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“Thank you,” I mutter.

Her brows furrow, nonetheless, confused at what I’m thanking her for.

“We all have scars, some more than others, some more mentally than others. But you’re still lying here because somewhere deep down, you know. You trust me, maybe not like you would have in the past. But you trust me enough to know that no matter what, I’ll throw myself in front of a bullet to save you. Andthat won’t change. Because you’re not just a job to me. You’re worth more than all the money your father paid Walker. You’re worth everything, Sunshine.”

Blake stares at me, wide-eyed and confused and struggling to digest the words spewing from my mouth.

“Get some sleep, Blake. I’ll watch over you,” I tell her.

She slowly blinks, her eyes dropping. I know she’s tired, probably more than me. I know she hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep since it happened.

Finally closing my eyes, I could feel myself drifting off to sleep, when I felt her slowly tracing something across my chest. It took me a moment for it to dawn on me what she was writing and what she was saying. She was answering my question, if they were alive.

12.

Twelve of them were still alive.

For now.

9

My eyes tear open with panic, and immediately I’m staring at Jace’s face. His eyes are closed, and the sunlight shines through the window curtains. This is the first time I’ve been this close to him, and I can’t say I hate it. It could be because he’s asleep and I have the upper hand, or because of last night. He saw some of my scars and he didn’t freak out or ask questions about it. After we were taken, I wore a short-sleeved shirt once, until a guard made snide comments about my wrist burns and how I enjoyed being tied up. After that, I wore long sleeves and hid in the shadows. It was safer.

I was safer.

Jace lets out a sigh, reminding me that I’m still, in fact, in bed with a man. One that didn’t force himself on me or hasn’t hurt me. Jace continues to surprise me. I figured after I threw a knife at him or stabbed him the first time, he would get tired of my shit. But he hasn’t. Not yet, at least.

I watch Jace for longer than I should, his light brown brows furrowing as he sleeps. His lips are partly open, and the rise of his chest has me mesmerized. For the first time, I want to feel his skin underneath my fingertips. To feel the roughness of his beard on my palm. So much so that my hand hovers overhis cheek, the overwhelming need to feel him. I want to know what the softness of a man’s touch would feel like. I want to ask Jace. I want to feel his skin against mine, to stop the fire burning inside my chest. But I can’t.

I can’t let a stranger in. I can’t trust another guard.

Dropping my hand, I let out a sigh. I need to get out of bed, shower again, and find something to eat. After the eventful few days, I’m more exhausted than I have been in a while, but I also don’t feel comfortable enough to continue sleeping. Not that my body would let me.

Slipping out of the covers, I ease my way across the bedroom and into the bathroom. Closing and twisting the lock, finding that it doesn’t lock anymore.Fuck, he broke the door. I peel my clothes off and start the shower. My shoulder still aches, but I pay no mind to it as I step under the sprayer. Doing my best to avoid my shoulder, I get myself clean before I hurry up and get out. Pulling my clothes back on, I ignore the mirror. I’ve seen enough of my scars.

Pulling the door open, finding that Jace hasn’t moved, I tiptoe across the room, hoping he doesn’t wake up. Once I’m out, I feel like I can finally breathe until I turn around and find Luna standing in the kitchen looking at me.

Jealousy shoots through me as I remember the way she looked at Jace last night. He says there wasn’t anything between them, but I know he’s lying. He was just trying to save her because I was moments from shoving those scissors into her eye.

“Good morning.” Luna smiles. “Coffee?”

Coffee does sound good, but she probably poisoned it.

“I can make a fresh pot. I’m sure Jace will want some when he wakes up. Is he awake?” she asks.

Shaking my head, I shove my hands into my pockets, feeling at ease when the pair of scissors rest inside.Jace isn’t here to protect you.

“I feel like you don’t like me,” she says as I step into the kitchen.

I shrug. I have no reason not to like her. Just for the fact I have some type of feeling for Jace and there’s history between them. I just don’t like it, and I hate these emotions.

“Jace has feelings for you,” she blurts out. My eyes snap up to her, confused about what she’s talking about. I’m just a job to him, which is unfortunate when I’m having these feelings.

“I’m sorry to just throw that out there, but you were…staring at me all weirdly. I know we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. I don’t know what you’ve been through, and I… the look in your eyes when I made that stupid comment yesterday. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it, and I want you to know that, well, Jace, he’s a good guy,” she rambles on, turning quickly, Luna begins grabbing coffee grounds from the cabinet.

Tilting my head I watch as she fumbles around making another pot of coffee. I enjoy the fact that I can watch her and know what she’s putting inside the coffee. I would like to think she wouldn’t poison Jace. Me, on the other hand, I’m sure she wants to.

Glancing around the cabin, I fully take in the space around me. It’s a typical cabin, with a decent-sized couch, a rocker off to the side, and side tables with a few books. The fireplace sits in front of the couch with a low fire already burning.