Page 82 of Mimic

My shoulders slumped in defeat. He wouldn’t let me. The men never did. I dropped the knife and stepped back.

“Say the fucking words, Jack.”

“Not yet, Mimic.”

“Why the fuck not?”

Jack turned away from me. He lowered his voice. Whatever he was about to say, he didn’t want me to hear it, but I took a tentative step closer. Then another until I heard his words.

“We don’t know what she’ll remember when we deactivate her. If there is a chance she won’t remember this, then I don’t want her waking up covered in fucking blood.”

“Fine, then I’ll take her to get cleaned up.”

I stepped back until I hit the wall.

“No, I’ll take her to the washroom, and she can shower there.”

“No fucking way, Jack.”

“Mimic, enough. Jack isn’t going in with her. All he has to do is give her instructions. When she’s done, he’ll bring her upstairs and deactivate her.”

Mimic looked at me through the bars; his eyes were sad. He gripped the bars, his knuckles turning white from the force.

“I love you,” he whispered. “I know you’re in there, and I fucking love you.”

I didn’t respond; I couldn’t. I wasn’t allowed, but I heard him.

I’m here, Mimic!

It’s still me!

“Kate.” I pulled my eyes from Mimic’s back as he walked out of the room with the others until only Jack and I remained. Aside from the dead man in pieces on the floor.

He unlocked the cell and held the door open. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

I stepped through the door and stayed behind Jack as he led me to a room with a shower.

“There is clothing on that bench. Take a shower and come out dressed when you are clean. Leave the bloody clothes on the floor.”

Jack backed out of the room, the door closing behind him. I had no other choice but to follow his instructions. Like I always did. This was who I was. Who they made me to be.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Mimic

We made our way back to church and waited for Jack and Indie. I sat in my seat, refusing to talk, refusing to look at anyone. What I just saw; what she just did.

That wasn’t her.

Voices raised around me as my brothers dissected everything they’d just witnessed. The door opened, and I looked up, expecting Indie. Instead, Cash entered.

“Rose?” I asked.

“She’s resting,” he said, taking his seat beside King. “Magyk told her Syrena was the only one allowed to take jobs at the Trick Pony. Rose never even knew that was an option, other than Val telling her she couldn’t help when it came to that fucking place.”

Cash was good for my sister. He loved her. I’d been worried at first, that he was using her to fill a void, knowing it had only been a few months since Rachel had died. But seeing my sister happy was the only thing that mattered to me.

“What did I miss?”