Adrian hit the tile with a pained grunt.
“Adrian,” Gage said, in a measured voice. “Don’t do this. You can take my cane, phone, move furniture, and whatever else you think you need to do to get the upper hand, but I am still a Raven. I can still hurt you…badly.”
A ragged laugh came from the floor.
Gage held his stance, listening.
“Why would you hurt me? Don’t you know how much I love you?”
Gage gaped, stepping back carefully, trying to put more distance between them.
“Adrian, you might think you do,” he said, keeping his voice low, “but you don’t even know me.”
“And he does?” Adrian got to his feet, breathing fast. “He was always shitty to you. Can’t you see he’s manipulating you and taking advantage of your vulnerability?”
Gage’s blood sizzled.
“If you grab me again,” he warned between clenched teeth, “I’m gonna’ show you just how not vulnerable I am.”
“I’m so sick of people taking,” Adrian growled. “Taking and taking. All I do is give, and nobody gives back. Don’t I deserve something back?”
Adrian sounded as if he were talking himself into defending what he was about to do.
Gage frowned. “Adrian, you were doing your job. You weren’t giving me anything. You were teaching, and I was learning. That’s it.”
“You flirted with me, let me take you out…and for what? You were just using me.”
“I never flirted with you.”
“Yes, you did!” Adrian roared.
Gage moved toward the locker room doors, keeping his hands out to avoid the obstacles Adrian had made.
His fingers found the handle and pulled, but it didn’t budge.
He tried again, with more strength.
Nothing. It’d been rigged too.
If Adrian had done all this, his actions weren’t a moment of passion. It was a premeditated plan.
“What do you want?” he asked finally.
“I have to leave. Come with me. We can be together. I can help you.”
Adrian’s voice was closer.
“They’ll find Scar another partner. You’re too good for this place.”
Gage scoffed. “Too good? Do you know what we do here?”
“I know that Ex and Meridian are emotionless, evil killing drones,” Adrian laughed manically. “Grace is so mean, Jo doesn’t allow him to speak. And Valor and Zorion aren’t even human for fuck’s sake.”
Gage shook his head at how misinformed Adrian was, but his position didn’t allow him top secret clearance.
“I promise you, none of that’s true.”
“You don’t belong here, Gage.” Adrian was getting louder. “You’re not a killer like these guys…like your partner.”
