Oh for fuck’s…The contrition hadn’t lasted long.
He reached again for Kaden and while Kaden intended to step back, that wasn’t what happened.
6
The next moment, blood was pouring from Harris’ nose as he stared wide-eyed at Kaden. Difficult to say which of them was the most shocked.
Harris put his hand over his lower face. “Yoo…broke…my…uckin…nooze.”
Technically, that had been Joe, but…Yes, I did!
“You’re lucky I didn’t call the police last night. Get out and don’t ever come back.”
To Kaden’s intense relief, Harris grabbed his coat and stormed out, slamming the door so hard behind him that the contents of the bedsit rattled.
Kaden let out a shaky breath as he looked at his hand and flexed his fingers. Not even a twinge of pain.
He hurt you. I hurt him. I want to kill him.
Kaden gasped.Christ!“No killing. That would have got me into a world of trouble.”
I was built to defend my other and kill anyone who threatened his safety.
Oh my God. But I’m not your other.What the hell did he have inside him? “Have you killed anyone?” The moment he’d asked that, he regretted it.
Nor did he like the long pause.
Not…directly, but I want to kill Harris.
“No killing. Please. That’s not the way to handle this.”
What if—
“No what-ifs. If you used me to kill him, I’d go to prison. You can’t kill him. Please.”
He’s gone, though.
Which was true. For now, anyway.
I should have killed him.
“Oh God, Joe. You can’t do things like that, inside me or outside of me.”
Kaden dropped onto his bed. “Lixian is aware something disappeared from the tank, but they don’t know how or exactly what. And what’s left has been destroyed. I couldn’t push Harris to say more, he’d have been suspicious. What do you think happened? Were any of my guesses possible?”
Cannibalism? Possible. Gash, the captain, would have done whatever was required to ensure his survival. So would Lanu, my other.
Kaden shuddered. “Including eating your wings. You said you fed on the contents of the tank.”
Yes, but it wasn’t enough to maintain our metabolism.
“So either some got out or some were eaten.”
Yes. Would anyone else have done what you did and taken material from the tank?
“I’m sure they wouldn’t. They’re trained scientists who follow rules. I should have followed those rules too. No one else would have thought you were trying to get away. Then again, no one noticed you but me. And no one believed you could be sentient.”
Only you.
