Page 202 of Red Marked

“I’m Flint.”

“Flint is my boss,” Star says. “And my friend. He’s been helping me.”

Both of those feel wrong.

I’m not Star’s friend. Friends don’t fuck.

Nope.

“Can I get you both something? Coffee? Water? I’ve got beer, if it isn’t too early.”

“We’re fine,” I say.

“Nothing for me,” Star says. Jett sits next to her before I can get there. He sits close too, so that his leg is touching hers.

I sit in the armchair across from them.

“How did this happen?” He keeps saying it. “How is this possible? Where have you been?”

“The bomb at the clinic wasn’t an accident,” Star tells him. “Long story short, we found out about the vaccinations all those years ago. What they were really for. Someone found out we knew, and they made us go away. It happened fast.”

“Made you go away?” His eyes widen.

“It was a cover-up, so it didn’t get out. They blew up the clinic. We were flown into the jungle and left there. It was either go or die. That’s what we were told. It wasn’t much of a choice.”

“You were taken to the jungle?” He takes her hand in his. “You’ve been in the jungle for five years?”

“Yes, all of us except for the humans who were sent back to the Mainland. There were twenty-four shifters there that day, and we were all dumped.”

His mouth opens and stays that way.

“Then Flint found us.” She glances at me. “He’s been helping me. I’m working under a fake name and ID. Everyone else is still out there. I can’t say more than that. I need them to stay safe.”

He looks at me for the first time like he’s actually seeing me.

“Thank you, Flint, for helping my Star,” he says, and his voice cracks.

My Star.

Really?

I give him a nod.

“The center where I work now takes in feral males.” Star pushes on. “We came across one recently. Do you remember Dr. Holt from the clinic?”

“Holt? As in your boss?” Jett frowns. “The one who⁠—?”

“Yes, that’s him. He’s turned feral now and is in a bad way, but he could talk to me. He saw the email that came in that day. The one that got us sent to the jungle. Holt told me that the email was from Veridian Bridge. There was no name attached. That was it, Veridian Bridge.” She twists on the cushion to face him properly. “We’ve searched everywhere, Jett. There’s nothing. It doesn’t seem to exist. We looked into every male who worked at Veridian Pharmaceuticals at the time. Every single one. Even the ones who didn’t match what I remembered him to look like, in case I’d gotten it wrong. It wasn’t any of them.”

“What you remember? Who is this male you are talking about?”

“I saw the male who was giving the orders the day we were taken. An older shifter male. I never forgot his face. None of the Veridian male employees looked like he did. It wasn’t any of them.” Her voice goes thin on the last word. She clears her throat. “They threatened our families. They said if any of us surfaced, our families would pay for it. That’s why I never came back. That’s why I never…” She wipes her cheek with the back of her hand. “My being here is putting you in danger. You need to know that. If anyone finds out I’ve been to see you⁠—”

“Hey, hey.” He turns her chin toward him and holds her jaw in his hand. His thumb wipes under her eye. “I’m glad you came. I’d give my life for you, Star. Do you understand? My life. Without a second thought.”

Star’s eyes shine.

My leg starts bouncing. I grit my teeth.