Page 46 of Calling Quarters

“That's all you need to see. Now, run along and remember what I told you.”

Chapter 26

Storie

Ifound him at the beach. It seemed as if he was waiting for me there, his pale colors a beautiful contrast to the onyx sand and navy waters surrounding him. I knew better than to let myself believe such lies. Tabitha may have triggered repressed feelings in me from Aunt Ash, but she knew the Quarters better than I did.

I didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. Instead, I shoved The Beacon into his chest, front page facing out. He stumbled back a bit, shocked. We both managed to ignore the pain that sliced through us from the quick brush of his fingers against mine.

“Is this your doing?” I heard my voice demand.

He looked down at the paper pushed against him and sighed, turning his face away from mine like it hurt him that I thought he was capable of what was happening to those innocent girls.

“No.”

“You need to tell me the truth if we’re going to continue whatever this is between us, Remy. I need to trust you.”

“It’s not us,” he insisted, stepping away from me.

I let the paper fall into the sand at my feet, too distracted by him to even notice. He’d fully turned his back to me and began raking his fingers through his hair.

“I have to tell you something,” I finally said after staring at him through a few long beats of silence.

The waves crashed across the water, arching and breaking once they hit the shore. They reached out at us, threatening to soak our feet before retreating back into the ocean. I realized it was almost like the water matched his mood each time we found ourselves out here.

His fingers ceased their attack on his scalp and his arms fell to his sides, waiting. As if he knew what I was about to say and had been dreading it for some time.

“I'm a Counter.” The words felt thick on my tongue, a disgusting admission that I wished I never had to make.

“I know.”

I blinked owlishly. “What?”

Remy turned to face me again, his expression poignant. “I know you're a Counter. I've known since the first day we met.”

That gave me pause. He recognized my confusion and his entire demeanor shifted. A smile teased his lips, as if he were pleased by my ignorance.

“In fact…” he added while his feet closed the distance between us before he lifted his arm and let his hand hover over my cheek for a weighted second. Then without warning, he surprised me by grabbing my jaw and tilting my head up just a little.

“You're mine.”

He practically growled the words into my face, his hot breath sending chills straight down my spine. His fingers held onto my jawbone just a tad too tight and when I moved to step away, I watched his brow quirk up and excitement flash across his eyes in challenge. His grip tightened even more, letting me know there was no escape.

All at once, the fear I'd felt toward him in the beginning came rushing back. This unpredictable behavior had always been part of his allure, but he never exercised his strength against me.

“Why didn't you tell me? If you've known all this time, why would you let me believe I was holding onto some dark secret?”

“Because of this.” He tugged my face closer to him, and I let out a terrified whimper. “Because I had no idea what you'd do with the fear that it would ignite in you.”

“Why not kill me, then? Like you were trained to do.”

He released me and shook his head with a shrug. I could see the tortured struggle in his expression. He was unable to find an adequate excuse, and that drove him crazy.

“It just didn't feel right.”

My mind raced, remembering every piece of information I'd learned from Tabitha tonight. I had to tell him. We were equally entitled to the truth about who we were and what our purpose was.

“You were right. Keeping me alive is what saved your life.”

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