Page 78 of Revenant

I’ll try not to snap his neck right away, not until I have a chance to interrogate him. I’ll start slow breaking every bone in his body first, then I’ll switch it up by removing his internal organs.

So, when a little bit of a girl skids around the corner, nearly tripping over her own feet, I’m unsure who is more surprised. She appears as timid as a mouse for a second, then her spine straightens and she scowls.

The expression is familiar.

Wait…wasn’t she supposed to be covering our backs?

I twist to peer behind me, only now realizing that there are two of them. One dark, one light, like the opposite sides of a coin. This must be the missing sister. I shuffle aside, pressing my back against the wall. The instant their eyes connect, neither moves for a moment. Both are too thin, both a little too intense, and both are clearly no longer human.

“Mabel?” The girl from the lunchroom takes a hesitant step forward, her face crumbling while pale red tears tumble down her cheeks.

“Sue!”

Then the girls are running toward each other, hugging like they never expected to see each other again.

Sue pulls away and cups her sister’s face, memorizing her features, her tone tinged with awe when she speaks. “She fucking got you out, didn’t she? I thought you were dead.”

“You mean Rue?” Mabel’s expression falls and tears fill her eyes. “She got me out. It should’ve been impossible, since I was in a coma, but she did it. Unfortunately, the doctor caught her when we were escaping.”

Mabel’s eyes flick between us, recognition flashing in her gaze. “We have to go now and get her. I think the doctor plans on doing something very bad.”

“Where?” James nudges me aside before I can demand answers. The cajoling cadence of his voice is a little too sharp, a little too harsh to be soothing, but neither girl shies away from it.

“I’ll show you.” She immediately spins on her feet, takes a few steps, then glances at us from over her shoulder and waves us forward. “This way.”

I step into her path before she can head down the hallway, shaking my head. “Let me go first. If there is a threat, I can take care of it.”

“You don’t think I can handle a guard?” She lifts her eyebrows, very much like her sister did not too long ago, and a tiny smile curls her lips.

“You are the only one who knows how to find Rue.” I cross my arms, leaning down until I’m right in her face, uncaring she’s nearly a third my size. “I will not put you at risk.”

“I can see why Rue likes you.” Mabel peers up at me with wide, almost innocent eyes…until she smiles and shows me those freaky as fuck teeth. We’re so close, I’m only just noticing the spots of blood soaked into her dark shirt.

Then her words register, and I straighten abruptly, tugging at my too tight shirt. “She does?” The question pops out before I can bite it back, my insecurities taking hold of me. I’ve failed her in so many ways that I no longer feel worthy of the title ofboyfriend. Maybe with my new abilities, that will change, and I can finally protect her the way she deserves.

Her eyes widen in surprise, then her smile softens and she winks at me. “Trust me. A girl knows these things. Romance her, treat her like a queen, and she will be putty in your hands.”

“I can do that,” I vow, tension easing out of my shoulders at her confidence, and I nod solemnly. “Let’s go rescue my princess.”

Once I have Rue back in my arms, I’m determined to never let her go again.

I’ll kill anyone who tries to take her from me.

Chapter Twenty-nine

JAMESON

Pookie’s name repeats in my head like a chant, pounding in time with my heartbeat, the need to find her an imperative I can’t ignore.

She’s in danger.

Again.

And it’s driving me fucking insane that I’m not there to protect her.

What good are we as her boyfriends if we can’t keep her from harm?

The air is thick with smoke, tickling my lungs, but that’s not the reason it’s so hard to breathe. No, my chest is tight with anxiety. I’ve lost too many people in my life—people who were supposed to love me.

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