Page 246 of Shadowman

I hold her back, absorbing the feel of her. Her friendship; a support I’ve missed more than I even realized until right fucking now. Everything has changedsodrastically. Being back with Joy is settling me down to my core.

“I missed you,jeulgeoun,” I hum into her silky hair, absentmindedly playing with her ponytail without even realizing I’m doing it. “I was worried…”

She pulls back to smirk at me. “Worried? Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?”

I chuckle, reveling in this feeling for as long as it’ll last. Which isn’t long at all, because she glances behind me, amusement falling away.

“Come on.” She drags me into a room I recognize… The Warden’s office. Except that it looks pretty damn different than the last time I was in here.

For one, Velle is sitting at the desk, not The Ivory. The room is illuminated only by lanterns and a few candles. Rook is on the loveseat, fiddling with a CB radio. He glances up at me, stress-lined eyes widening. But he says nothing, just nods, continuing on with his task.

“Look what the cat dragged in…” Velle mumbles, standing up slowly. He cocks his head. “You checked him?”

“He’s clear,” Jasper answers from behind me. “We’re gonna head back down… Cover Peters.”

Velle nods, though his dark blue eyes are stuck on me as Jasper and Hancock leave the room.

I look around the dimly lit space. “Finally got that corner office you’ve been vying for, huh?”

His gaze narrows, but he doesn’t respond. He’s grilling me, sizing me up, and I can’t say I blame him.

Velle is smart. Guard dog or not, he’s never been the brainwashed sheep I used to think he was. After the fall, it’s become clear thathehad a plan all along, too. Whether or not it’s gone down the way he anticipated is irrelevant. He knows what he’s doing as much as The Ivory does.

So the simmering suspicion in his gaze is far from shocking.

“We looked everywhere for you, ya know…” Joy says. “You weren’t in the prison when the tower fell… were you?”

I gulp. “Trevel and I… got out.” Rook glances up in my peripheral. “The storm… I guess it knocked out the servers or something because the exit door in the East just… opened. So we—”

“Took off?” Velle finally speaks, arching that damn pierced brow.

“We weren’t going toescape,” I mutter.

“What do you think sneaking out of prison is called?” His lips twitch.

“Whatever, man. Don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same damn thing if you were in my shoes. I saw my shot, and I took it. But I wasn’t planning on leaving the island.”

Joy is making a face I can’t read. I ignore it and go on.

“Trevel wanted… He wanted revenge on Dr. Love,” I tell them reticently. “We grabbed him and Darcey, and that was when all hell broke loose.”

Staring at me like he’s piecing it all together, Velle eventually breathes and rubs his eyes. The exhaustion and mental strain on him are visible in his demeanor, despite how well he’s holding it together.

“I take it Darcey got free,” he hums, and I nod. “He’s out there… in the woods. Taking out the Warden’s men like fuckin’Rambo.” He huffs, shaking his head. “I’d be careful if I were you.”

“I can handle Felix fucking Darcey,” I mutter.

“Listen up, champ.” Velle steps over to me. “I’m tickled you came to visit, but let’s address the goddamn elephant in the room.”

I peek at Joy, then Rook. They’re both staring at me.

“He doesn’t care about you,” he states. “And I know you know that. He’s using you, and as good as it feels when it’s working, because trust me, Iknowit feels fucking great… It’s a lie. It’s all bullshit. Nothing but sleight of hand from a master of misdirection.”

I blink, posture rigid.

“It’s time to pick a side,” he says firmly.

“You belong here with us,jeonsa,” Joy adds. “You know you do.”