Page 37 of Jump or Fall
She placed a hand on her chest. “You are too sweet. I’m sure the serum will bring back your looks. I can tell you were a handsome one before your incident.”
Gordon stood and said his farewells before leaving the apartment with Kimmie in tow.
Once outside, he leaned against a wall and pulled up the map on his tablet.
Kimmie’s cheeks were slightly pink. “Sorry about the stuff my mom said. She’s always been obsessed with looks, but she’s getting more… mean.”
Gordon exhaled sharply. “A man I knew for almost a decade stuck a knife in my mouth and left me for dead on the side of the road. A few comments from a dying woman are nothing.” Nothing Layela had said came close to the things he muttered at the mirror.
Kimmie bit her lip and nodded.
“I take it she wasn’t too happy when you became an enforcer?”
She laughed dryly. “I don’t know if she was more pissed about the danger or having to cut my hair.”
“Probably the danger, if that’s how she reacted to a scratch.”
Kimmie wrinkled her nose. “I hate the smell of Rapiderm after practically swimming in it for years. My mom was hit by a piece of glass when someone shattered a window next to her and my sister. She hid in our apartment until someone found out and the landlord kicked her out. Then, she tried to convince our dad to keep us in Six, but the asshole took off, and we had to move too. Ever since dad left, she loses it over the tiniest imperfection.”
“Becoming an enforcer is an interesting way to rebel.”
She rolled her eyes. “I joined so I could make enough money to take care of my mom and sister.” Crossing her arms, she added, “And because I care about these people. It’s bullshit that something like a scar on your face means you have to live here.”
“You’ll find no argument from me.”
After a pause, she said, “Well, good job flirting with my mom. I’m sure she’ll want to invite you back over.”
“People are usually more cooperative when they’re happy.”
Kimmie’s eyes lingered on him, as if assessing.
“What?”
“Nothing.” She looked away. “When will the serum be at the drop?”
“Noon tomorrow. I think you should stay clear of the area. I’ll show up early to start the sweep.”
“Want me to show you the way back home?”
He flipped his tablet around, showing her the screen—a maze of pathways with a winding line tracing his steps.
“Thanks, but I’ve got it.” He couldn’t find a map of the place, so he started making his own, tracking his routes each time he left the apartment and labeling key locations.
He pushed away from the wall and followed the path. “See you tomorrow.”
Fixed to the spot with her arms still crossed, she muttered, “Yeah. See ya.”
Chapter 14
Mara
The last message from Gordon said to meet him at the tunnel entrance at 7:30. The day crawled by at an infuriatingly slow pace. Worse still, it was Saturday, so she didn’t even have work to occupy her mind.
She’d already spent hours combing through the articles and archives Gordon had given her access to, her eyes aching by the time she finally looked away. It was fascinating—learning about the history of the city that held them captive and the others scattered across the Western Domain—but the longer she read, the heavier it all felt. So much of the world was locked away.
She hoped that would change soon.
Mara leaned back on the couch, holding one of her modified gauntlets.
