Page 89 of Fangs
“I don’t know,” I said, figuring it was probably the most honest answer.
“That scent in there, that’s Madame’s soap, isn’t it?”
I nodded, my throat constricting.
“Someone’s tryin’ to get to you.” Anger flashed through his eyes, and I looked away. “Bones, you swear you don’t know who did this?”
“I don’t know who did this.”
It wasn’t really a lie. I didn’t know who did this, but I did have an idea. Hawk hadn’t said a word to me since that awful night in the dungeon when Mist almost died, but I felt the heat of his hatred any time I made eye contact with him. I wasn’t about to name him, though. I had no proof, and besides that, I’d already done enough to fuck up Hawk’s life. I didn’t want to do anything else.
“You know you’re not a murderer, right?” his voice gentled.
I met his gaze again, feeling so damn tired. “Iama murderer, Griz. I’ve killed people.”
“I’m not gonna cry over Madame or Juck.”
“Do you have any idea how many Reapers I watched die? People I could’ve saved?”
“I don’t think that’s the same thing,” he argued. “And even if it was, that’s on Juck, not on you. Do you think I’m a murderer? I killed people during the rebellion. People I’ve known my whole life.”
“That’s different,” I mumbled.
He sighed, then surprised me by pulling me into a hug. “It’s really not.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist, my throat aching. We stood for a long time before I could force the ragged words out.
“I don’twantto killanyone.”
“I know,” he said without hesitation, squeezing me tighter. “That’s why you’re not a murderer, Bones.”
“You can call me ‘Em’ if you want.”
He pulled back enough to look at me. “You sure?”
I nodded.
“Alright, Em,” he said with a smile.
A couple of minutes later, Mac came running up the path, his eyes flashing with a familiar fury. His voice was curt in my head as he demanded to know if I was okay. I gave him the same answer I gave Griz, and he looked angrier. He paused in front of us.
“You good?” he asked Griz, who nodded.
Mac stormed into the clinic. Nemo and several of his men joined shortly after. It was growing dark now, the last orange and purple glow disappearing behind the mountains. It wasn’t long before Wolf and his entire crew appeared. Wolf stopped in front of me, his face serious, and I was acutely aware he knew someone had written “MURDERER” on my wall.
“I’ve been speaking with Nemo,” Wolf said.
My stomach flipped, and my fingers fiddled with my shirt collar, pulling it tighter.
“We’ve worked out a deal that me and my crew will stay here for two months workin’ as security, but the terms are you have to stay at the clinic with us, and you gottatalkto me so we can…figure this out. Deal?”
I honestly wasn’t sure if I felt relieved or not. “I can’t go in there if it…if it smells like that,” I said.
“Smells like what?” Wolf asked.
“Like Madame,” Griz answered when I didn’t say anything.
Wolf gave Lee a sharp look, and I wondered why Lee had left that part out. “What do you mean smells like Madame?” he asked.
