“I’m just saying, the ceiling didn’t collapse, the reverend didn’t try to douse you with holy water, or—”
Gage turned to his friend, and he didn’t know what his face revealed, but it made Roz shut up.
“The Bible is hard to understand, okay?” Scar gritted.
Something in Gage warmed and took over.
Jo’s exhale was long. Some of the fury seemed to bleed out of her, replaced by something more understanding.
“Next time you leave,” she said in a clipped voice, “you follow protocol.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Meridian came closer to Scar’s bedside, and Gage had an urge to back away, but he stayed beside his partner.
“Meridian,” Scar said cautiously.
“I’m doubling your training this week.”
Scar bolted upright too fast, grunting in pain. “What? Why!”
“Because five men got the drop on you on a public street,” Meridian said flatly. “Did I really need to explain that?”
Roz made a sound of agreement. “Not much of a badass assassin if you ask me.”
“But no one did ask you,” Gage snapped. “So get out.”
Meridian continued, voice low and absolute, “Your partner fought six men and was never touched.”
Gage felt a sense of pride that Meridian hadn’t added on, “and he’s blind.” He hadn’t framed it as some kind of miracle. Just capability.
“I was prepared,” Gage said. “I wasn’t led into a trap.”
“Is that the excuse you wanna give me, Scar?” Meridian sounded as if he’d leaned in, or maybe it was just his voice going darker.
“No,” Scar said through clenched teeth.
“Good. Because you know I don’t accept fuckin’ excuses. They’re what weak men use when they can’t accept defeat.” Meridian growled. “They didn’t outnumber you, those fuckin’ amateurs outsmarted you. That’s what unprepared does.”
“Fuck.” Scar hissed.
Meridian turned slightly, his coat shifting and pushing the scent of cold leather and sweet Sobranie smoke up Gage’s nose.
“So tomorrow,” he finished, “you’ll train until your body remembers you don’t get caught.”
Meridian left them alone in the room, powerless to argue or object.
“I’ll train with you, okay?” Gage whispered against Scar’s cheek. “No more doing stuff alone. If you wanna go to Bible study, we’ll go together.”
Scar caressed the back of his hand down his cheek. “You really came for me.”
“Always.”
White Ravens
Gage
The elevator ride to their floor felt longer than it should have.
