Page 91 of Captured Immune

Carefully, Arella folds the receipts in half, then half again, and slides them into the side pocket of her leggings. “I think I have to be at your secret rock for any of this to make sense. I have some theories though.”

“Like what?”

“What if when your mom asked you to take one hundred steps, she was thinking they were kid-size steps?”

“Tried that. I took kid steps and adult steps.” I unbuckle my seat belt and feel something sticky on my fingertips.This car is so fucking nasty.

“Could the song be a clue? Like the part that says,work twice as hard to the finish line.Maybe that means you need to take two hundred steps, not one hundred.”

Now that’s an idea!If that works, this woman is a genius. “I’ve never thought of that. How ’bout we take a trip there after we see the Healer?”

“Sounds good.”

“Great. Now could you help me shut this car off?”

She places her palm into mine, takes a deep breath, then nods. “I’m ready.”

I point at the ignition, and the engine stops rumbling. Arella’s about to open her door when I stop her with a hand over her thigh. “What are you doing?”

She gives me awhat do you think I’m doing?look. “Going to the bathroom?”

“Can you wait ’til I’m done pumping?”

“Why?”

“Because I need you at an arm’s length at all times.”

“I’ll be fine.” She rolls her eyes, and I can’t understand why. Does she not realize how much danger we’re in? Or how much it’ll kill me if something happens to her again? She reaches for the door handle a second time.

I grab her arm. “Arella, please. Don’t make this harder for me than it already is. How can I protect you in there if I’m all the way out here?”

“I wouldn’t need your protection if you hadn’t put my life in danger in the first place.”

Ouch.I never meant for her to get hurt. Once I realized she could be, I did what I could, short of kidnapping her myself, to try to get her out of Victor’s reach. And that was back when I thought he had good intentions. If I had known he was a double agent, I one hundred percent would have tied her up and flown her to a deserted island—save her first, answer questions later.

“Arella...” My voice cracks at the end of her name. “I am so s?—”

She throws a hand up to silence me. “Whatever. I don’t want to fight about this. Just go pump the gas. I’ll hold it in.”

I stare at her as I debate whether or not to continue what I was gonna say. What good will an apology do anyway? No words can ever erase what’s happened to her.

My chest feels like it’s weighed down by a grand piano as I exit the vehicle. I barely read the machine’s screen as I press buttons. I can’t remove the way she just glared at me out of my head. As I stick the nozzle into the car, I clench my jaw to hold back from breaking down.

While the gas pumps, I glower into the distance with my back facing the car. I can’t let her see the bullshit falling from my eyes. I blink it away as I force my body to suck in a deep breath. Slowly, I let it out. Then I suck in another. I should do it again, but it’s hurting my ribs, so I quit.

When I’m done with the gas, Arella doesn’t speak to me as we head toward the general store. She barely even looks my way when I hold the door open for her. I know I deserve the silent treatment. That doesn’t make it hurt any less.

A bell above the door rings as the door shuts behind me. Bright lights shine above the many aisles of candies, snacks, and trucker hats. No one is at the counter. One person’s blah energy wafts toward me from behind a door markedoffice. employees only.

I’m like a puppy with separation anxiety as Arella and I head into separate bathrooms. It’s the first time she’ll be out of my sight since I got her away from Shadow Ridge. I’m hesitant to leave her, but if the Royals suddenly appear here, I’ll know it the second I sense more than one person.

After I do my business, I scrub my bloody hands off with soap and water at the sink. In the mirror, a gory version of myself stares back. Dark untrimmed beard. Bruised cheeks. Gashes in my lips. Lines of crusty red drip down my face. I look like a victim in a horror film.

I stick my head under the faucet to wash off my face and hair. It hurts like hell to bend into the sink like this. Still, I do it until the water runs clear. When I glance back up at the mirror, the blood is all gone—mostly.

I hiss through my teeth as I unzip my leather jacket. Spots of black and blue cover my torso. The area where my ribs are on fire has the worst discoloration. With a light finger, I press on it. Big mistake. It stings so much, it sends the pain all the way down to my calves.We’ve gotta get to that Healer—stat.

Carefully, I zip my jacket back up, then exit the bathroom. Since I took so long, I thought Arella would already be out here waiting for me, but she’s not. A quick glance around the general store shows no signs of her either.

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