Page 179 of Shadowman

His agitation must be contagious.

Why is he acting like I’m the enemy?? I didn’t do anything.

Whatever is happening here isn’t my fault.

“Little piece of advice, 62…” Velle growls, practically vibrating his words into me. “Selling your soul doesn’t work. Because the devilneverpays up.”

My mouth opens to keep arguing, but he storms away before I can even attempt it.Motherfucker has to have the last word.

Looking to Rook, I find his mossy irises alight with sympathy, but I can’t tell if it’s because he feels bad that Velle just chewed me out, or because he thinksheshould be doing it, too.

“Why the fuck am I always the scapegoat?” I rub my eyes. “I’m not allowed a win? Like,ever??”

“Kang, seriously… You’ve got it easy right now.” Rook sighs quietly, nodding toward the door separating us from the row of padded cells. “I mean, look at your—”

“Heads-up,” Joy’s voice chirps over his walkie, cutting off his words.

She says nothing more, but apparently, it’s all Rook needs to kick back into action.

He hustles after Velle, shouting at me on his way out, “Don’t forget what’s right, 62!”

As soon as he’s through the opposite doorway, I release a long breath. I don’t know what the hell that was about, but it has my gut all twisted.

What’sright…? What the hell would they know about what’s fucking right??

This isn’t my fight. I’m just another prisoner here…Freely scampering around the place.But still, it’s not like I did anything to earn it.

I’m not The Ivory’s rat…

I just happen to be screwing someone who is.

Giving the door before me one last shove, I curse when it still won’t budge. Up the hall, I try a different door, which opens with one touch.

This is the way they want me to go. See? I’m still being herded. Nothing fucking matters…

I follow another long corridor, and just as I’m about to go for the door at the end, it opens, almost nailing me in the face. I jump back, half expecting to see Trevel, since he was supposed to meet me down here for ourevening walk, as he so ridiculously put it.

But it’s not him. It’s his doctor.

Dr. Love gives me a puzzled look, glancing behind me. In a half-second, he’s assessing the situation, wondering if I’m a maniac prisoner on the loose, if he should call someone…

But that’s not what he does. Instead, he cocks his head. “Byron Kang, right?” He speaks my name curtly. My brows jump. “We met in the rec room a few weeks back. Well, not officially…” He stops after that, withholding saidofficialintroduction, as if he doesn’t find it necessary.

I would say I agree.

He clearly knows who I am… And Idefinitelyknow who he is.

Expanding on that, I murmur, “Dr. Love… I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Ditto.” His slightly narrowed gaze is stuck to mine like glue.

I get the impression that he wants me to speak first, to explain what I’m doing here while he gets to just stand there and study me. But I’m stubborn, so I stay quiet.

“Where are you headed?” he asks, peeking up at the camera in the corner.

“Actually, I was on my way to your office,” I tell him, pleased by the way his face shifts the slightest bit in surprise. “I’m meeting Trevel.”

That gets even more of a reaction. His eyes go a bit squinted as he says, “I’m looking for him myself. He was due in my office an hour ago.”