Page 312 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

He regrets it as soon as he’s said it. The delivery is too harsh.

Jules doesn’t visibly react. ‘I didn’t ask you to come find me.’

‘You left the car close enough to downtown that I’d make the jump. You took Megan because you knew I’d call your friends. You used her card because you knew we could trace it.’

‘I wanted to have fun.’

‘You wanted me to find you.’

‘Maybe you’re just a fucking psychopath, Lachlan. Did you ever think of that? I’m twenty years old. You broke my heart. Actually, I’m not even gonna say that anymore because it’s so fucking pedestrian, broke my heart, no. You gutted me from the inside out with the knife I had made for you. That’s what you did, and you did it on purpose. I have to see you and Danya every fucking day of my life. You knew it’d destroy me, so yeah. Forgive me if I don’t especially give a shit how much trouble I caused for you on New Year’s.’

‘What did you do to Holtz?’

Julian shuts down expertly, retreating behind a glassy veneer. ‘I found an early Helixx combat-compliance compound in Carrigan’s old office, administered a small dose and it worked.’

Lachlan narrows his eyes. ‘Did Blaire tell you to say that?’

‘No, of course not.’

‘Where’s the compound, then?’

‘I tossed it in the trash downtown.’

‘What was it called?’

‘I don’t remember.’

‘Julian—’

‘Don’t turn this around on me! I’m the one who deserves answers.’

‘I’m not denying that, but Holtz was fucked up for days.’

Guilt ripples behind his eyes. ‘I didn’t know it’d last that long.’ His amber eyes lock onto Lachlan with renewed determination. ‘Why did you let me believe it?’

Lachlan lowers himself onto the bench.

His body is hot from exertion, heart still working too hard.

He braces his forearms on his thighs and looks at the floor.

‘It doesn’t matter why.’

‘If it’s what I think, then yeah, it matters.’

‘It’s on me, all of it. My decision. My fault. There’s no undoing it.’

‘You could say you’re sorry.’

‘It won’t change anything.’

‘You let me believe it because that was easier than looking me in the eyes and breaking up with me, right?’

‘We can’t talk about this.’

‘We’re in the wraparound.’

‘I don’t trust that anymore. There’s something…’ He closes his eyes as the dull pain within him gives a twist. ‘Wrong.’