Page 10 of Martyr
The opposition he faces: the city council, law enforcement. The Hell Hounds, once he crosses into their territory.
Reese Avery will fight.
Jace King, Wolfe James, Apollo Madden—they’re out unless they can get back into the city. Ouranos has eyes everywhere. Gabriel made sure they couldn’t return.
But Reese… he should’ve escaped when he had the chance. There’s no telling what Ouranos will do if he gets his hands on him. The leniency he granted me, theriskI took to get Reese out—wasted opportunity.
He’s in a jacket, hat, jeans, boots. His hands are tucked into his pockets, and his breath puffs out when he stops in front of me. The knit cap obscures his blond hair, but there’s no hiding his hazel-green eyes and the hard cut of his expression.
“You look okay,” I say to him, leaning forward in my seat. “Are you?”
He makes a face and sits beside me. He shifts, adjusting, and kicks out his legs. “Did you ask me here just to check up on me?”
Same old Reese.
“So what if I did?” I question.
It’s not the reason, but I don’t think I can come out and say it. Not knowing where Saint and Artemis are is killing me. All I know is that a Cyclops hit Saint’s vehicle, and he was rushed to the hospital… then nothing.
No discharge paperwork, no trail to follow.
It’s like he vanished into thin air, and I know all about that. I’m looking at the ghost I’ve been chasing for far longer.
“I tried to find you for two years,” I point out. “And it led me here.” Two years ofbreadcrumbs. There was practically nothing but rumors to keep me going. Rumors and, eventually, a solid lead. A string I grabbed on to with both hands.
“Ouranos brought you here,” Reese snaps. “You can lie to yourself, say that it was all about finding me. Following the fucking clues I left you. But I didn’t expect you to bring a whole army?—”
“Reese.” I bite my tongue to stop the apology.
Our relationship has always been complicated. From serving together overseas, to the rough transition back home, to…this. We each have our trauma. He thought he could atone for his sins by serving his country. I thought I could outrun my past in the same way.
From the very beginning, we were like brothers. Through thick and thin. He saved my life, and I’ve been struggling to repay him in the same way. Struggling with knowing that, on the brink of death, I was so fucking ready for it.
And then he dragged me away from that edge.
“I did odd jobs for the Cyclopes in Emerald Cove,” he says quietly. “Did you know?”
My breath catches, and I shake my head fast. “When?”
“Before I came here. It was just… It was surface-level stuff. I didn’t want to get sucked into the gang, and some of the guys wanted extra hands-on jobs. So they paid me to hold a gun and make sure no one snuck in through the back door—that kind of thing.” His shoulders inch higher. “The longer I was around them, the more openly they talked. Lesser stuff, usually, until they started on about how the Cyclopes were going to move to Sterling Falls because the previous gang had been wiped out.”
“Reese.” I pinch the bridge of my nose.
All this time, he was there? We were in the same city?
I was searching for him, and if I had only opened my eyes sooner?—
“I don’t know how Ouranos got to you, brother,” Reese continues. “I don’t know what he promised you.”
“He promised meyou,” I bite out.
He tenses. His gaze stays locked on the ocean, the waves crashing to the sand in front of us.
I stare at the side of his face. “I was chasing your ghost, and I practically fell into Ouranos’ arms. He saw straight through me.Gave me structure. And, yes, he promised meyou. Just as he promised Gabriel…”
Artemis.
He tenses, like I had said her name out loud.
