Page 45 of Forged in Flames (Made of Steel 2)

"Why doesn't she let me ask her to do anything?" I asked as I walked over to the window.

"She's probably jealous." He must have seen the look on my face because he laughed. "She's only programmed to answer to my voice."

I nodded. "Why the name Athena?"

"She's the Greek goddess of war."

"And..."

"You've started something here, Sadie. We're going to finish it. Together."

His words sent a chill down my spine. "I guess I'll see you later." I stepped out onto the fire escape, thinking about what Liza had said about the increase in crime. Had I brought a war to this city?

Chapter 19

Monday

Kins waved to me from the front row as I entered the lecture hall for our sociology class. As I made my way toward my seat, I couldn't help but realize that everything I had been dreaming of had suddenly vanished. College was supposed to be my escape. It was supposed to be my fresh start. But Don had ruined that too. I couldn't get away from my past no matter how hard I tried.

V wanted me to distance myself from Kins. That would be like giving up the last normal thing I had left in my life. Kins was the first true friend I had made in years. No, she didn't know the real me. It felt like she at least knew glimpses of me, though. That was more than I could say about so many others. I didn't want to have to push her away.

At the same time, I knew I was putting her in danger. The feeling of normalcy wasn't worth hurting anyone. I sat down in the seat next to her. Maybe pretending everything was normal was a mistake. The real Sadie Davis was out there. She might be watching me right now. Just sitting next to Kins might be putting her in peril.

"Hey, are you okay?" she said and lightly touched my arm.

I winced slightly. "Yeah, I'm good."

"I noticed that Eli didn't come back to his dorm last night." She raised both her eyebrows.

"That's because we spent the night together." Technically it wasn't a lie. But Eli had been tied up, and not in some kinky, sexual way.

She lightly slapped my arm. "God, I'm so glad you two worked it out. You make such a cute couple."

I pulled my notebook out of my backpack. "You think?" I thought about him sitting outside Don's house while I was in pain. So close but so far away. I knew in my heart that he would have stepped in if he had known. He wasn't a monster. So why couldn't I forgive him? Would I ever be able to let that go?

"Mhm. You know, you never told me if you still think Eli is the vigilante. What ever happened with our investigation? We should start that back up. I never got to look in Patrick's dresser and I need a good excuse to go snooping."

I looked down at the blank pages in my notebook. "Eli definitely isn't the vigilante."

"How do you know?" She leaned on the armrest between us and lowered her voice. "Did you see him again?"

"No. Actually, I haven't seen him again since our kiss. It was just that one time." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Oh. Well, that's for the best, right? Now you can give Eli your undivided attention."

I bit the inside of my lip. "Mhm."

"So...no more snooping, huh?"

I laughed. "The investigation is officially closed."

"But what if it's someone else we know? We could still try to crack the case together."

I couldn't even figure out who he was when he was standing right in front of me. "I don't think it's anyone we know."

"Well, you never know. I watched a documentary once about how you can never truly know someone. Everyone has secrets. It was about like...criminal neighbors or something. Crap, or was that the show The Americans? You know...the one where the FBI agent's neighbors are working for the KGB?"

I laughed awkwardly. "I don't think that's true." It was absolutely true. I was the perfect example. And I was pretty sure she didn't suspect that I wasn't who I said I was.

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