Page 142 of Stand: Part One

Matt shook his head as he watched the imaginary wheels in my head turn in every direction, a scowl curling in the corner of his mouth. “You know, I almost felt sorry when you got shot during your training exercise, but now I can see you very much deserved it,” he snipped, tightening his arms across his chest.

My humor and excitement screeched to a halt at the mention of my gunshot wound. “What.”

“At first, it was nothing personal, but that was before I found out you had an actual hand in Kayla’s escape and lied about it. You’re lucky Jason contacted me when he did. Otherwise, you might have already been dead by now, and he would be useless to me.”

My scowl morphed into something more sinister as I tilted my head at him. “Are you trying to tell me that “accidental” bullet I took was actually an assassination attempt orchestrated by you?”

Matt rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic, Jaden. The only thing I attempted to do was buy some moles and cause a little chaos, which I clearly did. But if that chaos ultimately led to your death, well, then that’s just the way the dice rolls.”

I felt my jaw crushing my teeth into dust from how hard I was clenching it. He was just so nonchalant about almost getting me killed. I hope Jason kicked the shit out of him for it, if he even knew.

“Does Darren know this?” I asked. He had never once mentioned any motive behind the shooting, let alone Matt’s involvement, and his temper was not worth the investigation.

Matt shrugged, a smug smile tugging on his lips. “Manipulating Darren’s newbies into thinking something was their idea was easier than I thought, so I have no idea what conclusions he came to. It’s just too bad those idiots lacked the brain cells to actually conceal their tracks. They could have really come in handy a few months ago.”

I felt my brows knitting together as I narrowed my gaze at him. Deep down, I knew getting shot couldn’t have been a freak accident, and it appeared that I was right. In the end, Matt didn’t realize the favor he had actually done me. What a twisted touch of fate.

“Well, Matt, if that’s the case, then I suppose in a weird way, I should be thanking you. That bullet took out one of my ovaries,” I informed him. “Which bought me some extra time in avoiding the prospect of motherhood. So…thanks for that.”

Matt cocked a brow as he stared back at me. “I imagine then, given the multiple months you’ve had to heal, your extra time is almost up.”

I nodded gravely at his clear understanding of my own fragile timetable.

Matt’s eyes glimmered with dark amusement as he dropped his chin. “It would appear then that the stakes in time have just been raised,” he sneered as he took a step closer. “So if you want my fucking help then I suggest you watch your smart-ass mouth and listen before I change my mind.”

I glowered at him. “You know he’s looking for her, right? He knows she’s alive.”

If Matt was so keen on protecting Kayla, then he needed to know to ensure she didn’t end up in Darren’s clutches too. I did not want him finding her.

He glared at me, hatred brimming in his eyes. “Of course I’m aware, that’s old news. But I am however curious if he ever discovered the part you played in it?”

I hesitated for a moment, wondering how much I should divulge, if it really even mattered at this point. Matt slowly tilted his chin up as he stared down at me, cruelty curling in the corners of his lips.

“Judging by your silence and those pretty fading bruises around your throat, I’m going to say that’s a yes.” He chuckled, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he meandered through the room. “I can only imagine how he must have rectified that. But considering his methods, I hope he was exceptionally brutal.”

I snickered, tilting my head in a taunting manner. “He almost killed me.”

“Yet here you stand. Or sit, rather.” He actually sounded disappointed.

I shrugged, stretching the strain in my neck. “What doesn’t kill you and all that bullshit, right?” I mused. “So, what, you’re working with Jason and Kayla now? How the hell did that happen?”

Matt sneered as he turned toward me. “Believe it or not, Kayla actually came to me, seeking my help.”

My brows furrowed, unsure of how much I could genuinely trust his words.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, it’s so,” he growled. “As it turns out, the enemy of their enemy is their friend.”

I snorted. “Oh, so you’re their friend now, is that it? Someone they can trust?”

Matt’s eyes hardened. “Trust doesn’t exist in our world. The only thing you can rely on is what’s in everyone’s best interest. And right now, working with them just so happens to be in my best interest.”

“How’d you figure that? What’s in it for you?”

“Never mind what’s in it for me. What matters is whether you’re going to join the cause. Or do you prefer to just sit on your ass and wait to be rescued?”

I scowled at the insult. I was the whole fucking reason a “rescue” operation even existed.