Page 40 of Sick Bargain

Director nods, looking at me as if to ask how much I’ve told him. Which is nothing. I selfishly wanted his attention on me, not his mother. So, while Director gives him theCliffs Notesversion of what we think is happening with this microchip, I watch as Remiel shatters just a little more. He’s alluring while broken, and I want to break him more.

His breakdown from last night was so different from this. Last night, he went psychotic. Dipped into the depraved parts of his psyche and revelled in the darkness. Today, he’s a scared little lamb, wondering how he can be the hero of his mom’s life. But I like that there’s a selfish side to him, too. Because his first question is about himself.

“What do my scans show? Is there something inside me?”

“They look clear,” Director says, but I notice something in his tone. He’s lying, and I don’t know what about, so I stare at the images of the scans, trying to make sense of something I don’t understand. “We just wanted to make sure.”

“How doyouknow all this?” Remiel asks Director, smarter than I thought he was. He’s putting the pieces together, wondering how Dr. Cooper relates to Vile House.

“I’ve been made aware because of my area of expertise,” he answers smoothly. Smoother than the lie he just told Remiel about his scans. I don’t see anything that stands out in the images, but I also don’t know what I’m looking for. “We’re trying to formulate a drug to counteract the chip. Or what we think is a chip.”

“Remi.” The door bangs open and Ghost looks in. “Let’s go. I need a minute with you.”

I shove Ghost out the door and leave Remiel to get dressed. Director follows us out with a warning. “You’re best friends. Act like it,” he reminds us before taking the tablet with Remiel’s scans and going back to work.

“The fuck is your problem, Soren? You know he’s mine.”

“He’s my brother!”

“And I’ll protect him the best way I know how. Lay off.”

He grabs the front of my jacket, getting in my face while nurses and staff members pretend to ignore us. This portion of the asylum isn’t busy and is mostly used for us, but it’s safer to use first names here while unmasked. “If I accept this, and that’s a massive ‘if,’ I won’t lay off. He’s still my brother, even if his life belongs to you, and I’m not giving up. I will find a way to keep him alive.”

“As will I.”

Ghost sighs. He’s egotistical enough to see it as a competition, like he can’t bear to be beaten if I find a way to protect Remiel before he can. “Just don’t keep him from me. I don’t know how much longer…”

“I have shit to do with Killian, anyway. I’ll come grab him from you later.” I break his hold on my jacket and grab his instead. “If you touch him or anything happens to him under your watch…”

Ghost rolls his eyes. “You fucked my brother, Kr…eegan. What’s that, like the third time in your life you’ve fucked? I have a right to be pissed.”

“Be pissed all you want. It’s not going to change anything.” I shove him away. “I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Where’s Killian?”

He grins, and it’s fucking vile. “Bit locked up at the moment.” He walks inside the treatment room, and I leave before I can bite his head off for being near Remiel.

I find my brother locked in a freezer in the morgue.

After hours of checking tourists,we have four of them bound and gagged on the floor of the old mining cave.

I also have Gregory Malone’s pinky finger in my pocket because he touched Remiel’s hand the other night in the cemetery. I warned him I’d cut parts off anyone who touched him, and that includes unintentional touches. Fuck Gregory Malone.

Monster circles the four captives, and Ransom watches Monster fondly. Riot stands at my side, and all four of us have our masks on.

“What’d they do?” Ransom asks.

Riot points at each one in turn. “That one can’t remember why he’s in Moros. That one says he’s from here, but I have no idea who he is, and neither does Krypt. She claims to be looking for a doctor but doesn’t remember his name, and she’s… just batshit.”

The batshit girl is the only one looking at us. The rest of them are cowering on the ground, looking confused and scared.

“We’ll get them scanned and then have Glitch try to figure out what’s up with their minds.” Ransom looks at Monster, still pacing.

“If they’re even chipped.” Riot sighs. “The fuck is this chip thing? I thought that shit was only in sci-fi movies. This is Moros. We’re stuck in the past, not advanced in science.”

“Axel,” Monster seethes. “It’s him.”

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