“Bullshit.”
I scoff. He narrows his eyes at me. I bet he could kill someone with this stare. His eyes are intimidating, hiding something more, but I don’t know what. He could probably make people hurt just by looking at them. Anyone who gets in a fight with him would be doomed and stabbed by the bull’s horns.
I squirm a little. I’m not a fan of stabbing wounds.
“I’m not afraid of you.” My stupid mouth is taking over again.
“Good. You shouldn’t be.” He sends me a quick glance in the mirror and goes back to work.
“Are the neck scratch and the knife mark”—he stops moving his hands—“it’s definitely a knife mark, as if someone was trying to make sure you know that you’re his—are they related?”
Not only his body is genetically modified, but his brain probably is too—he must be able to read minds. I need to stay away from him.
And I’m not telling him any more shit than what I’ve already told him, which is too much. Silence is titanium. Silence is my best answer. Silence is better than unnecessary lies.
“If you want me to hide things from my friend, you’ll have to tell me more,” Victor says after a moment.
I can’t let him tell Alek, not until I’m on my way to New Orleans.
“Thank you for not mentioning the shoulder stitches downstairs.”
Victor’s lips turn up in a satisfied smile. I’d have to say he’s smirking. One of thoseI always winsmirks.
“You’re putting me in a situation where I risk pissing off Alek, and he’s already mad at me… for something else, so I don’t want to top it off with more issues with his sister.”
He’s unbelievable. And he won’t stop until I give him more info, will he?
“It’s none of your business,” I spit out.
His facial expression turns even more amused while my blood boils in my veins.
“Rule number one of the friend code states that the enemy of my friend’s sister is my enemy too, so it’s my business.”
Is he serious?I roll my eyes in a childish manner.
“I don’t care about your friend code.”
“I do. Alek is my only true friend.”
I huff a hot breath out. “Ouch,” I yelp when a sharp pain pierces my stab wound and radiates everywhere on my shoulder blade. I’m giving Victor one of thosedrop deadglares. “A heads up could’ve helped.”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Sorry, Tia, but the wound has opened a little and the alcohol is burning when I apply it. I have to do it one more time.”
And without pausing, his hand swipes over my wound, and it sure burns like hell. I swallow the pain and my pride, knowing that Victor recognized I’ve been marked. I’m not about to tell him about Charlie, though.
“The scratch and the stab wound”—I pause to swallow the wordmark—“are not related. Different people. Different… incidents.”
But connected because of Charlie.
“Are we almost done here?” I ask, not giving him a chance to interrogate me further.
“Not even close.” His voice sends shudders down my spine.
My body twists to face Victor while my brain is still catching up.
“Yeah, we’re done!”
Victor and I enter into a staring contest.Who’s going to blink first?A moment passes. I can play this game forever if it means keeping my secret safe so everyone is protected.
