Page 126 of Speak

I take his hand in mine and tug him into Maverick’s office, leaving the door only slight ajar so people won’t see me signing.

I don’t want you to go. We need to stick together. I don’t want you to not sleep with me. It’s supposed to storm tonight. I don’t want you alone.

“Slower, baby.”

I repeat myself, aware that Maverick is watching.

“I have to go. You know I don’t want to go but I have to.”

I don’t want you alone in the dorms. Just because Riordan is gone, does not mean it’s okay. It’s still not safe.

“I don’t know when I’m coming back.”

What?

“All I know is that I’ll be back in time for my game, okay?”

Not okay.I push past him, yanking my backpack off him only to push past Maverick as well. Yeah, if I wasn’t already going to audition to dance at Inferno, I absolutely am now. I need to find out what’s going on. I need to learn their secrets. I want Jonas as far away from the Syndicate as possible, preferablyyesterday.

“What’s that about?” I hear him murmur to Jonas.

Jonas sighs, “Nothing.”

Except it’s everything. I walk past the thinning crowds of students and fly up the three flights of stairs to Damon’s office. He opens the door before I have a chance to knock and fucking Addison Cleary is walking out. “Thank you, Doctor Archer, I feel so much better.” She says when she sees me with a fucking giggle and then, “Of courseyou’dcome here. You need all the help you can get, huh… freak?”

I roll my eyes and step through the threshold, shutting the door on her ass and flinging my backpack onto the sofa only turn to face his steely eyes. God he’s fucking beautiful. He’s sitting behind his desk, which I know is something he does when he either hates the patient he’s seeing or doesn’t care for them whatsoever.

At Lorne Wood, he would always sit right in front of me or beside me. That’s why for years I silently begged him to touch me and tried to horribly seduce him. It’s also why I’m not worried about Addison fucking Cleary or her obnoxious giggles.

“Amourette, are you alright?”

No. The Syndicate has Jonas doing something for them tonight and all heknows is he’ll be back before his game tomorrow.

“Come, sit on my lap.”

I do. God why is it so fucking easy for me to obey these men? Oh, because I’m dicknotized.

“Firstly,” he kisses me with no rush, calming me. “Hello. Secondly, what’s going on with Jonas?”

It’s the first time I’ve ever used this card so when I ask,Doctor-Patient confidentiality?

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Of course.”

I tell him everything that transpired the day we moved our shit in at Mavericks and what Jonas confided in me about being a fucking lackey for Prescott. It’s shitty. It doesn’t make me feel good. I hate telling him. But I want Jonas safe.

Can we tag him like you tagged me?

Damon laughs. “You aren’t a dog, little bird. I didn’t tag you.”

I deadpan, holding my glare.

“Fine, okay. I tagged you. But for your own protection.”

I want to do it for Jonas then, too. I want to know if he’s safe. If he needs me, I want to be able to get to him. I already know you have an extra whatever you put in me. A microchip.

He laughs again. "It's an implant. Barely the size of a grain of rice. And you’re right. I have… a few extras in case you tried to dig them out.”

Color me unsurprised. I grab my phone from my blazer and FaceTime Jonas.

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