Page 86 of Promises in the Dark

“Like hell,” I spat, stepping between Red and her ex.

But she grabbed my arm, her fingers digging into my skin like she was afraid I’d do something stupid.

"Rogue, don’t," she whispered, her eyes pleading with me.

I wanted nothing more than to bash that douchebag’s skull in, but Viper was lying there, bleeding his guts out, and we weren’t doing shit to help him.

Reluctantly, I took a step back, hating every second of it, feeling like a fucking idiot standing there with my dick in my hand.

Dr. Asshole leaned over Viper’s bed. He muttered something under his breath, his hands moving in a blur as he inspected the wound.

“Let the professionals handle this,” he said, like he was some kind of hero.

I scoffed, my anger reaching new heights. “Professionals? You mean your sorry ass?” I retorted, my fists itching to throw a punch.

“Yeah, that’s right,” said that low-life piece of shit, his voice deadly calm. “Now get the fuck out of my way.”

Red tugged on my arm again, her grip surprisingly strong. “Come on, Rogue, let’s go,” she whispered, her voice pleading with me to let it go.

I ground my teeth so hard I thought I might break a molar.

Fuck me, as much as I wanted to tell her to shove it, I couldn’t. I complied, because as much as I wanted to deck that asshole, I knew Viper’s life was on the line.

Red was right. Now wasn’t the time for a bigger dick contest.

God, it pissed me off, how easily she could manipulate me.

I couldn’t deny the sinking feeling in my gut—Viper needed help. It wasn’t about ego anymore; it was about survival. So I told myself that he was in a life and death situation, although deep down, I knew it was because I couldn’t bear to see the fear in Red’s eyes.

I swallowed my pride like a bitter pill and followed her out, knowing that I couldn’t refuse her even if I wanted to.

And that was the last nail in the coffin of my damn sanity.

Chapter 24

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Red’s pacing was starting to get on my damn nerves. Her wild, red hair was coming loose from her ponytail, and the whites of her eyes were red in the harsh fluorescent lights.

I leaned against the wall, not giving a flying fuck that Viper’s blood was still fresh on my hands; the world had already gone to hell, what difference did a little blood make?

I flicked open my Zippo, the flame dancing in front of my face as I brought it to the tip of my cigarette. I took a long drag, letting the smoke fill my lungs as I silently observed Red’s agitated pacing across the med bay hall.

“Calm down, Doc,” I muttered, blowing out a cloud of smoke.

I swear, if she kept that up, she’d wear a hole in the floor.

But she didn’t even bother to acknowledge me, too caught up in her own head. Her hands were shaking, her eyes were wide with worry, and her mouth was moving a mile a minute, but all I could make out was‘I don’t understand how this could happen.’

Me neither, sweetheart.

I rolled my eyes, flicking ash onto the floor and I tried again, louder this time.

“For fuck’s sake, Red, chill the hell out.”

That caught her attention. She stopped in her tracks and turned to face me, her finger jabbing at my chest.

“How can you be so calm?” she asked, her voice shaking with emotion.

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