Page 60 of Jezebel's Liberation

“The code itself is pretty basic hacker shit,” she explains. “But there’s one line that seems to have more code embedded in the letters somehow.”

“What’s the line? Anything you recognize?”

“I recognize it, but not in this context,” Loki admits.

“What’s the line?” Demon asks.

“Ring Around the Rosie.”

“They’re fucking with us,” Demon seethes, striding to the door as if he’ll explode if he doesn’t put some distance between him and… this.

“Yeah, but who’s ‘they’?” Bela asks quietly.

Jez and I watch as a piece of our souls disappears from the room. She goes to stand, but I urge her to remain where she is.

“We won’t be any good to him if we don’t have some answers,” I tell her.

“I know,” she mutters.

“How ‘bout I go check on him, and you stay here and keep working? I’ll come back as soon as I know he’s okay.”

She hesitates for a moment but finally nods. “Yeah, okay.”

“I’ll be right back,” I say, walking to the door.

“Tell him…” When she pauses, I glance over my shoulder. “Tell him that we’re gonna get these bastards. We won’t stop until we do.”

“You okay?”

I whirl around at my best friend’s question, and stare into the first person I let into my heart back when I thought I was broken beyond repair. Apple crosses my room, coming to a stop in front of me.

“I’m fine,” I say, shoving my hands into my pockets.

“Bullshit.”

“Really, I’m fi?—”

Apple throws her hands up. “What is it with you Grandon men? Between you and your brother, I’m gonna end up six feet under way before my time.”

I smirk. “Nah. You’ll outlive us both.”

She rolls her eyes and slaps me upside the head. “You’re an idiot… an idiot who’s definitelynot fine.” Apple grabs my hand and tugs me toward the couch that’s situated along the wall onthe opposite side of the room from my bed. After urging me to sit, she settles on the cushion next to me and says, “You’re forgetting who I am. I know you, Mark. I know your story. So, talk to me.”

I don’t bother correcting her use of my given name. Somehow, I don’t think she’d listen to me anyway. I’ll always be Mark to her, and that’s okay.

“It’s a lot,” I finally admit. “Not only am I getting close to finally being free of my abusers, but add in Jez, and my entire world feels like it’s spinning out of control.”

She chuckles. “I’m guessing Jez is only half of that particular equation. Or is it more like one-third?”

I know she’s teasing, but that doesn’t stop the tiny fissure of unease that snakes its way through my system. Only when she rests her small hand on my forearm do I let go of the emotion. Apple is the last person who would judge me.

“Am I too fucked up for this?” I ask her.

“For what?”

“A relationship,” I reply. “And one withtwopeople, no less.”

“And one that includes a man as one of those two people,” she says, sensing that there was more to my line of thought. I nod, and she continues. “You are not fucked up. You’ve experienced the worst the world has to offer, and you’re still standing. I’d say you’re doing pretty good.”

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