Page 95 of Heal Me

“Touch him and I’ll shoot your favorite appendage off next time,” I warn Sam.

“I can see why you’re head over heels for this girl,” Turek says to Gabe.

“Agreed. Charlotte, do you have a sister?” Amer asks.

“You know I don’t,” I say crossly, not having forgotten that all the Watchers know everything about me.

“Seriously, man, put your head back on,” Gabe snaps. Turek does so and holds out his hand for me.

“Gabe, come back with me,” I beg.

“Take her home,” he says curtly to Turek, my purse now magically in my hands.

Realizing nothing I can say right now will change Gabe’s mind, I turn to Sam. “What you did was extremely fucked-up.”

“But effective.” He smirks.

Grabbing Turek’s hand, we’re now standing at the apartment back door. “Please don’t let Gabe do anything foolish,” I beg before he vanishes.

* * *

Gabe

“You have something to say, Cupid? I’d suggest choosing your words wisely,” Sam bites out as he stalks over to me. What Sam’s saying without saying is if I call for a Challenge, we’d have to see it through to the bitter end. I’m not that delusional to know which one of us would be left standing.

“I could think of several choice words.” Turning like I’m headed to the arsenal wall, I quickly spin around, sucker punching Sam in the jaw. Satisfaction runs through my veins at the crunching sound of his jaw shifting. My knuckles might be broken now, but worth it.

“I deserved that,” Sam says, adjusting his jaw back in alignment.

“What the fuck? I thought we were brothers?”

“Gentlemen, let’s keep our heads.” Turek appears.

“Still wish she would have shot me in the head,” Amer sighs.

“I’ll get to you two in a minute,” I spit at them.

“What would you have said about me training Charlotte here?” Sam asks, arms crossed.

“Hell, no.”

“And if someone threatened Charlotte when you weren’t around, she would have been paralyzed with fear, and you’d be collecting her corpse. Today she conquered that fear.”

“And castrated Sam in the process,” Turek says with a smile, and Sam flips him the bird.

“That does make me feel a little bit better, the shooting off your balls part,” I say, running a hand down my face. “A part of me feels guilty for not thinking of it and offering to train Charlotte myself. But I already know I couldn’t do it, because I’m not a ruthless bastard like you.”

“Thank you,” Sam says.

“Hey, what about me?” Turek gripes.

“Still wish she would’ve shot me in the head,” Amer grumbles.

“Don’t ever keep me in the dark where Charlotte is concerned.” And to drive the point home, I’m now holding two pistols from the arsenal wall, unloading at Sam’s balls, Turek’s head, and Amer’s kneecap.

Chapter 40

Charlotte

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