Page 94 of Bones
“Let Bones go!”
We both glanced down, startled, and my panic surged as I met Apple’s furious gaze. She stood in the path, her little hands balled into fists as she glared up at Zip.
Zip stared down at her, seemingly shocked into silence.
“Apple, I’m fine,” I insisted. “Go back to the clinic.”
“She doesn’t want to go with you.” Apple ignored me, focused on glaring up at Zip.
Zip started laughing, but it wasn’t a nice laugh. My stomach twisted into a knot.
“You got a little army of brats now?” he asked, turning to look at me. He still held my arm in a tight grip.
“They work for me. Madame approved it.”
Zip turned his gaze back on Apple. “Get outta the way, girl.”
“No,” Apple spit out.
“Apple!” I snapped, my heart pounding. “Go home.”
“Let her go,” she repeated, her chin tilting up.
Gods, I had no idea how to de-escalate this situation. I could probably get myself out of this, but I didn’t know how to get Apple out of it without making things worse. Didn’t she fucking know better?
Before I could act, Zip released me and moved, and the sound of him backhanding Apple across the face seemed to echo like a gunshot. She went sprawling into the mud as I stood there, frozen in horror.
“You need to mind your place, girl,” Zip growled.
Apple scrambled to her feet, looking furious as her cheek turned bright red.
“Apple, go home.” I heard myself snarl, terror over what Zip could do next crackling through me like lightning. “Right now, or you’re losing your place in the clinic.”
She stared at me and pain and betrayal filled those blue eyes. I knew it wasn't so much over getting hit as it was me speaking to her like that. My chest ached at her expression, but I would rather she hate me than get killed by Zip. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she turned and took off. Relief surged through me but faded to white hot shame. I should have protected her, and instead, I just fucking stood there when Zip hit her.
“C’mon, Bones.” Zip grabbed my arm again and started pulling me down the path toward his shack.
I went with him for a few steps, but then I stopped again, digging my heels in. “I changed my mind.” My voice came out angry, but I couldn’t temper it. “I don’t want to go out tonight.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “You think I’m just gonna let you go back and fuck Trey?”
“What?” I said through my teeth, my hold on my temper growing dangerously thin.
“You've been spending a lot of time with him.”
“Yeah, ’cause I needed help! Did you miss the part where I was healin’ people until I literally couldn’t walk by myself?”
He stepped into my space, and I flinched. Something hard and cruel crossed his face at the sight. He grabbed my braid with his free hand and wrapped it around his fist, and my stomach dropped.
“Know what I didn’t miss? I saw you the other night,” he said in a low voice that scared me more than his yelling. “Sneakin’ back into the hold with Trey. You two looked awful cozy together on that horse. You’ve been fuckin’ him, haven’t you? You little slut.”
Maybe it was his complete dismissal of what I’d done to save everyone’s lives from the sickness. Maybe it was the fact he dragged Trey into this. Maybe Sam was right and I just didn’t know how to de-escalate shit. Whatever the reason, I lost my temper.
“You are even dumber than you look?—”
He pressed his lips against mine. I tried to pull away, but he had a tight hold of my hair. My fists pounded against his chest, but he didn’t even flinch. He kissed me roughly, and I started getting flashbacks to Pike pinning me down in the clinic. So I used the same move and bit his lip as hard as I could.
He jerked his head back, swearing. Bright red blood dripped into his beard, and his eyes darkened with rage. I tried to brace myself, but his fist connected with the side of my face and I hit the ground hard enough that everything went dark and fuzzy for a while. I fumbled to pull my little knife out of my boot, gripping it hard so I didn’t drop it. When I managed to focus on the world again, I blinked in confusion at the body standing between me and Zip.
