Page 49 of Resurgent

If only they knew how much Redline was used to heal me physically. If only they knew the battles I’m still fighting just to try to get back to who I’m determined to be again. If only they knew the things that pierced through the calluses built up from so many years at my dad's mercy.

The further into formation we get, the more the rumors evolve.

A guy lowers his voice dramatically.

"Apparently, her partners died trying to save her."

I nearly choke on my own breath.

"I heard she killed them."

"No way."

"Seriously. Think about it. She’s here because she tried to kill her dad, now she just so happens to be the only survivor."

Voss’s eyes dart away as soon as he notices me looking at him. Coward.

The irony of their comments is almost enough to make me smile, though.

Her dragon lost his shit.

She almost died.

She killed her partners.

I guess they're all true.

By the time Matt and I make it to our spots, it feels like everyone's watching us without looking directly at us.

Matt’s already wound tight, his shoulders squared as he glares down at everyone in our vicinity.

Then, from a nearby row—

"Man, imagine being that hot."

The voice belongs to a Delta recruit.

His friends snicker.

"What?"

The recruit gestures vaguely in my direction. "I heard she had two dudes trying to kill each other over her."

A few laughs.

"Guess that's what happens when you seduce both of them and they find out about it during a Land-Nav test."

More laughter.

"Seriously, bro’s before hoe’s and all that shit. I’m not losing my life over some girl."

Matt's head whips around, the muscles in his forearms flexing.

Fuck! I know that look.

“He’s not worth it,” I whisper at the same time the recruit notices Matt staring.

Unfortunately for him, he mistakes silence for encouragement, "Actually, scratch that. When we got here, people were saying she was probably hooking up with both of them. My money’s on that they found out, and she had her dragon kill them so she could avoid the embarrassment."