Page 153 of Remnants: Disruption
I nod, accepting her at her word. Of all the people in my new life, Marla and Trish have been the only two to never lie to me. To never leave me in the dark.
“God,” I groan, the noise turning into a half-choked sob. “And I thought things were starting to get better. Mary had started to open up to me and—”
“There has to be a reason,” Marla says, squeezing my hand gently. “I don’t believe she’d just let Gareth kill you.”
“She told me she’d follow my lead if I decided enough was enough,” I say, glancing up at Marla. “I should have killed him down there. He threatened me with Containment, Marla and even then no one spoke up for me.”
“Maybe she wanted to make sure you were okay first?” Marla asks, sliding a refreshed drink to me. “Maybe she didn’t think you were up to—”
Marla’s voice trails off, eyes wide and locked on something behind me.
Someone.
I turn in my seat and see her, too.
Cass.
She looks angry. Though I’m not sure at who.
“Leave us,” she says, voice iced and thin.
Marla begins to move, but I put up a hand to stop her.
“No,” I say, standing with a wobble. “No, you don’t get to make Marla leave her own property twice in one week. This isn’t how we’re doing this.”
“Leave, or I punish her,” Cass says, orange irises flashing red.
“The fuck?” I hiss.
I glance back at Marla, and she’s petrified.
“Okay,” I say, pulling her arm to circle the bar’s end. “It’ll be okay, just go home.”
I pull her into a quick hug.
Cass doesn’t flinch—odd. I’m nottryingto make her jealous, but I expected some sort of tell.
Marla all but jogs from the bar, giving Cass a wide berth.
When the door closes behind her, I level a glare at her.
“Where the fuck do you get off—”
“Why did you leave?” she asks, voice measured, but in that scary sort of way.
“Excuse me?”
“We had not dismissed you, yet” she continues, taking a step forward.
“I left because,” I begin, knocking back the rest of the drink, “Gareth and I were mutually agreed upon tearing each other apart and I wanted to avoid getting blood on these clothes. They’re yours after all.”
That gets her attention. Her gaze drops from my face to the drink in my hand and then to my chest.
“Answer me honestly, Hiraeth,” she grits out, taking another step closer. Her presence is overwhelming. Her very power inundates my senses.
“What makes you think I’m lying?” I ask, reaching behind the bar and grabbing an entire bottle of something clear. I might as well enjoy myself if this is the end of either my life or, at the very least, this fledgling relationship.
She studies me like she hasn’t seen me before. Like we hadn’t just spent the night together.
