Page 92 of Tortured Soul
“Is that really necessary?” Dimitri drawled, right as we entered.
“Without it, our other scouts could attack you on sight. It ensures you’re recognized as one of us.”
“Isn’t there another way?” he asked, gritting his teeth. “It’s uncomfortable. And I don’t need that many weapons.”
Dimitri was dressed in a lighter version of the guards uniform, a more masculine alternative of Carrie’s usual attire.
His chest was covered in dark, reinforced leather pieces strapped together. His thighs circled with sheathed knives, and a couple of guns.
He looked damn hot, and I found myself picturing what happened this morning but with him wearing that.
He turned his face toward me slightly, just enough for me to see the anger swirling in the corner of his eyes.
Well, it was never going to happen, then…
“It’s for your own good,” Jeremiah justified as he turned around to pick up a few more blades, clearly done with their exchange.
Ann took a step forward and Dimitri tensed, growling. She froze, a wince pulling at her face.
“Bring that needle to my neck or any other part of me, and we’re going to have a problem.”
“You’re not—”
“What’s going on, here?” I interrupted Arc, joining Dimitri with quick steps.
“Um, it’s—” Ann started, hesitant as she met my stare. “It’s protocol that I examine and chip scouts. So we can find them if they go missing.”
I frowned and she turned her eyes away.
Something didn’t add up.
“How are you not able to locate the place where the missing Immortals are being held if they’re chipped?”
She blushed, fingers tapping on the chart.
“Because we only started doing this a few months ago, and for now, the chipped ones were not captured but simply killed,” Jeremiah explained, handing Dimitri another dagger to add to the dozen already strapped to his body.
“Is that supposed to reassure me?”
I forced Dimitri’s arms to uncross as I slid my hand in his, interlacing our fingers. He was wearing gloves, something he never did. I didn’t like not being able to feel his skin.
“Look, Nephilims are some of the only truly Immortal Earthwalkers,” Arc said, walking closer as Ann slowly retreated to the back of the room. He planted himself next to Jeremiah, forming two sides on the matter. “If theysomehowget to you, even though you’re neither Divine nor Hellriser, they’ll have to either let you go—which we assume they will—or take you in. Andthatturn of event will allow us to find you, and probably all the others, even if you fail in locating them. It’s nothing, really. You won’t even feel—”
“I won’tfail.” Dimitri’s tone was harsh, face tight. “You can stab that needle into your own fucking ass.”
Arc’s jaw twitched as he stared Dimitri down.
“And keep those damn weapons, I’m not a powerless child,” Dimitri added, ignoring the one Jeremiah was still handing out to him.
The angel frowned, his grip tightening on the handle.
“I’ll believe that when you tell me what your powers are, like I’ve asked you about ten times.”
“They are enough that I won’t be needing any of that.”
Things didn’t feel right. Why were they pressing him about it? Nephilims powers were known to vary from one to the other, but to be deadly anyway.
I took a step, placing myself between them, plastering my back against Dimitri’s chest. If they were ganging up on him, I wasn’t going to stand by and watch.
