Touch (Denazen #1)(40)

“This is beyond drastic, even for you,” Alex grumbled. “Can’t you run away? Why are you fighting so hard to get Ginger’s help?”

“Because I need to find the Reaper. He’s the only chance I have of getting my mom away from that place.”

“We’ll figure something out. Stay and I’ll hide you. We can make it work.”

Next to me, Kale stiffened. The way he’d said it, I wasn’t sure if Alex meant me and him, or evading Denazen, but either way it was out of the question. “So you’re going to help me spring Mom? I don’t think so. And what about Kale?”

“It’ll take some time, but we’ll figure out a way to help your mom. I promise. As for him,” Alex said, flicking his wrist in Kale’s direction, “they’ll stop looking eventually. How important could one Six be?”

“They put a lot into creating me,” Kale said in an eerie, low voice. “They’ve never found anyone like me before. They will not give up. I am of dual use to them. It’s not only my touch they use, but my blood.”

Alex cringed. “Your blood?”

“I’ve been gone several days now. They’ll be frantic to recapture me.” He turned to me. “That man’s niece, she wasn’t drugged. She was injected with a serum made up in part with my blood. When injected into the bloodstream of any Six, it causes them to become vacant. Pliable. They’re effortless to control. The blood is taken often and in small batches because the serum sours quickly.”

“Then leave town. Seems like that’d be the best bet. For you, and for the rest of us.”

“He can’t just up and leave. Not unless I go with him.”

Alex slammed his foot down. “What, now you’re like his personal bodyguard with benefits?”

“He’s lived his entire life inside Denazen. He doesn’t know anything about the world we live in.”

“Whatever,” Alex mumbled. “Not like I can stop you.”

“I can make this work, I know I can.” I threw myself onto the sofa next to him.

“You think it hurts now to do what you did? Can you imagine how you’re going to feel after an hour at Denazen? They’re going to make you perform like a street corner monkey. It’ll frigging kill you!”

“I can handle it,” I insisted. Truthfully though, I hadn’t thought about it that way. They would test me. Make me show them what I could do. How much could my body take before it broke?

“What if I asked you not to go?” Kale said from the other side of the room. He was glaring at Alex.

“It wouldn’t matter. This is what has to be done.” It’s not like this was what I wanted. It was the only choice. “Unless either of you can think of a better idea. If so, lemme have it.”

Silence.

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Kale shook his head. “That place destroys most people.”

It irritated me that neither one of them seemed to have any faith in me. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not most people.”





15


Bleary-eyed, I glanced at the clock again. Two a.m. I hadn’t specifically told Kale to come when I’d left him at Alex’s, but I assumed he would. Hoped, anyway. While the memory of last night’s kiss stayed fresh in my mind, I was nervous—scratch that, terrified—of the quickly approaching morning, and thought having Kale here would calm my nerves.

Right as I was about to surrender to the pull of blackness, a movement by the window caught my attention. He said nothing as he swung from the branch outside and in through the open window, landing with a soft thud on my beige carpet. Our eyes met and a thrill raced up my spine. Tonight, he wasted no time, crossing the distance between us in two long strides, his mouth covering mine before I had time to blink.

I’d worn a pair of flannel boxer shorts like every other night, but instead of my usual grungy tank top, I’d opted for a lacy black demi bra. There was no hesitation this time, no clinking teeth. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d been the guy’s first kiss, but holy hell did he have a knack for it.

When we finally came up for air, he was smiling at me. It seemed to come easier to him now, smiling. It did funny things to my stomach. “Hi,” he said.

I gave a soft laugh and snuggled close. “Hi back.” We stayed like that for a long time, Kale tracing a path from my chin, down to my waist. Sometimes with a single finger, sometimes the back of his hand.

“Please don’t go to that place,” he said after a while had passed.

“We went through this before. I can’t not go. It’s a done deal. It’s the only way now.”

His face scrunched, lips twisting as if he’d just sucked on a lemon. “You have no idea what those people are capable of. You don’t know what they do to people like us.”

People like us. Sixes. I’d accepted the things I could do, never truly knowing. Never really understanding. The last few years had been all about the next party. The next big thrill. Anything that might make me feel alive—because I’d felt empty inside. Hollow. The rest of my time was spent searching for new and amusing ways to piss off Dad. And all the while, there were others out there, people like me—like my mom—struggling for freedom.

Alex was right. I could take Kale and run. But I couldn’t live with myself for very long. Not knowing what Denazen was doing. Not knowing my mom was in there somewhere, being held against her will.