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“What did he do?” I barely breathed the words, fascinated by this other side of him

“There was a video Gus wasn’t the shy type She ot me into a fancy Hill private school, and let raduated I blackmailed my way into a future, and I left my little brother behind to fend for himself while I did it I wish I could tell you I did it all so I could go back and help Bax and my mom, so that I could take care of them, but I did it because I wanted to be more than a broke kid from the inner city It wasn’t about the money; it was about the way people looked at ot respect, and it didn’t utter of the Point I mattered It was in my first year on patrol that I realized I could actuallysucked into the cri more than a corner to work on I could make a difference andwhile being a better acy of Elias King as possible I wanted the innocent, the people that still had a chance to ht kind of choices, to have a shot My reasons for being a cop didn’t start out anywhere near as altruistic and noble as most people think, and I have to live with that That’s why I work so hard, why everyone out there in ood or bad—matters to me Everyone has choices to ht ones Sometis doesn’t autoray area there that I have a tendency to ignore because I don’t want to be reminded that I spent plenty of time there myself That isn’t fair to you”

The car finally skidded to a stop in a shower of gravel and dust The headlights illuh in the sky, forcing its way through s and clouds to shine silver It was the same color as Titus’s eyes when he was turned on, when he was buried deep inside of me

“I haven’t hadtime, so I shouldn’t feel like I lost them But I do”

“I felt that hen I locked Bax up I kneouldn’t understand that I had to do ot out, the first time I saw him he punched me in the face He hated er to twist a piece ofhair around it

“Don’t let Roark win Once everything is settled, go back to them and make them understand”

I turned to look at hiht He hat heroes were supposed to look like no matter the path he had taken to become one

“I don’t even know if I understand At the time it felt like my only choice Now I’ us and brushed my knuckles across his still-bristly cheek He was alood on hi I understand is you, Titus”

He lifted one of his dark eyebrows at me and asked, “What is it that you understand about me, Reeve?”

“That you ht never be good enough for you, but you et close”

One of his hands slid down toency brake so that I was straddled across hi wheel I hadn’t been in a car like this with a boy since I was a teenager I kind of liked it More than kind of