Page 107 of Depraved

“No,” I shook my head, “you’re not okay. You’re far from okay.”

“I’m alive. So that means I’m okay.”

I looked back up at the door, but Granite was gone. He left, and I had no clue when.

The doctor injected something into her IV which stood on the other side of the bed, and in that moment it was like all the grief and pain I’d felt ever since I was told she was dead came rushing back, and I closed my eyes as tears rushed down my cheeks.

“Don’t cry, Swan Lake. I’ll be fit as fuck in no time.”

A laugh mixed through my sobs. It was typical Neon, trying to play down the seriousness of what had happened to her.

“I’m so sorry, Neon. I’m so sorry they did this to you.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“But it is. It is my fault. It’s because of me that they hurt you.”

“No.” She tried to shake her head but cringed instead. “It’s not your fault.”

I started to sob, the skin on my cheeks feeling raw from wiping it with the back of my hand. “If Granite had just given me⁠—”

“Stop, Alyx.”

Her using my real name made me swallow my words.

“Stop, would you? It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault.”

I bit into my lip so hard I tasted the blood. “If he had just given me up⁠—”

“It wouldn’t have changed a thing.”

“How can you say that? If he wasn’t such a selfish bastard⁠—”

“Stop!” Neon coughed and winced from the pain.

Ink stepped up. “That’s enough. She needs to rest.” He grabbed my shoulders to get me to move, but I pushed back.

“I’m not leaving.”

“Yeah, you are. You’re upsetting her.”

I noticed the tattoos covering his entire neck. Red roses with thorns stretched along his throat, and two crosses ran down the edges of his face where the sides of his beard should have been. Clearly, this man had no problem with needles. His glare burned holes in my forehead.

“Please,” I begged.

“Leave.” His grip on my shoulders tightened, and then from out of nowhere, Granite came storming into the room, his heavy footsteps echoing around us.

“Let go of her.”

Ink didn’t look his way. “She needs to leave.”

“I said let go of her.” Granite grabbed Ink’s hands and ripped them away from my shoulders, forcing his way between me and Ink. “Touch her again, and I will end you.”

The dark atmosphere was palpable as Granite and Ink continued to glare at each other. Ink didn’t back down, not even an inch. And neither did Granite. It was like two gods standing tall, ready to obliterate each other. Menace oozed from Granite’s pores, while Ink made it obvious he wouldn’t stop protecting what was his. And, clearly, Neon was his.

“Ink, back down, would ya?” Neon murmured. “Wait at least until I’m able to watch you kill each other with both eyes.”

Ink’s shoulders remained squared. “Your girl is upsetting mine,” he said to Granite, and Neon snorted.