Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
She stares at me a moment too long. “Nightstand, charging.”
I exit the bathroom, grimacing at the sight of the blood all over the bed—a mess I’ll have to deal with before she checks out of the room.
Snagging the phone, I glance at the clock, noting the early six a.m. hour. I was about to hit the autodial for Caleb when Addie calls out, “Which brother are you calling?”
I freeze in place, a muscle ticking in my jaw at the accusation dripping from her tone. I turn to face her, narrowing my gaze on her pale features. She appears fragile in an inexplicable way, so easily broken when she is normally stronger than anyone I know. “What does that mean, Addie?”
“I told you before you passed out. I was going to call for help, but I saw both Caleb’s and Julian’s numbers in your phone. I wasn’t sure which one would help you and which one would kill you.”
I inhale at the implications of her words, anger burning in my gut. She knows me. On the most basic level, the lifebond we share allows her to know me as no one else. And still, the accusation. “Maybe you should have just killed me yourself while you had the chance.”
“Maybe I should have,” she spouts back. “You called Julian the night you visited me. The night we—you know—in the restroom. Yet you told me you’d left Zodius. So, who was I talking to on the phone? Julian or Caleb?”
I’d offer up an explanation, but there’s nothing I can say to her that will cut through the anger in her that my seeming betrayal created. I punch in Caleb’s autodial number and offer her my back.
The instant Caleb answers, I’m without prelude. “We have problems,” I state, and then relay my concerns about the new weapon technology and the connection between Brock and Lucian. When I’ve finished, I move to the next problem—Addie’s distrust. “I need Jensen on the line. Addie needs to be reassured that I’m a Renegade by someone who does not resemble your brother in voice or appearance.” I hesitate and add, “And ask him to confirm the last night I was undercover inside Zodius.” She knows Jensen. She’s dealt with him since I went undercover.
“Going that well between the two of you, is it?” Caleb asks dryly. “Jensen’s here. Put her on.”
I rotate and find Addie still standing in the bathroom doorway where she was moments before, and our eyes collide, tension shimmering between us as I hold out the phone. “For the record, that call would be the night before we were in that hotel restroom. You looked at the caller ID wrong. A little too eager to condemn me, I guess. But talk to Jensen. Ask him whatever you want to. Get that peace of mind that I can’t give you.”
Distress washes over her delicate features. “I don’t know what you want from me, Creed.” Strain tightens the words. “How can you expect me not to question you?”
“I’d consider you a fool if you didn’t. Give your trust to Jensen, not me.” And no matter how painful, no matter how much I want her, this is what I want from her anyway. Her distrust and hatred. A way to leave her, disconnect her from the lifebond we know too little about without hurting her. I’ll deliver her to Sunrise City, where she’ll be safe, and I’ll leave. And then I’ll get the hell away from her.
She inhales and walks toward me, accepting the phone, careful not to touch me in the process.
“Hello,” she says. “Is this Jensen?” They exchange a few words, her side of the conversation softly spoken, edged with discomfort. She ends the short talk and hands me back the phone, again oh so careful not to touch me.
I slide the cell back to my ear, quickly confirm that all is well with Caleb, and end the call. Preferring to save any confrontation with her over what was, or was not, between us for later—or better yet, never—I set the phone on the nightstand and shift the conversation.
“Where’s the bullet you removed?”
She gapes at me in disbelief. “Just like that? Where’s the bullet? We aren’t going to talk about why…”
“You needed to talk to Jensen,” I say coldly, “because you don’t trust me. And you shouldn’t trust me. End of conversation.”
Her jaw goes slack. “That’s it?” She inhales and then forces it out. “I see. I get it. This is business. Talk to Jensen. Get Red Dart. Leave the personal out of it. Except when you think it might convince me to help. Anything to achieve your mission. Right? Kiss me. Touch me. Oh yes. Why not just fuck me while you’re at it? Just to be sure that I do what you want. Not necessary, by the way. I not only want to stop Julian; I intend to prove to you that you’re wrong about all of this. Julian manufactured his Red Dart torture story to divide the Renegades from the government. So please, do leave the personal out of this. Stop…with us. With our past. Stop everything but business.”