Page 95 of Dissent

I closed my eyes, the condescending feeling of stupidity sinking into my core as the knowledge washed over me. The thought brought no fear, just disappointment. I hadn’t even made it out of the house before they caught me. The back of my throat stung, but I choked it down. I couldn’t cry, not now, but I couldn’t help the sense of despair and frustration that was crawling into my chest.

They were all going to die.

Every single one of them was going to die, and all because I couldn’t sneak out of my own damn house. And that was after my brotherliterallyleft the door wide open for me to escape. I was such anidiot. The barrel pushed into the back of my head again.

“Turn around, slowly.” The voice was gruff, but still a whisper.

I did as they said, keeping my hands up, turning clockwise as my mind raced, eyes trained on the floor.Think, Mara, think. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I had to think of something. If I didn’t get myself out, there was no way Jacob would help me again. He made thatveryclear. Plus, I knew Belinda would probably just kill me on the spot herself.

“Look up,” he growled.

Gradually, not wanting to alarm my captors, I lifted my head up to face them. The first thing that came into sight was the barrel aimed right between my eyes, the mouth of the dark chamber threatening my existence. I tried to shift my focus to the man standing on the other end of it.

“Mara?” The barrel of the gun lowered, aiming more towards my chest, giving me the opportunity to see him.

It couldn’t be… “Wes?”

The gun was down then, and before I knew it, I was being wrapped in his arms, hissing as they made contact with my back. A fresh wave of spine tingling pain sent me reeling. It took everything within me to hold the scream that wanted to crawl out of my mouth. But I arched, chest pushing into his as my instinct to gain as much space between my battered flesh and his arms took over.

He responded immediately, recognizing that he hurt me. His arms were gone as fast as they appeared, which was totally weird coming from Wes to begin with. But I couldn’t figure that part out right now. I had bigger issues at the moment. Wes took a step backward.

“Mara?” My hearing picked up on the other male voice as I tried to ease my ragged nerves with shaky breaths. Eyes scanning the room, they fell upon familiar brown eyes.

“Matias?” It was all I said, because before I registered anything else, he was beside me, taking my face into his hands.

“Mara! Oh my god, Mara!” And then his lips were on mine, quick and desperate. What felt like hundreds of kisses were showered upon me while his hands cradled my face, holding it in place. “I was so worried”—kiss—“I thought I had lost you”—kiss, kiss—“Why did you leave? What were you thinking!” Kiss, kiss, kiss.

I couldn’t get a word in, but my hands went up to hold his wrists as he kept littering kisses upon my lips with his own. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Wes shifting, clearing his throat, drawing my attention to him. And the look on his face could only be described as tortured. He looked hauntingly broken, and it caused something inside of me to ache.

I pulled away from Matias. “Wes? Are you okay—”

He cut me off, his classic stoic mask sweeping away any evidence of what I had seen. “I’m fine. I just… We just need to get out of here.”

Matias ignored him, taking me into his hands again, planting a few extra kisses on me, but the speed at which he did had slowed. And the last kiss lingered a moment longer, as though he wanted to remember the experience, and I couldn’t blame him. Then suddenly, he was being pulled away from me.

I watched as Wes pulled Matias back and he stepped forward. “Mara, what the hell did they do to you?” he asked. And once again the mask was gone, replaced be a seething anger that made his eyes look like molten gold.

Matias glared at Wes, but as the comment registered, he returned his focus to me. His gaze traveled the length of my body, and I watched as Matias’s face changed from annoyance to horror, and then to anger as well.

“I’m okay,” I offered.

“You are most definitelynotokay,” Wes stated, his expression looking outright murderous. He stepped closer, tipping his head as he took me in. I didn’t know how bad I looked. I’d been sitting in the dark for days. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what I looked like. I knew my back felt raw from the daily whippings. The thought of my flesh looking like a bloody pulp crossed my mind, and the image caused my stomach to revolt. I shoved it aside.

Matias moved him over, placing a hand on my cheek tenderly. I looked up into his eyes, and even in the dim light, I could see the glistening of tears building. “What did they do to you?” It fell off his lips in a whisper, and I placed my hand over his on my cheek.

“I’m okay. I promise, I’m fine.”

“I’m beginning to believe that burning my brother alive was a mercy, Mara. You look awful,” Wes said.

I stepped away from Matias again, peering at Wes with one of thoseno-shitkind of looks. “Thanks for the observation,” I offered with a smile. I knew this wasn’t the time to be lighthearted, but I really didn’t want them to worry about me.

Wes stepped in closer once more, lips pressed in a thin line. And when I looked up into his eyes, I saw a tornado of emotions I could only hope to ever understand. There was hurt, and rage, and something…something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. My brain scrambled to comprehend the complexity that was always Wes. Then his eyes flickered, and they shifted. Softness took over—a warmth I would never associate with him crept in. The heat I saw in him was invoked within me, spreading like a flame catching oil, sparking familiar tingles and brooding desires of a time come and gone.

Brows forming a deep V on his handsome face, and eyes burning so bright, I swore they were luminescent, he stepped closer. His voice deep and rich in a way that made my breath hitch, he said, “I’m happy you’re okay.”

Did I…did I just hear him right? Did Wes just admit to beinghappy?

Lips parted, I struggled to find something to say to him, but all I could do was stare into those eyes—glittering jewels of amber that stole my words and wrapped me in a heady fog.

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