“This is exactly why I avoid this room,” Ariah whispers, her expression darkening. She squares her shoulders and raises her voice. “Hailey, let me introduce you to the wicked witch of the west. She thinks she’s made of gold, suffers from a serious daddy complex, and is about ninety percent plastic.”
“Watch your mouth, Winter,” the girl snaps, taking a step forward. “Or you’ll lose it.”
“This is Valerie Stone.” Ariah glares at the girl in front of us. “Let me guess, you ran out of victims to t*****e and now you’re looking for fresh meat?”
“You are not what I expected.” Valerie’s ice-blue eyes narrow as she looks me up and down. “You’re not pretty.” It sounds more like she is trying to convince herself than to insult me.
“One way to deal with a threat,” Ariah laughs, leaning toward me wi
