Page 95 of Martyr
“Not like that!” I shriek. I cover my face. “Get that image out of your mind, Jace King. We were killing Cyclopes.”
Kade snickers, but that’s the only sound in the room. I drop my hands and am met with stares.
“Please elaborate,” Kora says.
I take a deep breath. “Okay,well…”
41KADE
We don’t get backto the club until mid-morning, after the inquisition from Tem’s brother and his friends finishes to their satisfaction. Daniel is hard at work, but as soon as we show up with Jace and Wolfe in tow, Saint, Reese, Tem and I make ourselves scarce.
I was expecting a certain level of awkwardness, but both Saint and Reese make faces when I offer to take the couch. Even Artemis rolls her eyes and huffs at me.
She peels my sweatshirt off her body. She’s facing me, and that’s the only reason I catch her grimace of pain.
“What was that?” I demand.
“Oh.” She puts her hand to her back. “Um, I forgot.”
Forgotwhat?
She rotates slowly, and my eyes bug out.
There’s a bullet in the Kevlar. Upper back and a little off-center. I immediately slide my hand under it, feeling for blood.
Nothing. Still?—
“One more,” she says. “Lower?”
“Fucking hell, woman.” I grit my teeth and bend. The bottom plate in the vest just barely caught it. Another half-inch down and it would’ve been buried in her spine.
I undo the Velcro straps and help lift it off, then her shirt. Her back is a patchwork of deep-purple bruises.
Saint and Reese come over, and both of them make noises of disapproval.
“You got shot and you’re just telling us about it now?” Saint demands.
Tem rolls her eyes. “The vest caught it. You’re saying you didn’t even catch a stray bullet? Loser.”
Saint scowls.
Reese grabs the sweatshirt she was wearing and finds the two holes, sticking his fingers through them. “Your brother is going to kill you.”
She laughs, then winces. “Yeah. Ow. I was fine up until right now.”
“Shocker,” I mutter. “Adrenaline does that.”
“We were sitting at my brother’s…”
“And you were up in arms defending Gabriel,” I finish. “Do you keep painkillers around? Medicine cabinet?”
Tem stiffens. “Am I allowed to take that?”
“Tylenol?” Saint questions. “I think that’s allowed, Artemis.”
Ooh, he full-named her. With his memory back, I think he savesArtemisfor emergencies. Like when she gets shot and doesn’t tell us.
“Tylenol and waters all around,” Reese says. “And then we’re going to sleep.”
