Page 25 of Burn Like An Angel

Xander halts searching through a box of snacks, hands freezing and head snapping in our direction. I ignore our audience as I stare into the face of a man I thought I knew. Perhaps even considered a friend.

“He dragged me into another cell and beat me with his fists until I blacked out. I refused to tell him where I’d gotten the business card from.”

Head lowering, Langley stares at his laced boots. “I’m so sorry, Rip.”

“I don’t want your apologies. Why did you give me that card?”

“To help,” he rushes to explain. “That’s all.”

“Is giving me cryptic half-truths helpful? I thought…”

Teeth clenched, I choke off my next words.

I thought we were friends.

Our roles didn’t matter—patient and protector, faceless employee and stooge. He was still the only guard to treat me like a human being. And I came to see him as something akin to a friend.

“I gave you that business card because I work for Sabre Security.”

“Wait.” Xander straightens, hands flying to his tapered hips. “The people investigating the institutes?”

Scrubbing a hand over his face, Langley sighs wearily. “We’re a private security firm specialising in criminal investigations.”

Raine shuffles on his feet behind me. “Shit. You’re really not a guard.”

“I was given an assignment in Harrowdean last year to gather intelligence.” Langley anxiously cracks his knuckles. “We’ve been investigating Incendia for a long time.”

Vindicated, I glower at him. “I was right. You’re one of them.”

He nervously glances at me. “Yeah.”

“Why are you here?”

“My job is to collect evidence. Flip key players. Line up potential informants. Anything to pin down the truth behind these institutes.”

A hot burst of sickness twists my gut. “So you’ve spent all this time pretending like you care? It was all an act?”

“No! I… I thought if you trusted me, I could turn you against management. Convince you to be our witness instead. But as time went on, I realised that you weren’t the villain in this place.”

An incredulous scoff emanates from Xander’s side of the room. I deliberately ignore him.

“You played me.” The sense of betrayal sinking into my pores practically coats my words. “I’m no saint, but you pretended to care so that I’d trust you.”

Panic flashes through his azure eyes, darting from side to side as if searching for some excuse to offer. Sure, I’ve treated him like shit. I know that. I’m not excusing or even denying it. But I never once lied to him.

“It wasn’t like that, Rip. You needed a friend.”

“And you needed a lead for your investigation!”

“No,” he balks, widening his eyes. “I wanted to help. I still do.”

Angrily swiping at the moisture that’s dared to grace my cheeks, I look away from his pleading expression. It’s pulling at goddamn heartstrings I didn’t realise I still have.

“I don’t need your help.”

“Our team can?—”

“No!” Uncontrollable rage and hurt spike through my veins. “How can I ever trust a word you say?”

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