Page 227 of Claim Me
But Blue just looks at Marcel coldly.
"You’re confusing a momentary advantage with a governing principle," he says. "It’s a common mistake made by people who fail to see the big picture."
Marcel’s jaw tightens. "You’re in no position to lecture me," he grumbles.
"And yet you keep giving me material," Blue replies, almost lazily. "With everything you say and do."
A flicker of anger crosses Marcel’s face, and he drops the line from my neck and rushes toward Blue.
"You didn’t predict this, genius," he says in irritation. "That alone proves you’re not as smart as you think."
Blue tilts his head slightly. Well, I guess his provocations made Marcel redirect his attention to him and away from the thin cord, so it kinda worked.
"You think prediction is about anticipating every move?" he says. "That’s not intelligence. That’s paranoia." A beat passes. "Intelligence is adaptive. Finding a way out of an impossible situation. Breaking the rule to come back stronger…"
I freeze. Wait, wait, wait.
Did I mishear? Did Blue repeat what Snow said about getting myself out of a hard situation?
Marcel swallows, then steps even closer and leans so low his nose almost touches Blue’s, locking his eyes with him.
The atmosphere in the room is ice cold. The only person staying outside our tense little four-person dynamic is the beta nicknamed Gunman.
He just sways impatiently from one leg to the other.
"You’re not getting out of this, sorry." Marcel’s voice lowers. "No matter what you do. You can only buy yourself a bit of time and a tad less suffering. That’s all I can offer if you play."
Blue’s lips curve faintly.
"You’re very eager to declare the result before you understand the system you’re in," he says. "That’s usually where mistakes happen. And understanding systems is kind of… what I specialize in."
Marcel lets out a harsh laugh.
"You’re waiting for some last-second miracle? Not gonna happen! You don’t have anything left," he snaps. He gestures toward the sheets of thick metal lining the walls. I figure it’s lead, blocking communication with cell towers. "No one’s going to find you here!"
Blue’s gaze shifts, just slightly. Toward me.
"I have a variable you dismissed," he says calmly.
A strange pull moves through my chest. Is he hinting at me? Marcel disregarded me, but Blue believes in me?
Me?
Okay…
Challenge accepted.
Iwantto save us, I want to do the right thing, the one that will make me feel like I finally DESERVE HIM!
Marcel follows the look, then barks out a laugh.
"Him?" he says. "Are you serious? That’s what you’re betting on?"
"He just has to solve the puzzle that this picture is," Blue says, making a small gesture with his head as if indicating the people standing around.
I clear my throat. What is he implying? What puzzle? What do I need to see? My body almost shakes, feverish with stress.
Marcel shakes his head incredulously, chuckling in disbelief.
