown number.

Unknown: I know what you need. Meet me at your place.

My heart nearly stopped in my chest, and I glanced at the apartment door. Before I could get out of the car, Drake lifted me into his arms, and I dropped the phone. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and walked swiftly to his truck.

“You okay? Are you hurt?”

I was still a little shaken and couldn’t quite form a sentence.

“Lex, speak to me.”

“I’m not hurt.” It all felt like a dream. I shuddered, remembering what she looked like. “I think she’s on heroin. I saw the tracks up her arm. She wasn’t herself.”

Within a minute, I was in Drake’s truck, and he whipped out of the parking lot. His jaw was tense as he watched his rearview mirror. His knuckles were white where he held onto the steering wheel, and his eyes were tight as he focused on the road. The vein in his neck pulsed. This wasn’t good. “You seem agitated.”

“No, Lex, I’m fucking pissed.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Drake

I focused on calming myself down as we drove out to our cabin. Damn it all to hell, Teagan had crossed the line that night. Drugs. And she’d had my girl with her. Lex knew better. She fucking knew Teagan was bad news. Always had been. But this was the first time it had gone too far.

“Drake. Calm down. I’m okay.”

That was it. I pulled the truck onto the side of the road. “This time you’re okay. This time. Drugs, Lex. Come on. You’re a nurse. You could have ended up in an accident. Or worse.”

She let out a breath, and I could tell she was getting frustrated, too. Welcome to the club, baby. From the moment I got her text, everything had moved in slow motion. Things could have gone drastically wrong. I’d even called Hollis and asked him to be on standby in case something happened.

“I’m okay, Drake.”

Okay. There was that damn word again.

“No more Teagan.”

She held up her hand, and her eyes flashed fire. Well, step up to the plate, baby, because I’m not backing down.

“You do not control me.”

“No more Teagan.”

Her eyes narrowed. I knew I was being a jackass. But my concern for her won over any common sense I may have possessed at that moment. Her lips thinned. “It’s amazing I somehow survived the two years we spent apart.”

It felt like she slapped me, and I shook my head. This could escalate out of control fast. I knew she was scared. But Lex had a heart of gold, and it was bleeding for her friend. If we kept going on the way we were, one of us was going to say something we’d regret.