Page 105 of Warrior

I saw the records myself, passed from the sheriff to Kade… and then to Gabriel? I don’t care that Reese still talks to hismother. I don’t care that he didn’t immediately cut them off once he could support himself.

There’s a reason I never asked about his parents. Their judgmental gazes burning down on us. The so-called lessons he was supposed to learn in Terror, with me.

But all those reasons seem to pale in the face of his continued relationship with his mother.

I should’ve asked.

I still can.

But I won’t. Opening that can of worms might give him the idea that he can pry right back. And then I’ll have to explain about my parents. Or worse.

“Why are you doing this?” I finally ask Gabriel.

He makes a face. “I want you to reach out and take this.” He taps the syringe against my forehead. “I want you to give in to your baser instincts and feel wild with the need to inject this into your blood. Does everything hurt? Do you have a headache no amount of aspirin can shake? Do your bones feel like they’re grinding together?”

I grit my teeth.

The answer isyes. I’ve been withdrawing from heroin for what seems like ages, and I still haven’t shaken the symptoms.

“No one noticed.” He reaches out and curls a lock of my hair around his fingers. “No one noticed when you were high. They didn’t say anything when you were struggling. They don’t see that you’ve been losing weight, not eating, disappearing for hours to come find me and shoot up. Why has not a single person in your life said anything about it?”

My eyes burn.

Damn it.

I blink rapidly, but my chest is too tight. Panic claws at me.

“You’re probably wondering how I amsoright,” he guesses. “And you’re thinking to yourself—why is it that the people whoclaim to care are so fucking ignorant? Maybe it’s because they don’t actually care at all.”

I think of Reese holding up the empty syringe in Emerald Cove, his worries fading as he accepted my lies about Gabriel planting evidence. Kade lifting me out of the bath, then letting me walk out.

Saint, not asking a single question aboutmewhen I burned down Kade’s house. Not noticing the track marks on my arms when I was bare-chested in front of him for hours. Not seeing me, not caring enough to not tattoo the guy conspiring withGabriel.

My brother has let me avoid his calls. Hasn’t gone through Saint.

Antonio let me stay away, even though he, of all people, would know immediately.

Tears drip down my cheeks.

“There.” Gabriel leans in and licks them away.

I shudder, but I don’t move. Not until he offers up the syringe on an open palm.

“It’ll make it hurt less.”

I take it.

I hate myself.

He steps away, but I’m already moving.Rushing. Down the dark hall, into the women’s bathroom.

My hands shake. I stumble into the last stall and sit on the toilet. I use the hair tie around my wrist as a tourniquet, sliding it up my arm. Every breath comes fast and shallow.

I can barely see through my tears, but there’s something else.

Excitement?

I’m going to be sick.

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