Page 37 of Raze
He turns to face her fully. “While I’m here, I wanted to let you know I’ve received your request, but I haven’t changed my mind.”
“They want to fight, Aiden. They have every right to join you,” she pushes.
“Look at them. They aren’t ready for what it might cost. This is my fight, not theirs. I won’t involve them.”
Cibrina purses her lips but nods. “I’ll let them know.”
Aiden’s hand finds the small of my back. “Thank you. I’ll be back again soon, but I have some things at home that I need to fix first.”
Her smile returns, and she moves her attention to me. “Of course. I’ll be here if you need anything. It was a pleasure to meet you, Raegan.”
“You too. This has all been…uh, enlightening.”
Cibrina laughs softly. “I’m sure it has been. Please come visit again.” She walks away, her heels clicking on the floor.
When I look back at where the fight had been, it’s already cleaned up and quiet. A woman with long brown hair and tanned skin glances up to see Aiden and stands. She strides over to us with something in one hand.
“Aiden,” she says to him with a respectful bow of her head.
Okay. I can’t do this anymore.
I turn away and start walking back the way we came. I’ll guess my way back and ask for directions if I have to, but I need a minute. Iknew Aiden would be a great leader one day. That he would help and protect others like he had our little group. And Iknowwhy I’ve been excluded from his protective bubble. Why he left me behind on the island with our enemies rather than talk and figure it out.
But seeing what he’s built…how everyone looks at him with respect and…almost reverence, as if he’s somehow saved them from something…
Tears sting at the corners of my eyes.
I wish I had been one of them. Someone he’d helped or tried to save.
Not a lost cause.
Even though he knows what happened with Vera now…he still treats me like a traitor. He doesn’t trust me.
I’m an outsider and always will be.
So, watching what it’s like for those on the inside…seeing his protectiveness over others compared to his severe mistrust of me…
It hurts.
Aiden catches up with me by the time I make it up the first set of stairs, probably because I’m still too worn out to take them quickly. He doesn’t say anything to me; just takes up the front to lead the way. We go through a different door after the security room and take a new route that lets us out at some bar in the city. I’d wonder about it if my brain wasn’t already overwhelmed with information.
I don’t even know how we made it back to Old Red. All I know is that not a single word was spoken between us. I go straight to my tiny-ass room and lock the door behind me so I can be alone.
Chapter nine
Raegan
I almost back outof Kellan’s training session tonight, but I’m able to argue myself back into it. I can’t just run away because I don’t feel like it. GE could attack at any time, even if I’m in a mood like this. So, no excuses.
I rally myself up to find Kellan and get it over with. He starts me in the weight training room, saying I need to build up my muscle strength first, and then he works me to the bone until my body is quivering from exhaustion. But it’s a good muscle burn that makes me feel like I’ll already be stronger tomorrow.
He only poked at my sour mood once, and after I snapped at him to leave it, he thankfully let it go and got back to business as my ruthless trainer.
I make it through another day, another training night, before my skin itches with the need for something. I don’t know what it is at first, and I wander aimlessly throughout Old Red. Dane is zoned into his laptop, and Kellan is playing his zombie game in the living area. Aiden is sitting at the dining room table with his phone.
Where is Jackson?
And I realize that’s it. I’ve only seen him once since he woke up from his healing sleep, and it was such a fleeting encounter. I need to see him. He’ll be able to calm the chaos in my mind, even if it’s just while I’m with him.
