Page 49 of Martyr
“Antonio?”
“He and Vittoria have been staying at Kora’s house with me.” Reese comes up and cups my cheek. “And Daniel stayed, too.”
“I know Daniel,” Saint murmurs. “Tech guy. He was never around much, though.”
“Tech guy,” I agree. “Came in clutch last year.”
Reese drags his palm over his face, hiding a smile. “He took over the dining room table with all his computers and hard drives and wires. He was driving Vittoria crazy. Probably still is.”
My smile is weak.
How can I deny going back when all the people I care about are there and waiting for me?
But… maybe Saint is partially right. Underlying my bravado isn’t fear—it’s craving. Sterling Falls is a gateway back to the drugs that have finally left my system. When I think about going back, my mind turns to Gabriel and his chaos, but also the rush that came with hitting the plunger and injecting the heroin into my bloodstream.
And it’s the craving that terrifies me.
“I’m surprised you want to ditch Kade,” Saint says to Reese.
“Your view of him is probably colored by your dick,” Reese replies.
I snort.
“You could give him a chance,” Saint mutters.
After a long moment, Reese blows out a breath. “Okay, fine. I’ll give him a chance—but don’t forget that he’s working for the enemy. He shouldn’t be trusted.”
On that, we agree.
21GABRIEL
Something is wrong.
I scan the horizon. It seems normal out here, which is to sayquiet. Peaceful, even. It’s the sort of view I always craved. Wide-open spaces.
And yet, it’s those same spaces that make my skin crawl.
Something has always been wrong with me. I’m more comfortable in the dark or by myself. I oscillate between wanting silence andnoise. So much deafening noise, I feel it vibrate in my chest.
That’s why explosions are so nice. It’s both combined. Nothing, theneverything.
The body under me jerks. I rise a little, bringing my knee off the small of his back, and drag his head out of the water by his hair. His face hovers over the surface, still, until I thump his back.
He coughs, water pouring out of his nose and mouth. His body flinches, spasming.
Such a big man, I thought he would at least give me a challenge. But all it took was a few pokes, and down fell the giant. The hardest part was dragging his body into the ocean.
“I hate sand,” I tell him. “It getseverywhere. I’ll be finding it weeks later in my shoes or a crease in my shirt. It’s nature’s glitter.”
He pushes at me, his fingers slick with water.
Oh, and blood.
Lots of blood.
Where we are, the water surges and recedes, but we don’t get his with those pesky white-capped waves. We’re still practically on the shore.
It leaves us, and he’s now looking at wet sand.
