Dark Matter - The Mors Mortis Trilogy Book 2

Chapter Twenty Three - Trust

Jared was half asleep when his door creaked open. For a moment, he was bleary and confused, vaguely registering the tall figure that stood in the doorway, haloed by threads of light from the corridor. But then his senses snapped into focus and he jerked upright, his eyes widening as the silhouette stepped inside and closed the door, plunging the room back into darkness.

Jared's breath rushed out harshly, his pulse spiking in panic. He never had visitors at night, and he couldn't help but presume it wasn't a good sign someone was here now.

"Who's there?" he asked, eyeing the shadows.

When no one replied, he swallowed hard, trying to think this through rationally. If this person was here to hurt him, he couldn't do anything about it. Besides, there wasn't much this stranger could do that Parker hadn't already. The thought sent a familiar stab of bitterness and hurt ripping through his stomach, but it was oddly reassuring.

"If you're here to kill me, I should warn you that you'll probably be unsuccessful," Jared said, peering into the darkness.

For a moment, everything was quiet, and then the ceiling light flicked on. Jared blinked away the glare and when his eyes focused again, he found Tai Jackman standing by the door, watching him quietly.

Jared's pulse spiked. Tai had the sort of build people crossed the street at night to avoid, and this last week he'd taken every possible opportunity to hint at his anger at Jared's presence.

"I should've known," Jared said, biting down on his unease. "I bet you've been itching to get to me since I woke up, haven't you?"

Tai's mouth curled into an unamused smile as he walked over and sat down in the bedside chair, resting his elbows on his knees and watching Jared quietly. His expression was completely devoid of emotion, with none of that manic intensity Jared had seen in torture's eyes before. Tai's blankness was eerie in comparison, more unpredictable.

"You're really fucking things up for yourself, Caldwell," Tai said. "Did you know that?"

Jared blinked in surprise. If he was right as to why Tai was here – and he was sure he was – he hadn't thought there'd be small talk first, just violence.

"I didn't think there was much left for me to fuck up," Jared said.

Tai frowned at that.

"Well then, you're an idiot. We've been kinder to you than your own allies and you're throwing it away."

Jared's mouth curled into an unintentional snarl. He knew Tai was right, but he didn't appreciate the reminder.

"Do you want me to give you a good Samaritan award?" Jared asked, the anger rippling beneath his words.

Tai leant back, his eyes shadowed. "No, I want you to help us."

"I'm not going to," Jared snapped. "I don't care how kind you think you've been."

He was sure Tai would hit him then, but instead he lapsed back into silence, and it made Jared irrationally furious. If he was going to be tortured, he wanted it to happen sooner rather than later.

"Can we get on with this?" Jared demanded. "I was hoping to get some sleep tonight, even if it has to be half-comatose."

For the first time, Jared saw something decipherable enter Tai's expression, but it still took him a moment to realise what it was.

"Do you actually think I'm here to hurt you?" Tai asked, shocked.

Jared's silence made realisation dawn on Tai's face and Jared felt suddenly foolish, though he wasn't sure why. Tai had given him every indication this last week that he'd take great pleasure in smashing his head in.