Silenced Read Free Page B

circle in the air in front of her. “Shit ain’t cute.”
    She swats at my hand, and I jerk away with a grin. All I get for my charm is another glare.
    “Please don’t tell me you’re doing this for me.” She glares at me with double-dare-you eyes.
    I square my shoulders and hit her with my stern face. Eyes narrowed with quiet warning. “Don’t worry about all that. How are they treating you?”
    She shakes her head. “You’re an idiot.”
    Her mother was better with stern face. I sigh. “You used to be so adorable.”
    She slaps her hand down on the table and sits up straight. “Are you helping them because of that stupid promise you made to my mom?” She raises her eyebrow, giving me her full on know-it-all pose.
    My stomach knots like one of those big ass pretzels we used to eat from the mall. I sit up straighter, gulp down my remorse. By the time I have a speech ready, she’s running at the mouth again.
    “God, Pike! Get over it! You can’t help them get this cure! They did this shit! And you haven’t been out there. It’s crap. Floods, darkness, women eating their own fucking babies!” Fear shrink-wraps her eyes. “And you’re helping the people responsible.”
    My throat tightens. Something that tastes like bile tickles the back of my throat. I let her get away with using the f word. Once kids see women eating babies, the innocence is gone.
    “They were going to turn you into a monster. And... I promised your mom I’d…” I try straightening up. “And I’m not just helping them. I’m helping you. I’m only helping you.”
    “My mom won’t care. She’s dead remember? You killed her.”
    Ouch.
    I miss Sadie being eight. Good year. They don’t have any claws at that age. Puberty hits and they can’t get over anything. Like, people killing their mothers. In my defense, the woman, Hope, was going to kill herself anyway. I tried to keep her alive as long as I could, for Sadie. Not that it helps the guilt. Or Sadie’s anger.
    “Well, I do care.” I square my shoulders harder to exert my authority. The muscles scream at me in pain, and I try not to wince. “And for the last time. Watch. Your. Freakin’. Mouth.” I know she’s going to ignore me, but I have to say it, anyway.
    Reflex. I also know she’s about to storm drama when she leaps to her feet, hands ready on her hips.
    I lean back and cross my arms behind my head. “Make it good. I haven’t watched Jersey Shore since all this crap went down.”
    She stamps her foot. “I’m serious!” Her voice gets higher on the whiney ass kid scale. “I don’t want you to do it. I want you to let them die.”
    I wince away from her words. “Don’t talk like that.”
    She pouts and slumps down into her chair. “Just call me and let better people start over. Because that crap out there isn’t worth saving.”
    I have to strain my ears to hear her. Then, her words settle into my skin like toxic fumes. The kid used to have so much lightness in her. She was actually a fucking figure skater. No joke, Olympic potential good. I used to braid ribbons into her hair for flair during competitions. It was our thing.
    I even offered to adopt her after I killed her mother, but she threw a tantrum and went to stay with an aunt.
    She eventually came around and we were good before all this started.
    What the hell has she seen? How much worse has shit gotten since C6 locked me into the Pit? When she meets my eyes, she fills me with nothing.
    “Call me,” she whispers.
    My jaw tightens. “Never.” It’s the firmest my voice has sounded in my ears for months. “Not while there’s still any other option.”
    The nothing in her eyes flashes to hate. It only lasts a second, but that’s all it takes to stir the need in my blood.
    “If you don’t do what’s right, I’ll never speak to you again.” She jumps up, storms to the door, and knocks three times.
    I swivel in my chair and throw my arms up. “Come on, shorty…”
    The door swings open and