Page 98 of Natural-Born Cullers

Not Martin. I know that, stunner.

But he couldn’t hit Send, find a way to make this better when all that was left was….

Gray tightened his grip on the phone. He couldn’t get his head around which tipped his world upside down more: nearly losing Jan, seeing Light after he killed Seth, Martin’s betrayal. But Jack…?

Where Martin’s killed him, Jack….

Heshouldhave damn well known something had been going on. Jack loved Jan so bloody much, he should have sensed Martin put him in danger, that he’d damn well nearly taken them all out.

For the first time in his life, Gray couldn’t trust what his heart told him, despite knowing DID, how… why personalities stepped in when they did, because Jack had stood there, damn well pulling Martin to safety as if he knew… he damn wellkneweverything that had gone down.

It tilted Gray’s axis, and for the life of him, he couldn’t sort it right in his head, trust how he knew Jack, or thought he knew Jack.

Gray made it through to his en suite and threw up.

“Here.” Jan came in, and a bottle of water tapped at Gray’s shoulder, and he took the water and had a mouthful, then spat it in the sink. Not the prettiest of things, and he flushed the sink down with some cleaner.

Jan stood at his side, still not asking for any details on Light. He didn’t seem to be able to move past Martin and Jack. Gray hoped to God it stayed that way, because he still couldn’t get it all right in his own head.

“Jack wouldn’t have known, Gray.” Jan folded his arms as he rested by him. “He couldn’t have, could he?”

And that, right there, was why he felt so sick.

The mistrust.

There’d never been a time when he hadn’t trusted Jack. Martin… yeah. But never Jack.

And yet… that walk across to the summerhouse? How Martin had never let Jack meet Light…?

“Fuck.” The final jigsaw piece slipped into place. “No, Jack didn’t know,” Gray said flatly. “It’s the reason behind why Martin never let him meet Light. Or more why he wouldn’t letLightmeet Jack. Light might have screwed up over slipping something out. He’s not met Jack yet either. So if something slipped out like leaving a message on Jack’s phone for him to see, Martin knew that Jack would have seen them, that he’d….”

Tell them.

Yeah. Of course he would have done.

“Christ.” Jan ran a hand through his hair, and it shook so badly as that hit home. “Fuck Martin.” He groaned. “Fuck him for that. For….”

Gray stilled, hating Martin in that moment, the mistrust he infused between them all, and after easing out his phone, he hit Send.

Not Martin. I know that now, stunner.

Sorry, so bloody sorry.

A text came through a moment later, and as Gray finished wiping a towel over his face, he thumbed it open.

I’ll make sure he knows.

Martin.

Martin.

He was back.

Gray eased his phone down on the bathroom unit, and a look shot Gray’s way as Jan picked it up.

“What the hell has he done, Gray?Whywould Martin take us all out like that?” Jan tossed the phone back on the unit as a tear fell. “I mean. Fuck.” He shrugged. “There’s got to be a reason, right? He wouldn’t….” Jan fell quiet, and Gray cupped his neck before roughly scrubbing the tear away.

“Bastard,” said Jan. “That fucking bastard.” He sniffed, then pulled away and headed back into the office, shaking his head, his heart looking just as burned out. Head down, Gray followed a moment later.

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