Read Online Judgement 8 (Subject Alpha #1) by D. H. Sidebottom - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: D. H. Sidebottom
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and shook his head. “It’s not you she’s after, sugar. And as much as Reid appreciates . . .” he gave Reid a stiff glare, “ . . . your offer, Janice doesn’t have a clue you’re here.”
I stared at him in confusion. “You haven’t told her?”
“No.” He smiled at me, his eyes full of warmth. “Reid isn’t a complete prick!”
I nodded, still hurt by Reid’s words, and refusing to give him any attention I voiced my query to Jonah. “Then what do you have that she wants?”
Jonah gulped, his eyes flicking to Reid.
“Don’t!” Reid warned but Jonah shook his head.
“She needs to know!”
“No, Jo, she doesn’t. It has nothing to do with her,” Reid bit back with a cautionary tone.
Jonah stared with incredulity at him. “Are you kidding me? This has everything, everything to do with her!”
“What does?” I switched my eyes from Jonah to Reid, getting dizzy in the process.
“She doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference to the plan, Jonah. And involving her puts her at risk. As much as I don’t want that, I definitely know you don’t!”
“What the . . .” I began and sighed, shaking my head when I was ignored again.
“What the hell did we start out to do, Reid? It seems to me that you need reminding ‘cos you seem hell bent on destroying everything. I know,” Jonah scrunched up his face as if in pain, “I know how delicate this is, but if we have any chance of getting her back then we need Elina.”
“You need me for what?”
“But we have to think long term, Jo. Once Janice has it, then it’s game over.”
“FOR GOD’S SAKE!” I screamed, exasperated at their arguing. “What the fuck do you have?”
Jonah turned to me. Reid growled and took a step towards Jonah, warning him.
“A cure!” Jonah spat out. “A cure for all of you.”
The only sound as my legs gave way and my body hit the floor was the wheeze in my lungs again.
I STARED FROM ONE to the other as I allowed my mind to absorb Jonah’s revelation. My gaze finally settled on Reid.
“What?” I asked quietly, afraid that if I spoke too loud Jonah would retract what he said and take away all the hope daring to build inside me. “What? There’s a cure . . . a way out?”
“No!” Reid barked out as Jonah nodded. He narrowed his eyes at Jonah and huffed. “See, now you’ve given her false expectation. You have no idea what this . . . life is like, Jo!” He turned his furious stare back to me. “You need to forget what Jonah told you. There isn’t a cure and there never will be.”
“You’re lying,” I whispered, the ache inside coming back and making my chest hurt. “You’re lying. Jonah told me, he just said . . .”
He grabbed my arms, pinning me down with his grip and his glare. “There—is—no—cure, Elina. Get used to being a freak!”
I flinched and flicked a glance at Jonah, ignoring Reid’s tight hold and cruelty.
“Jonah?” He lowered his eyes, his loyalty to Reid bringing on his silence. Realisation brought my top teeth into my lip. I winced at the pain when they sank deep into the flesh, my lip popping and splitting under the harsh pressure. “You think I’ll report back to Judgement.” I swallowed back the hurt and shook my head sadly.
Reid scowled at me, his fingers still digging into the tops of my arms. “Do you have any idea what it’s been like?”
My mouth dropped open. “What? I . . .”
“What it took for me to actually get out of there?” he persisted, cutting me off. “What I had to do while I was in there?” He shook me, making Jonah step forward, warning his friend. “Do you have any clue as to what they did to us all?”
“Reid . . .”
He scoffed. “Oh, don’t tell me you know, Elina. You’re Janice’s princess, the queen’s fucking progeny. There’s no way any mother would do to their child what she did to the rest of us.”
He blurred in my vision as tears climbed from inside me, the agony of them clamping my throat closed.
I stared at him in confusion. “You haven’t told her?”
“No.” He smiled at me, his eyes full of warmth. “Reid isn’t a complete prick!”
I nodded, still hurt by Reid’s words, and refusing to give him any attention I voiced my query to Jonah. “Then what do you have that she wants?”
Jonah gulped, his eyes flicking to Reid.
“Don’t!” Reid warned but Jonah shook his head.
“She needs to know!”
“No, Jo, she doesn’t. It has nothing to do with her,” Reid bit back with a cautionary tone.
Jonah stared with incredulity at him. “Are you kidding me? This has everything, everything to do with her!”
“What does?” I switched my eyes from Jonah to Reid, getting dizzy in the process.
“She doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference to the plan, Jonah. And involving her puts her at risk. As much as I don’t want that, I definitely know you don’t!”
“What the . . .” I began and sighed, shaking my head when I was ignored again.
“What the hell did we start out to do, Reid? It seems to me that you need reminding ‘cos you seem hell bent on destroying everything. I know,” Jonah scrunched up his face as if in pain, “I know how delicate this is, but if we have any chance of getting her back then we need Elina.”
“You need me for what?”
“But we have to think long term, Jo. Once Janice has it, then it’s game over.”
“FOR GOD’S SAKE!” I screamed, exasperated at their arguing. “What the fuck do you have?”
Jonah turned to me. Reid growled and took a step towards Jonah, warning him.
“A cure!” Jonah spat out. “A cure for all of you.”
The only sound as my legs gave way and my body hit the floor was the wheeze in my lungs again.
I STARED FROM ONE to the other as I allowed my mind to absorb Jonah’s revelation. My gaze finally settled on Reid.
“What?” I asked quietly, afraid that if I spoke too loud Jonah would retract what he said and take away all the hope daring to build inside me. “What? There’s a cure . . . a way out?”
“No!” Reid barked out as Jonah nodded. He narrowed his eyes at Jonah and huffed. “See, now you’ve given her false expectation. You have no idea what this . . . life is like, Jo!” He turned his furious stare back to me. “You need to forget what Jonah told you. There isn’t a cure and there never will be.”
“You’re lying,” I whispered, the ache inside coming back and making my chest hurt. “You’re lying. Jonah told me, he just said . . .”
He grabbed my arms, pinning me down with his grip and his glare. “There—is—no—cure, Elina. Get used to being a freak!”
I flinched and flicked a glance at Jonah, ignoring Reid’s tight hold and cruelty.
“Jonah?” He lowered his eyes, his loyalty to Reid bringing on his silence. Realisation brought my top teeth into my lip. I winced at the pain when they sank deep into the flesh, my lip popping and splitting under the harsh pressure. “You think I’ll report back to Judgement.” I swallowed back the hurt and shook my head sadly.
Reid scowled at me, his fingers still digging into the tops of my arms. “Do you have any idea what it’s been like?”
My mouth dropped open. “What? I . . .”
“What it took for me to actually get out of there?” he persisted, cutting me off. “What I had to do while I was in there?” He shook me, making Jonah step forward, warning his friend. “Do you have any clue as to what they did to us all?”
“Reid . . .”
He scoffed. “Oh, don’t tell me you know, Elina. You’re Janice’s princess, the queen’s fucking progeny. There’s no way any mother would do to their child what she did to the rest of us.”
He blurred in my vision as tears climbed from inside me, the agony of them clamping my throat closed.
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