Folsom (End of Men, #1)(36)

My heart pounds in my chest and I feel the slow climb of rage. As long as Gwen speaks the unpopular truth, everyone she loves will be in danger. But she’s too hotheaded to hear that. Stubbornly naive. She has not felt the bite of the Statehouse, the control of the Society. And then there is the child. Another son born as leverage in a political tug of war. I think about the bourbon I left on the bar and groan.

“What? What are you thinking?” She walks around the table to where I’m standing and cups my face in her hands. “Don’t focus on things that are bad for your heart,” she says firmly.

“Like you?” I look down at her and her facial expression changes, starting at confused and ending in surprise. I dip my head down and kiss her hard, pushing my tongue into her mouth until she moans. Her hands have moved from my face to my hair, which she has corded around her fingers. She pulls away from my mouth suddenly and glares at me.

“Why are you just standing there?” she hisses. “With your hands at your sides?”

“You don’t have an appointment,” I say slowly.

Her mouth opens in surprise, and I start to laugh, my chest heaving in and out. I haven’t laughed in, what—weeks? Months? Gwen punches me once on the arm, and then she’s climbing up my body, her legs wrapped around my waist and her lips on mine. I lift my hands to cup her behind and I rub her against me so that we’re grinding. She wriggles out of my hands gasping for breath.

“We…can’t…do it like that,” she says. “Your heart…”

“That’s right.” I eye her wet, swollen lips and grab her hand. “Come on, I’m going to teach you how to ride…”





EIGHTEEN





GWEN


Something has shifted with Folsom. I’m not sure when it changed, but I think maybe… I pound the steering wheel and groan out loud. It’s crazy for me to be analyzing this, but it’s what I do all day, every day…I analyze all the data. Here’s what I know: when I left Folsom this time, he walked me to the door and gave me a long, lingering kiss. He held my face in his hands and told me to watch my back, to not trust anyone. He looked sad to see me go. That has to mean something, right? I wonder if he’s ever had a relationship with anyone outside of his appointments. My little afterglow dissolves into a hard pang of defeat. His appointments put everything in perspective when I start trying to place us in a happily ever after.

I won’t be getting a happily ever after with Folsom or anyone else, so I need to just enjoy whatever this is…or what it has been. I don’t even know from one time to the next if I’m going to see him again.

Instead of going home to change, I head to Genome Y and grab the clothes I keep in my office. I change quickly and stop by the food machine since the cafeteria is closed. I get as much junk as I can carry. It’s after hours, and now that dome six is empty, the only activity is in dome five. Only one nurse and a security guard are on the floor. When they see me, they wave and go back to reading.

I knock lightly on the door and open it. A cute, young blond dressed in the food service uniform, is sitting in the chair next to Laticus’ bed, chattering happily, and he’s staring at her with longing.

When they see me, the girl stops in mid-sentence, and Laticus swallows, eyes guilty.

Well, well.

“Who’s this?” I ask.

“This is Charity. She started working here three days ago,” Laticus answers.

Charity stands up and shakes my hand. “You must be Gwen. Laticus has been telling me all about you,” she says. I look over her badge and memorize her ID number.

“I can come back later,” I tell them. “Here, enjoy these.” I unload the candy and chips onto the bed and turn toward the door.

“No, I have to go home. My mom will be so mad at me if I’m late again,” Charity says, shyly. She waves awkwardly at Laticus and scurries out of the room.

Laticus sighs as she leaves. “She’s so hot.”

“How did I miss the fact that you have a new crush?” I clamp my lips together, grinning.

“Please don’t tell anyone she’s been hanging out after her shifts. She said we could both get into trouble.” He looks so handsome, cheeks flushed and eyes bright.

“I won’t tell, just be careful. I don’t want your security amping up more than it already is.”

“When can I get out of here, Gwen?” He walks to the window and stares out. “I’m losing it. I haven’t even walked out of this room once.” He pounds on the window and looks at me, his eyes bleak. “I miss my mom, my friends. There’s not even the hope of seeing my dad, unless I become an End Man soon. He told them I’m not ready, but anything is better than this prison.”

“You’d be going right into another prison,” I tell him. “Folsom is right.” I put my arm around his shoulder. “I’ll get you outside—there’s no reason for you to be cooped up in this room nonstop. I’ll contact your team about it tonight. Okay?”

On my way home, outside the Red Region’s offices, picketers stand outside the gate holding up signs that say: Set the men free! End the Men’s slavery! Enough is enough—we don’t need more men anyway.

Another sign catches my eye: I’m with Gwen. Free the men.