Free The Revolt (The Reapers: Book Two) by Katharine Sadler Page B

rested on my
elbows. “I haven’t really thought about it, Jed. What difference
does it make now?”
    He shrugged and looked away, his face
reddening slightly. “It’s a measure of how badly he hurt you and
how much he could hurt you again if he shows up here.”
    I lay back down and stared at the ceiling. It
bothered me that he was so worried and overprotective, but it was
also kind of nice that he cared if I got hurt. “Yeah, it hurt that
he was just pretending to be interested in me, and that he tried to
kill me. I mean I’ve had bad breakups before but, come on…” I said
it in a joking tone, but the truth was I hadn’t ever really had a
breakup before. All of my relationships had been casual and
short-lived. I might not have been as into Caleb as he pretended to
be into me, but I’d liked him, and I’d hoped… but it didn’t matter,
now.
    “He really did care for you. The way he
talked about you… He thought you were special.”
    “Right up until the moment he decided his
life was worth more than mine?”
    He stared at the floor. “I’m under no
illusions about him. I know he was capable of some terrible things,
but I don’t believe he would have killed you.”
    And that’s why I couldn’t trust Jed
completely “You’re wrong. He would have killed me without
blinking.” I could still remember the harsh tone of Caleb’s voice
and the tension of his body against mine when he held that knife to
my throat.
    He shook his head and was silent for a few
moments. “I get that he scared you, but he’s my brother. I’ve known
him my whole life and I know what he’s capable of.”
    “If you’re going to protect me from him, Jed,
you need to accept that he was and is capable of it.”
    “How about if I accept the possibility and
keep my doubts to myself.”
    I wasn’t convinced, but Caleb wasn’t there
and I thought it unlikely he’d show up. “Works for me.” I stood to
leave.
    “I need to hear you say that if he shows up
you won’t go running off with him again,” Jed said. I looked back
to gauge his expression and try to understand why he couldn’t let
this go, but he met my gaze, his face void of emotion.
    “What kind of an idiot do you think I
am?”
    The muscles in his jaw worked, but he didn’t
give any other sign of being affected by my words. “We do stupid
things when we love someone.”
    “I’d have to be a brain dead moron to go
anywhere with Caleb ever again.”
    He nodded, but he didn’t look satisfied.
    “I’m going up to take a shower. I’m tired.” I
headed for the stairs without looking back.

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
     
    I stepped out of the shower to the warm smell
of tomato sauce. My stomach grumbled, and I pulled on sweats and
went out to the kitchen without combing my hair. If I was fast
enough, I thought I might be able to convince Jed to share.
    He was at the stove, stirring a pot of red
sauce when I hobbled in, feeling the effects of the past two days
of fighting. “I’m making spaghetti if you want some.”
    “Um, yeah, but I’m vegetarian, so if…”
    He nodded. “No meat. I remember. It’s just
sauce and noodles.”
    I filled two glasses with water and put them
on the table along with forks and plates. I figured there was
nothing I could to do to help with cooking, so I sat at the table
and watched him work, trying to keep my stomach from grumbling too
loudly.
    We ate in silence. I was stuffing my mouth so
quickly I didn’t have a chance to speak. He ate more like a
civilized person, but he didn’t throw me any disapproving
looks.
    When I was done, I leaned back in my chair
and patted my stomach. “So, what’s for dessert?”
    A lazy, wicked smile spread slowly on his
face. “Well, I made dinner, so –”
    A knock at the condo door stopped him. He
froze and stood so fast his knees hit the tabletop and water
sloshed out of my glass. “Kelsey, please go back to your room until
I find out who’s here.”
    “What? I…”But he was already at the