Page 26 of Consume Me

“Whatever. I’m still coming.”

I hear him grumble, but I am tired of constantly fighting with him.

When the guard opens the door, Caleb is hunched over the table, scribbling furiously on a piece of paper. The moment he sees Blake, he jumps up and spits, “I should have killed you and created a son who would never betray his father.”

I flinch at his harsh words, but Blake throws his head back and laughs.

“Oh, Father, is this how you greet your son?”

“You’re not my son. You’re a waste of breath.”

Rage blurs my vision. I am about to approach him when Blake grips my elbow, pulling me back. “Easy there.”

Caleb looks from me to him and says, “You’re going to lose her. Mark my words.”

Blake marches to him without hesitation, curls his hand around Caleb’s throat, and lifts him into the air. Caleb’s feet dangle above the cement floor as his face turns a deep purplish color.

“Father, don’t forget what I am capable of. If you ever think that again, I’m going to kill you,” he says resolutely. “You don’t know what I’m willing to do for her.”

My heart races so fast that I’m afraid it might sprint out of my chest. He’d kill for me, and, strangely, because I must be disturbed, I like that—a lot.

“Tell me where your backup research is?”

He cocks his head. “I’ll never tell,” he says, entirely too smug for someone in his position.

That means there are copies. Blake and I exchange a glance. Where could those be? Not knowing what he has done with them skyrockets my worry.

Caleb looks paler, his cheeks hollowed out with gray peppering his temples as if he aged ten years at once. Captivity doesn’t suit him, and that brings me immense pleasure.

“I’ll come by tomorrow. You shouldn’t have let me in.” He digs a finger into his temple. “I have a great memory, thanks to you.”

Caleb winces, and Blake puts him down. Falling onto his knees and breathing hard, Caleb says, “I’ve wasted my talent on you.”

What is that supposed to mean?

“I hope that keeps you fucking awake at night. I played you, Father. Always have.”

Caleb wants to hurt him. It’s in the tightening of his facial muscles, the corners of his eyes stretching with fury. I’d never allow that.

“See you tomorrow.” Blake puts his hand on my back and urges me out. From that small touch alone, my skin is on fire.

While the encounter still rattles me, my heart soaks up Blake’s words, stoking the tiny flicker of faith in my chest. I need him to tell me that he didn’t mean that he’d kill his father for me—anything not to get my hopes up once again.

“What did he mean?” I ask. Blake’s well-being is more important to me than the emotional battlefield I am stuck in.

“Nothing.”

“So what you said was just to rile him up?”

“Yes,” he says matter-of-factly.

I could accept his reply and be done, but the hurt pushes me to back him into a wall.

“Fine. Tell me I mean nothing to you.”

“So desperate to have me, knowing I’d never stay.”

His words slice through me, and my insides bleed out. “We’re done, Blake. This was it.”

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