Page 102 of Bones
Mac let out a frustrated noise. “Trey, what the fuck do you expect me to do?”
“I don’t know, Mac, but you know this isn’t gonna end well.”
“I know.” Mac’s brow was taut, his lips pressed tightly together.
“She’s not gonna kill me,” I tried to reassure them, but they glared at me.
“I’m not worried about herkillin’you, Bones,” Trey retorted.
“Bones—” Mac bit out.
“I know she’s probably gonna have me beaten, ok?” I tried to keep my voice calm and even. “I can take it.”
“No, Bones—” Fear coated Trey’s voice, and hearing it made me feel sick.
The sound of boots on the porch made all of us look at the door. Sax came in first, his face hard. Lem sneered behind him, but I didn’t miss the surprise that flashed across his face at the sight of me uninjured. Unease swirled in my stomach. Gods, if Madame somehow found out what I could do to people by healing myself through them?—
“You’re under arrest, Bones,” Sax said in his gravelly voice.
Trey still gripped my hand.
“Ok.” I hoped I sounded calm.
“Turn around,” Sax ordered, producing a set of handcuffs.
Trey tensed.
“It’s ok, Trey.” I turned to him and tried to smile. “It’s ok.”
He pulled me into his arms, wrapping me in a tight hug. I could feel his heart pounding. “Please be careful,” he murmured in my ear.
I gave him a nod as I pulled back, hesitated, then pushed myself up on my tiptoes to kiss him again. I tried to pour confidence into it. I was gonna be ok. I had to be ok.
Sax grabbed my arm and jerked me away from Trey, snapping the cuffs on my wrists. As he started towing me out of the clinic, I glanced behind me to see Mac gripping Trey’s arm like he had to physically hold him back, but then the door slammed shut and they were gone.
15
Iexpected to go to the dungeon, but instead, we went upstairs to the meeting room. Madame sat alone at the table, reclining in her chair and watching me. A dozen or so of her men stood along the wall behind her. Sax hauled me in to stand in front of the table, keeping a tight grip on my arm.
“You interfered in the sentencing, Bones,” Madame said, “and because of that, Lem had to put down my enforcer.”
Gods, she said it like Brimstone wasn’t even a human being. For the first time, I felt a flicker of pity for the giant. Madame wasn’t as angry as I’d expected, but her calm demeanor scared me more.
“Do you think you’re special, Bones? You think the rules don’t apply to you?”
I swallowed hard, unsure of what she wanted me to say. I wished she’d just tell me my punishment so we could get it over with.
“No.”
Madame raised her eyebrows, studying me for what felt like a very long time. I couldn’t help shifting uncomfortably in the silence. Gods, what was taking so long?
“I think you need some time to sit on that,” she finally said, a cold smile crossing her face. “Someplace nice and quiet where you can reflect as you await your punishment.”
What the fuck did that mean? I stared at her, but Sax grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the door.
“Have fun, Bones,” Lem taunted as we passed him in the hallway.
My sense of dread ratcheted up. Sax headed for the stairs that led down to the dungeon. I started breathing fast and panicky as the door to the dungeon room came into view, but Sax dragged me past the dungeon, past the cells full of gawking people, and toward another set of stairs I hadn’t noticed before.
