Page 86 of Made of Steel (Made of Steel 1)

"Ruin everything between us? Yeah, I was fucking worried about that and obviously I had a right to be. And just for the record, I haven't lied to you. You're losing your mind."

That's what Don wanted. He wanted me to think I was completely crazy. "Oh yeah? That gym you've been going to doesn't even have boxing classes."

"You've been following me?"

"No. I just looked it up online because you've been acting so evasive."

He laughed. It sounded strained. "I haven't lied to you. All I've done is tried to help you." He grabbed my wrist more forcefully this time. "And I'm asking you to trust me when I say that we need to get inside."

I pulled away from him again. "I listened to your iPod."

"What the hell? I knew you went through my stuff."

"How else was I supposed to learn anything about you?"

"You could have asked me. Unlike you, I would have loved to have a conversation. I was never constantly pushing you away."

Maybe he was right. But I didn't have time to regret anything else. "I don't have to explain myself. You've been the one spying on me."

"Fuck." He ran his hands through his hair. "Look," he said dropping his voice. "It's not what you think."

That was the only confession I needed. "Why, because I think you're trying to hurt me? This was never about us, I'm just a job to you."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Stay the hell away from me, Eli." It was true. It was all true. The fire from his touch. I should have followed my gut. He was bad news. I didn't even need to know the specifics. He was part of the darkness that I had brought here.

"You know what? Fine. I've done everything I could to help you. I'm fucking done." He grabbed my arm once more. "Some people can't be saved."

I pushed his chest so that he'd get off me. "You're right. People like you can't be saved."

"You've just made a terrible mistake." He looked incredulous.

I turned away from him. His threats meant nothing to me. Yes, he was working for Don, but I wasn't scared of him. The only person I truly feared was his boss.

"Sadie, wait. Sadie." He grabbed my shoulder hard.

Fire. And it wasn't just because he had grabbed my hurt shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. I'm just trying to help you."

It's like he was at a war with himself in his head. Maybe he didn't want to hurt me, but ultimately that wasn't his decision. He'd burn everything in his path. "Let go of me."

"We have to go inside. I'm serious. If you'd just hear me out..."

I stomped on his foot. Hard.

"Fuck." He released my shoulder and grabbed his foot. "Sadie!" he called after me, but the door to my dorm building was already closing.

I heard his fists pounding on the glass door.

"Sadie!"

Chapter 40

Thursday

I ran up the stairs. Hit men were after me. Don was after me. Eli was somehow involved with them. I couldn't trust anyone. It was exactly what the vigilante had warned me about. I had to get out of here.

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