The girls crowded, shifting anxiously
“Let me through.” I pushed a shoulder, then another, before the wall of the crowd opened up.
My two lives had finally collided, in all the worst ways.
Silas looked like a landmine had gone off beside him in expression alone, never mind the battering from the marks on his face. It was when I stepped into the room that his horrified expression dampened, as if he thought I would not see through his shock.
How embarrassing. For him, that is.
I finally looked beside him.
My heart slowed, and a chill ran through me faster than my blood drained, pooling into my legs to save me from the shock.
Kneeling beside Silas, just as battered, wasLuka Novikov.
My eyes tracked Phoebe, who was standing in front of them. She held the barrel of a sawed-off shotgun a meter from Silas’s face.
“Guests?” I approached slowly, cautiously. The girls who were not actively pointing weapons at them stepped back, giving us space to work.
Phoebe never took her eyes off Silas when she asked me, “Are you sure you want to be here?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“You don’t have to if you feel?—”
“Ifeellike this is something I should be here for.”
She stepped back after a moment’s beat.
I leered at the twodogsbefore me. Rebecca had a Winchester to the back of their heads.
“The position suits you.” I crooked my head at Silas.
“Only for you,” he smirked.
I ignored his comment for the moment, stepping to the side to look down at Luka. I used the blunt end of my axe to lift his chin.
I reached out to run my nail over the scar on his face.
“Careful,” Luka warned, those dark eyes unwavering. “I would hate to remind you that I bite.”
“Likewise.” I grinned, lifting his chin higher. “I always wondered what became of you. I assumed by the smell of burning flesh that you would have perished. I never expected it would leave such lovely branding if you survived.”
Luka’s expression only became more playful as I spoke, and he leaned into my touch. “If we’re speaking of trauma?—”
A crisp crack sounded when the back of my hand met Luka’s face.
Luka flinched but simply glared at Silas.
“How sweet. When did the two of you become fellows?” I teased, stepping back to get a good look at them both.
“Long story,” Silas said.
“Must be some tale. I’d be interested to know how leading my captor to me was considered a good idea in your mind.”
“Well, if you hadn’t run off, you would have seen the lovely gesture.” Silas grinned.
“A lovely gesture would have been to have finished the job.” I rolled the axe in my palm. “But you’re not really one to see anything through, I suppose.”
