Free Avenged (The Altered Series) by Marnee Blake Page B

I know anything.”
    Fields sighed. “You leave me no choice, then.”
    Jeremy stepped in front of Nick, massaging his knuckles.
    In response, Nick smiled at him.

Chapter Seven
    The door swung open on a shriek. Jeremy and another guard shuffled in, dropping Nick in a bleeding heap in the middle of the room. He coughed, curling in on himself.
    Kitty didn’t remember getting up from the bed or going to his side, but that’s where she ended up. On closer inspection, his face was broken, bruised, and bloody in countless spots, and he rubbed his ribs as if there was also damage she couldn’t see.
    She glared at Jeremy from the floor, rubbing her fingers on Nick’s arm, afraid to hurt him more than he was. “He’s a mess.”
    He shrugged, patting his hands off on his pant legs. “He wasn’t telling Fields what he wanted to hear.”
    “Fields didn’t hit him.” She heard his smug triumph. “You hit him.”
    Jeremy didn’t answer, only offered her a mock salute as he turned to the door.
    “You didn’t deserve him,” she called after him. “You didn’t deserve him as a friend.” Jeremy paused, without turning back. Her anger, her hatred, spiraled through her. “And…and…” She tried to think of the meanest thing she could say to him. “And I’m glad Fields changed you. You deserve whatever you got.”
    His head rose, but when he looked back, he didn’t look angry.
    He was laughing. At her.
    “You think Fields did this to me? To everyone?” His eyes widened. “You do. You think that Fields did this to us.” He swatted his partner on the arm. “You hear that, Charles? Little Miss thinks that we’re victims. Poor us.” He made a production of rubbing at his eye.
    He chuckled, his hands on his hips. “Sorry to disappoint you, Kitty, but we knew exactly what we were doing. Fields offered us the drug, and we took it.”
    What? “You knew that he was giving you the drug? And you took it anyway?”
    “You’ve got to be kidding. Of course we took it.”
    “But…why?” What was the matter with him? He’d met them—Luke, Seth, Blue, her—right after they’d gotten out of Glory. Right after they’d been changed. He’d seen the effects. He’d heard how their town had died. “Why would you do that?”
    “Are you kidding? Who wouldn’t want to have super powers?” He snorted. “Well, not your power. That looks like it sucks. But no one else seems to get that one anyway.”
    Kitty steeled her features. He didn’t have to know that he’d scored a direct hit with that. “And the others?”
    “All of them. His entire squad took it,” Nick answered next to her. He sat cross-legged, dabbing at the tender spots on his face, his elbows resting on his knees. “Now that Fields is back and working with Goldstone, he promised to find them jobs as bodyguards or private soldiers. Mercenaries.”
    Surprised, she looked up at Jeremy. “You took the drug, risked your life, so you could get a better job?”
    Her horror made him laugh. “Don’t sound so snotty, princess. I’ve been to the Middle East. I’ve already risked my life for a job. At least this way I’m going to make a lot more money.”
    As he turned for the door, he nudged his head at Nick. “He’s beat up, but he’ll be fine.” He left, locking the door behind him.
    In his wake, the silence seeped into her. They’d taken the drug on purpose. She didn’t know if they knew all the risks, but they’d known enough, and it hadn’t mattered. Would others do the same?
    Nick shifted to his knees, as if to get up, but he stalled there, his eyes trained on the floor in front of him.
    “Are you okay?” She didn’t reach for him. He seemed untouchable. She hadn’t known him long, but in that time he’d proven one of the most approachable guys she knew. Arrogant, sure. Bossy, absolutely. But not shut-off, not like this.
    He shook his head, his eyes closing. His body shook. He fell backward, onto his backside, and dropped his head into his