Page 194 of After the Burn

Gideon looked pleased that he finally had everyone’s attention.

Wren turned to me. “Robin?”

“That’s not Robin, and you know it,” Gideon spat out in disgust. “I told you I traded her.”

Silence.

Even amid gunfire, screaming, and rotters hammering against the fence, those words seemed louder than everything else.

Wren shook her head once. Looking smaller than I’d ever seen her. “No.”

Gideon smiled. “First deal I ever made with Caesar.”

Every muscle in Colson’s enormous body tightened as he moved toward Gideon.

Wren caught his arm. “Wait.”

As he looked down at her, the expression on his face frightened even me… calling it rage didn’t do it justice.

Gideon kept talking because apparently self-preservation had abandoned him completely. “She bought us enough fuel to get through the first few weeks. I would’ve traded you, because you were much prettier, but by that time you were already out of your mind.”

“Jesus,” Beck whispered.

Lucas looked sick, and Adrian’s face went so cold it frightened even me.

I stared at Gideon in disbelief. “You traded her sister for gas?”

“For survival. There’s a big difference.”

I couldn’t believe the nerve of this guy.

“For your survival.” I felt my hands clench with the need to strangle the son of a bitch.

Wren whimpered, eyes fixed on Gideon. “You sent me out scavenging to look for her.”

Gideon shrugged. “If I had to take care of your crazy ass, I deserved some kind of compensation.”

The sounds coming out of her were heartbreaking.

Colson pulled Wren back behind him, forming a wall of muscle and fury between her and Gideon.

“Who the hell are you?” Gideon frowned.

Colson’s voice came out low. “Death.”

Feeling protected by the men behind him, Gideon gave him a sneer.

Colson took another step toward him, but Wren grabbed the back of his shirt. “Wait.” She looked at Gideon. “Why isn’t she still here?”

“How the fuck should I know?” Gideon rolled his eyes. “She probably lost her shit like you did, and they fed her to the infected.”

I couldn’t believe the Gideon I first met could be this stupid.

Colson looked down questioningly at Wren.

I could clearly see he was itching to kill Gideon if only Wren would give him the word.

Wren stared into his face for a long moment, clearly somewhere else in her mind. I was just about to interject myself because we had dallied with this man longer than was sane in this situation.