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"Aftereffects," he answers hiuess Claire left me with a conscience It’s like a scar Once it’s there it’s there forever Unless you try to cut it out But that only makes it deeper, so you leave it the fuck alone"

Niklas lets out a heavy breath and stands up He brings his cup of coffee to his lips and takes a small drink

"Well, you don’t have to feel responsible for me," I shoot back, "and I sure as hell don’t want you to be So wipe your hands clean of me, Niklas, and do us both a favor Besides, it’s not me you have a weakness for; it’s your brother And we both know the only reason you put up with me, the only reason you told Nora about Claire to help Dina, was because of Victor"

He takes the cigarette from behind his ear and pops it between his lips with a sliht," he says

I look back at the screen, intent on dropping this

Then so he said before suddenly catches my attention out of nowhere--‘but you’ll never be on my brother’s level, or on mine, no matter how much you train because you weren’t born into this life’

"Nora was born into this," I say, staring down at her "There’s no way she’s that good as young as she is unless she was born into it"

I look over at Niklas

He shrugs; the unlit cigarette dangling froical," he says, "but that still doesn’t tell usback in to talk to her"

Niklas shakes his head and pulls the cigarette out of his ers

"I don’t think that’s a good idea, Iz"

I stand up and go over to the area where the coffee pot andopen the door of the fridge and retrieving a bottle of water

"Well, I’et to the door and look right at Niklas with an intent gaze "I ically s as Fredrik, but there is one thing I know I’ it practically all my life, even since beforeI learned to read my enemies, anyone who could do me har dealers, I learned how to survive without turning out like her" I point er at hi ainst each other I wasn’t Javier’s favorite when I first went there"--I shake my head and drop irls, beat to near death by Izel on a daily basis, raped by the men--yeah, I was raped by them, I admit it But I adapted to survive I made Javier trust me Trust became protectiveness Protectiveness became love Love became obsession It was because of ht up into Niklas’ face, looking up the few inches I need to see his eyes as he looht

"I was born into this," I say to hi into the center of his chest, "to adapt to my enemy--that is my weapon"

And then I storm out and head downstairs to prove to him and to myself--anization as any of theht over to Nora at the table, I crack the seal on the water bottle and twist off the cap