Page 95 of Mimic

“You have to call Sal, King.”

“FUCK!” King punched the wall, and I jumped in my seat. Mimic wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close.

“You don’t have to be afraid of King,” he whispered.

“I’m not. Not really.” I smiled, hoping he bought the lie. A person would have to be a fool not to be afraid of Kingston O’Rourke. He worked hard to come across as a level-headed president. But I could see the rage simmering below the surface.

Even with all the training I now remembered, I wasn’t sure even I could go up against the man and come out alive.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Indie

Once I finished telling King and the others everything I remembered, including the names of several men and women who, as I suspected, were not in the files Nav had access to, church ended, and we left King alone to deal with my revelations.

Cash went to check on Kytten. She hadn’t been doing well since she spoke with Magyk, and I couldn’t help feeling responsible. I should have left. That first contact with Sting put things in motion that could hurt everyone I’d come to love.

“Don’t even fucking think about it, Indie.”

I spun around on the stool I was sitting on at Gunner’s rough command and crossed my arms over my chest. “And how do you know what I’m thinking?”

“’Cause I’ve seen it enough on my old lady’s face to know you’re thinking about running.”

I looked around the room for Mimic. He’d gone with Cash to check on Kytten and hadn’t come back yet.

“Why do you even care? I know you hate me.” I turned back around, leaning on the bar. Johnny dropped off a Coke, but he wouldn’t even look at me anymore, let alone talk to me. His eyes dipped to the cut, and I swear I saw something like pain cross over his features.

“You know I fucking care,” he said as he sat next to me. “Am I pissed you lied to me? Fuck yes, I am. I’m also pissed you didn’t think you could trust me.”

“It wasn’t that.”

“What was it then?”

I waited for Johnny to drop off Gunner’s beer, then walk away before answering him. “I’ve been running since we escaped. I’ve been on my own for years, Gunner. I didn’t trust anyone.”

“You trusted Mimic.”

I turned to look at the side of his head. He refused to look at me, and suddenly I understood. “Is that why you’re mad? Because I trusted him and not you? I didn’t trust him at first either. I didn’t go to him. He was breaking into my apartment to watch me sleep.” I bumped his shoulder with mine. “Sound familiar?”

“I never broke into Haizley’s apartment,” he argued. “Not until after she was attacked.”

“Mimic stormed his way into my life, the same way you did with Haizley. He didn’t give me a choice.” Not that I wanted one.

“You’re important to me, Indie.”

“I work for you. Not even for you. I work with you. So does Bruce.”

“Bruce is an asshole.”

I chuckled, because he was right. Bruce was an asshole, but the kind you enjoyed having around.

“I hired you because you’re talented. But it was more than that. I saw something in you. Something dark.”

“Great, just what a girl wants to hear.”

“Shut the fuck up and listen.”

I smiled at him. For all his bluster, I knew Gunner cared. I just never wanted him to. When people cared, they got close. Letting people get too close meant letting them see the real you, and I never wanted him to see the real me. I never wanted anyone to see the real me.