Insatiable (Inferno Games #3)

15. I’ve Finally Found Something That Juliette Perez Hasn’t Fucked

15

I’VE FINALLY FOUND SOMETHING THAT JULIETTE PEREZ HASN’T FUCKED

ROWENA

I slowly drift back to consciousness, the darkness of my coma lifting like a heavy fog. My body feels heavy, but there's a strange warmth beside me. I blink my eyes open, and the dim, flickering light of a hospital room comes into focus.

Turning my head slightly, I see Felix. He’s slumped in a chair, his head resting on the edge of my bed, his hand clutching mine. His usually stern face is softened in sleep, dark circles under his eyes hinting at the long hours he must have spent here. Holy crapola!

“Felix?” I whisper, my voice barely audible, throat dry and scratchy.

He stirs slightly but doesn’t wake. I have no idea what to do. I’m not sure if I even want him to wake up right now, but his arm is resting over my legs and feels like it’s been there for some time. It hurts. I squeeze his hand weakly, feeling a strange mix of emotions. This man, who I’ve fought with and raged against, is here, holding my hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

I try to remember what happened, but the last thing I remember is eating at the second trial. The memory of it comes back. The beautiful cabin, the amazing view. My dream for as long as I can remember… and Felix. If he wasn’t holding my hand I’d have thought it was him that put me in here in the first place, but not even Felix would be stupid enough to put me in hospital, then stay by my bedside. Would he? I take a quick look around and spot a number of the other contestants. So I’m not the only one in here. Maybe Felix didn’t try to off me after all. A few beds down, I catch Juliette grinning at me. Her eyes are red as though she’s been crying recently, but the smirk on her face and her raised eyebrow gives me hope. Then she nods down at Felix and raises another eyebrow. Maybe she’s grinning because I’m awake, but most of that smile on her face is because Felix is holding my hand. Embarrassment floods through me. Total complete and utter embarrassment, then anger, then, because my brain is on a mission to get me, a sense of happiness. Urgh.

“Felix,” I try again, a bit louder this time, ripping my hand from his.

His eyes flutter open, and for a moment, he looks disoriented. Then his gaze meets mine, and a flicker of relief crosses his face. “Rowena,” he breathes, sitting up straighter. “You’re awake.”

I nod slowly, still trying to process everything and trying not to notice that half the hospital wing is looking my way. “How long have I been out?”

“Two days,” he says softly, his voice thick with exhaustion. “The baby is okay. I made sure to keep the doctors monitoring you both.”

The baby. Our baby. I’d not even thought of it until I woke up. I was too caught up in why Felix was holding my hand. What kind of monster does that make me? I run my hand down to my stomach and feel the gentle curve of my belly.

“Two days…” I echo, my mind racing. “What happened?”

His face scrunches into an angry grimace. “It was a fucking joke. A ploy. The whole fucking thing.”

“Spit it out, Felix,” I say abruptly, thinking of at least three jokes about spitting it out but deciding now isn’t the time. When did I get so boring around Felix? Probably around the time we slept together. I close my eyes and try to concentrate on what Felix is saying.

“You were poisoned. Half the contestants were. All those that ate the food ended up in here. You’re the last to wake up.”

I stare at him, my mind struggling to process what he's telling me. Slowly, it starts to sink in.

“I ate the food,” I whisper, barely audible. “And now I’m here.”

Felix’s expression darkens. “You’re out of the Games, Ro. I’m... sorry.”

The weight of his words hits me like a sledgehammer, but somehow, I stay calm. My heart is racing, but I can feel the numbness spreading.

“You’re still in?” I ask quietly.

He nods. “I’m sorry,” he repeats.

“You’re sorry,” I echo, my voice hardening. I stare at him, and the pieces begin to fall into place. “You gave me the food. Insisted, even. And now, I’m poisoned and out of the Games, while you are still in?”

Felix’s eyes widen, and he raises his hands in a defensive gesture as my voice rises. When he speaks, his voice is a low growl. “I didn’t fucking know.”

“But you didn’t eat the food,” I spit, sitting up straighter, feeling the betrayal boil inside me. Anger surges through my veins. I’m such an idiot for the make believe running through my head that Felix Barclay might have suddenly changed.

“You must have known about the food being poisoned. Why else would you give it to me? You and Anthura planned all this.”

“Ro…”

“My name is Rowena,” I shout out, wondering why I’m making a big deal about him shortening my name when I kinda liked it before. “You and Anthura planned to get me out.” I’m patently aware that we have the audience of the whole hospital wing now. Even the demon doctors have stopped what they are doing to watch my outburst.

Felix grabs my arm and pulls me close, his grip firm but not painful. He leans in, his breath hot against my ear as he growls low, his voice barely audible. “I didn’t know.”

I have to strain to hear him, his words vibrating against my skin. Despite everything—my anger, the betrayal—there’s an unwanted spark in my chest. The heat of his breath sends a shiver down my spine, awakening something I desperately wish would stay buried. My body betrays me, desire flaring even as my mind screams at me to stay furious.

Damn him.

I’m about to retort when Juliette steps in. “Let her go, Barclay.”

Felix stares up at her, anger flashing in his eyes.

“I’m talking to Rowena,” Felix growls.

“And now you’re done,” Juliette snaps, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Felix’s face darkens, but Juliette holds her own as he stands up to her.

He turns to me. “Rowena?”

“If I throw a stick, will you leave?” I snap, my voice laced with a nastiness that feels oddly satisfying, like slipping into a familiar old habit.

Felix's expression tightens for a moment, but he decides against responding. Instead, he turns on his heel and walks away. I watch him go, not shifting my gaze to Juliette until the door closes behind him with a soft click.

Juliette steps closer, her face full of concern. “I’m sorry, babes, but I couldn’t sit there watching him argue with you when you’ve just woken up from a coma. The docs need to check you and the baby out.” She waves one over.

I place my hand on my belly, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. Now that I don’t have the suffocating feeling of Felix next to me, I can finally concentrate on the most important thing. The baby is fine. I can’t feel it moving yet, but deep down, I know it’s still there, still alive. I keep my mouth shut as one of the demon doctors gives me a perfunctory once-over. He barely looks at me before declaring, “You’ll probably make it.” Such comfort.

“We’re out, but I guess you already know that,” I say to Juliette once the demon has left.

She nods. “Dade is out too. Only Quinn got through.”

“Felix got through,” I point out, a bitter edge to my voice.

“Of course he got through,” Juliette says, rolling her eyes. “Me and Quinn were talking about him earlier. You know, it never occurred to me that him and Anthura had planned all this.”

I raise an eyebrow, incredulous. “Seriously? It’s the first thing I thought about when he told me. First, he got me on his side in the first round, softening me up so I’d trust him, and then he and Anthura concocted this plan where I’d take the stupid food. She probably told George to put us together. I should have figured it out sooner. Since when has Felix ever chosen to do something for anyone but himself?”

Juliette looks thoughtful, her brow furrowed. “He’s not left your side in two days, Ro. He punched George when he found out what happened to you.”

“He punched George?” I echo, suddenly feeling sick.

Yeah, right in the face. Apparently, he knocked him right over. Quinn told me. I was still out of it when it happened.”

I stare at her, trying to process this new information. “Why would he do that?”

Juliette shrugs. “The guy is a grade A asshole, but maybe he really does care about you. Maybe there’s more to him than we thought?”

Pain twists in my stomach that has nothing to do with the baby. He wouldn’t have punched George if he wasn’t really angry. Anthura I can believe was in on all this, but not George. There’d be no reason for him to stage it. If Juliette is right, Felix has more than likely given himself a one-way ticket out of the games… for me.

“Well, shit!”

Juliette smirks. “I wouldn’t have thought he had it in him either, but there you go.”

I close my eyes and let out a long, shaky breath. “I’m going to have to go apologize to him, aren’t I?” I open my eyes again and look for Juliette’s reaction. She screws up her face into a look of disgust.

“Eew. I wouldn’t. If he fucked his chances up in the games, then that’s on him. You had nothing to do with it. The way I see it is this. Either he did deliberately poison you with Anthura’s help and he deserves everything that’s coming to him, or he was looking out for you and took it too far. Either way, it’s not your problem. Your problem is getting stronger, so we can both get out of this hospital wing and plead our case.

“You still want to be in the games… after everything that’s happened to us?”

“Rowena, my darling. I’d rather fuck an angry porcupine than stay in this circle without food.”

I laugh. “You mean you haven’t already? I’d write it in my diary that I’ve finally found something that Juliette Perez hasn’t fucked, but I can’t seem to find a pen.”

Juliette grins and suddenly the crippling worry and stress recede a little.

“You get yourself fighting fit, because I’m not doing this alone. You’re coming with me.”

“Dare I ask where? Not a porcupine sanctuary, I hope ‘cause I already have a headache.”

"In a few days when you are up and on your feet, we’re going to find Hades and persuade him to let us back in the games,” Juliette says with a determined look.

“Oh, and how do you propose we do that?” I ask, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"I don't know yet," she admits, "but I’ll think of something. Rest up for now, because we’re getting out of this shithole and on to better things."