Thicker Than Blood (Thicker Than Blood #1)(99)

My stomach rumbled and my nostrils flared as the scent of grilled rat wafted up to greet me.

“Rat,” I said dryly, staring at the meat I had come to despise so much. “Of course I would get paid in rats.”

Regardless of my feelings on the vermin, I grabbed one of the skewers. The meat had grown somewhat cold, yet I tore into it with gusto, swallowing without even chewing. Finished with the rat, I tossed the bones aside and reached for one of the bottles. Unscrewing the cap, I sniffed the contents, and came away coughing. It was a liquor of some sort, though what it was exactly, I had no earthly idea.

Tentatively, I took a sip, wincing as it slid a burning path down my throat. Once I was sure it wouldn’t kill me, I took another swallow and then another, and then I was gulping it down with vigor, relishing the burn and the warming sensation flaring to life in my gut.

I was nearly halfway finished with the bottle when I heard noise from the hallway, and a rattling on the door. Reaching for one of the blades on the counter, I gripped it tightly in my fist and waited. When I saw it was Alex who entered, followed by Leisel, I tossed the blade back on the countertop with a relieved sigh.

I rushed toward Leisel, throwing my arms around her and pulling her against me despite the pain it caused me. Only she didn’t return the gesture; in fact, she went stiff against me. I pulled back, searching her face. Her mouth was downturned and trembling as she attempted a smile.

“What happened?” I asked, glancing to Alex. Leaning against the closed door, he was looking out across the room, his gaze unfocused.

“Your fight?” I asked, noting the cuts covering Alex’s face and fists, and the blood staining nearly every inch of him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” I stammered, feeling guilty, wondering if that was why Leisel wouldn’t hug me back. Did she hate me for this? Was this another item to add to my list?

Without bothering to look at me, Alex merely nodded. Confused, I looked back at Leisel, but she quickly glanced away, her face pale.

“Lei, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“Nothing,” she whispered. “Nothing happened.”

Something was very wrong; I could feel it in my gut. There were two things that Leisel had never been very good at—the first was hiding her true feelings, and the second was lying.

“What happened?” I repeated, my words laced with worry.

Through her lashes, Leisel glanced up at me. “Nothing,” she said. “You just focus on getting better.”

I scowled at her, flinching as the movement pulled painfully on my stitches. “Nothing?”

She nodded. “Yes, Alex fought and—”

“What did they do?” I interrupted, turning to Alex. “She’s a shitty liar, Alex, so one of you better tell me the f*cking truth before I go find out—”

Placing a hand on my trembling arm, her features twisted with anxiety, Leisel interrupted me. “A man, he grabbed me—”

“FUCK!” I screamed, whirling away from her. My hands clenched into angry fists, I dropped them heavily on the countertop, making my winnings jump and rattle together. “Fuck them all!” I continued screaming. “Sick, twisted bastards!”

Spinning back around, I thrust a finger into Leisel’s face. “Who was it?” I demanded. “You tell me who it was so I can kill him!” I grabbed a knife from the counter, brandishing it in the air.

“He’s already dead,” Alex said. It was the first time he’d spoken since entering, and his voice was strained, more so than I’d ever heard it before. All at once, some of the anger fueling my rage began to ebb. He was dead, whoever he was. That much was good.

“You killed him,” I said, still watching Alex. “Are you in trouble? Does anyone know?”

“I killed him,” Leisel said softly. “I shot him. Everyone was there, they all saw.”

I blinked at her, staring blankly into her big brown eyes that were surprisingly dry. I was still angry, yet not exactly sure now what to do with my emotions. “Two for two,” I said callously, angry that she’d been forced to kill two men now. Men who’d hurt her.

“Yeah,” she mumbled, looking away.

“I’m sorry,” I hurried to say. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just sorry you had to… I’m sorry I wasn’t there…”

Frustrated, I struggled to find the right words, feeling awful that once again I hadn’t protected her, and even worse that someone, another greedy man, had dared hurt her. A building sob burst free from my lips and I quickly covered my mouth, squeezing my eyes shut.

Feeling dizzy again, my newly digested food churning sickly in my stomach, I lurched forward, stumbling my way across the room and dropping down onto the armchair. Holding my head in my hands, I looked down at the floor, noticing for the first time that I was still wearing my sneakers, my blood-stained sneakers. My stomach churned again and I had to fight not to gag, not to sob, not to beat my own self bloody from the unfairness of it all.

“We have bigger problems, Eve,” Leisel said, kneeling down beside me. “Because of what I did…killing him.”

Lifting my head, I looked her in the eyes. “What?” I snapped. “What the f*ck do we have to do now?”

“Whatever Jeffers and Liv want us to do,” Alex interjected. He sounded exhausted, but more so, he sounded defeated.