Kyan and I worked together to hoist him up. I couldn’t help but look back for a final glimpse of my Briar.
She was already out of view.
Elias coughed, and blood dribbled out from the corner of his mouth.
It was bound to happen since she hadn’t claimed him back, but this wasn’t the end. She could send us away, but it didn’t mean a bloody thing.
“She’s ours, and she’s going to get with the program,” I gritted out.
Briar could be as angry as she wanted, but she was made for us.
Chapter 33
“Sorry bout last time, Omega, I can’t be getting into problems.” She shrugged, munching on some chips.
I inhaled the drag of nicotine.
She could do whatever she wanted now that she’d become my method for getting cigarettes. I leaned toward the small window to exhale smoke.
“You never told me your name,” I said instead.
“Lola.”
Lola was a lifesaver. After yesterday, I needed this cigarette badly. Since their visit, my mind wouldn’t chill the hell out. I kept seeing the sadness in Kyan’s eyes, the guilt in Sinclair’s, and the madness in Elias’.
I touched my smooth neck. I could still feel the blood. As soon as I was halfway down the hall after seeing them, I fell to the ground from the searing agony. It burned like I had an iron poker to my throat.
I’d denied going to the infirmary because, as much as it hurt, they wouldn’t give me anything strong enough for the pain. Of that, I was sure.
So after wiping my blood on my thigh, I continued forward, ignoring the looks from the officer escorting me.
“You okay there?” Lola asked.
I focused on her.
“Yeah.” I put out the contraband and tossed it through the iron slit of the window. We couldn’t get away with both of us being in here too long; they’d catch on.
I turned on the faucet and washed my hands. The strawberry mark on my neck was gone, and I found myself more aware of my throat without Elias’ mark than with it.
“I’ll see you out there,” she said, shuffling away. I took my time air-drying my hands and then walked after her. I turned the corner, and the sound of the showers echoed closer. I kept my gaze lowered, not looking at the female guard standing by the wall. Once I passed her, I took the exit and caught up to Lola.
“Trouble’s coming for you,” Lola muttered, jerking her chin to the side. I followed her gaze to an unfamiliar woman staring at me. She held my eyes for a few seconds and then looked away. Other than the intense focus, there was nothing terribly different about her, but I was feeling what she was. I could feelsomething was off;my gut was telling me as much.
Lola munched loudly on the chips. The familiar buzz echoed through the speaker. I fell into step with the masses shuffling back to their cells.
“I have a bad feeling,” she mumbled. She grimaced at me. “Good luck.” She disappeared in the opposite direction. I didn’t blame her. Even though I hadn’t been here long, it wasn’t hard to understand that it was everyone for themselves in here.
I walked closer to the wall, keeping my attention peeled. This was a perfect time for an attack, when everything was chaos.Nothing happened, and I was close to leaving the table area when movement caught my eye.
She’d been closer to the cells than I had been earlier, so there was no reason for her to be near me.
Fucking shit.
The way she curled her shoulders forward, and how her eyes skittered from side to side, she was going to make a move. And now she was an arm’s distance away.
I didn’t wait this time and bolted for the plate on the counter. It was made of hard plastic, but it would have to do.
She came at me, and I swung my weapon in an arch, slamming the edge against her temple. Over and over again. Blood splattered across my cheek, but I couldn’t stop.
