Page 109 of Promises in the Dark

I grounded my teeth together, forcing myself to stay rooted to the spot. Pyro’s voice droned on in the background, talking about some visit he made to Viper who was supposedly recovering well, but I was barely even listening. My attention was glued to Red and Raven, watching them out of the corner of my eye.

My attempt at maintaining calm went straight to hell the moment I saw Raven trying to twist Red’s arm in some sick display of dominance.

And that was the last fucking straw.

Every ounce of restraint I had left evaporated in an instant. I was halfway across the room, marching over there to show that bitch what happens when you mess with what was fucking mine. But then, I heard a voice booming in my ear, freezing me in place.

“Stand down, Lieutenant.”

Chapter 30

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captain looked like he was ready to rip someone’s head off, and I had a sinking feeling it was going to be mine.

I cursed under my breath, feeling like a fucking idiot as I stood there helplessly, fighting against the overwhelming urge to disobey his order.

“Lieutenant, Dr. Davis, my office. Now,” he commanded, his eyes landing on me and Red, which caused his scowl to deepen.

Red stopped moving, her movements coming to an abrupt halt as she turned to stare at me with wide eyes, silently demanding answers that I didn’t have.

And then, like a ripple effect, everyone else in the room stopped moving too. I tried to ignore the prying gazes, but it was fucking impossible. I simply hated being the center of attention, especially when I had no fucking clue what this was all about.

Captain’s face turned an even deeper shade of red and I thought I saw a vein throbbing in his temple as he realized no one was moving.

“Did I not make myself clear? Both of you, get. To. My. Office. NOW.”

No clue what the hell we did to piss him off, but it was clear as day we were about to get our asses handed to us.

“Yes, sir,” I answered for both, feeling a headache coming on.

Red snapped out of it at the sound of my voice, her eyes flicking away. We traded a quick, nervous glance before I followed her out of the training room.

As soon as we were out of earshot, Red turned to me, her voice tight.

“Do you have any idea what this is about?” she asked and her question hung in the air like a fucking guillotine waiting to drop.

I shrugged, trying to think of a plausible explanation. “No idea,” I admitted, racking my brain for any possible reason why the captain would want to see us.

But the truth was, I had no fucking clue. And none of the scenarios playing out in my head made me feel any better.

“You think it has something to do with that woman, Raven?”

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a twinge of defensiveness. “What makes you believe that?” I asked, trying to deflect her suspicions before they gained any traction.

Sure, I’d considered that maybe Raven had gone and ratted us out—spotted Red leaving my room and decided to act like a fucking narc. But then again, that wasn’t Raven’s style. She wasn’t the type to go crying to Captain like a whiny little bitch. Nah, she preferred to deal with shit the old-fashioned way—with her fists.

Red’s eyes narrowed as she leveled me with a knowing look. “I’m not blind, Rogue. I saw the way you two interact. There’s history there,” she insisted, her voice trailing off as if she was thinking out loud.

I scoffed, denying her claims. “Yeah, well, she always had a fucking crush on me. But I never engaged in it,” I retorted, hoping she would believe me.

I didn’t know why, but it was important to me that she believed me. I couldn’t bear the thought of her doubting my intentions.

Red didn’t budge, her expression cold, eyes still locked on mine. “What if she saw me in your bed and felt threatened or something?” she suggested, clearly unconvinced.

I laughed—too loud, too forced—trying to shut that thought down. “I doubt she saw anything, and even if she did, Raven likes to take care of things personally. She wouldn’t run crying to the captain like a fucking child,” I explained, trying to convince myself as much as her.

Red rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might stay that way. “Yeah, Ifeltthat when she was training me,” she said, letting out a harsh laugh. “She was brutal. And you know what? I think she enjoyed it.”

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