Branded (Sinners, #1)

I watch anxiously as Alyssa’s blood starts running down from her hand, creeping closer to the bag. I pick up the bag and lay it on my lap. Hurry, hurry. His eyes register deceit and he punches me in the face. My head whips back, but I manage to hold on to the morphine. I look down just as her blood reaches the bag.

“Clamp it,” I say. I stand up on wobbly legs and hand Alyssa the bag of morphine. Broken but victorious, I say, “You can have it now, but I wouldn’t take any if I were you.”

“A little bit of blood doesn’t scare me. Now hand it over or I’ll put you in a coffin.”

“Well, it should.”

“Oh yeah. Why’s that?”

“Hers is lethal. That entire bag is now contaminated with the virus that’s killing her. So do us all a favor. Take it. Go inject all your drug buddies and take bets on who will be the last to die.”

“You’re lying!” He grabs me with one hand, lifting me off my toes.

“She wouldn’t be lying here if I was!” I scream at him. I’ve taken a beating and run out of ideas for holding him at bay.

“Then you’re both dead.” He jams his fist straight into my windpipe and I’m unable to scream. At the same time, he releases my shirt and I land flat on my back. He mounts me and wraps his hands around my neck.

“Get off of her!” Alyssa sits ramrod straight in bed, her tiny voice projecting louder than I thought possible. Her wild eyes plead with him.

“You. Shut up,” he says.

I’m struggling to get him off my chest, but I can’t breathe. My throat is in a knot where his fist smashed me. It’s no use. He overpowers me. His grimy smell and devilish eyes make me panic. His dirty fingers close around my windpipe like a vice. If I could just breathe. In a frenzy, I claw at him with my fingernails, but his grip proves unbreakable. My legs flail at nothing but air. My chest feels like it’s going to explode with the need for air. This is it. I hope he makes it quick.

Nothing can brace me for the slow deprivation of oxygen. Images around me blur, and darkness creeps up like shadows, but then something slams into him forcing him off me and onto the ground. He screams for mercy.

“Look away.” Cole’s voice fills my ears.

Alyssa pulls the sheet over her eyes. I roll over, clutching my neck, and gasping for air. Thank God, thank you for air. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Cole’s eyes squint in anger. The vein in his forehead pulses with fury.

“Hold him there,” Cole says to Zeus. He turns to the man. “Were you going to kill her?”

“No. I just wanted the morphine and the stupid bi—”

Cole punches him in the jaw, making the addict flop like a rag doll. “Don’t you dare call her that.” His hands wrap quickly around the man’s head in a jerking motion and I hear a snap, followed by a thud. Then I see the man’s lifeless face just a few feet from mine. His eyes remain open, and his neck bulges from where Cole broke it.

I gasp.

“You all right?” Cole kneels beside me, inspecting my neck. “I didn’t think we’d make it in time.”

I search for his hand, and when his fingers interlace with mine, I squeeze it as hard as I possibly can. “But you did make it.” My limbs tingle as the feeling returns to them. My vision clears, and Cole’s eyes catch mine. His forehead creases with concern as he strokes my fingers with shaky hands. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to be alive in the Hole.

“I was in the building across the street, dealing with the incident, when suddenly Zeus took off out the door, across the road, and into the hospital. I didn’t even ask permission to leave, just turned and sprinted after him. If anything would’ve happened to you, I’d never be able to forgive myself.”

“But you got here, and we’re fine.”

“Speak for yourself,” Alyssa wheezes out.

“Crap, your morphine… We have to get it running again.” Zeus licks my face as I push myself into a sitting position. After surviving that ordeal, the fog lifts and new worries come to mind. Alyssa looks exhausted; a sheen of sweat glistens on her forehead and the circles under her eyes darken even more.

“I already paged Sutton. He’s on his way,” Cole says. “Who broke the window?”

“I did,” I say, slightly defensive. “And it worked.”

“What do you mean?” Cole and Alyssa ask in unison.

“I was hoping Zeus would hear it and figure out something wasn’t right.” Their mouths fall open. “What? You didn’t realize you have the greatest dog ever to walk this earth?” I adjust the pillow behind Alyssa’s head and kiss her forehead while imagining the danger she was in.

“He’s the only dog you know.” Alyssa attempts a chuckle.

“That’s not the point. He saved our lives and that makes him the best.” I sit next to her on the bed and take her hand in my own.

“Wow.” Cole shakes his head and smiles.

“What?” I ask.

“That was brilliant. And it explains the broken chair outside the entrance.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” I look down at Alyssa, not wanting to meet his eyes.

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