The Gender Game 2 by Bella Forrest (audio ebook reader .TXT) 📕

the hallway. I wanted to laugh, it was so preposterous. I was going to save Viggo’s life. I had saved Viggo’s life for once. Now, he couldn’t make his stupid teasing comments about all the times he saved me, because I had saved him too.

After I actually finished the saving. And got some sleep. And saved Samuel. And explored this strange building. And discovered the secret of the egg. Then I’d do it.

I started chuckling at my absurd mental checklist—it was impossible—just like the fact that I was alive at this very moment. That I had finally succeeded in saving people, not killing them. I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my eyes, until I realized I was crying.

My hands were shaking and I was shuddering with each breath. It was all hitting me at once—everything. For the last four days—less than a week—I had endured a trial and a half of pain, betrayal, emotional upheaval, and fought for my life and the lives of others. I was tired beyond words, emotionally drained, and mentally exhausted.

I deserved the tears that were flooding down my cheeks. I had earned them in blood and sweat, and by defying the odds. I had defied death itself and won, at least for the moment.

I sat down and cried, well aware that Viggo and Ms. Dale were waiting for me in the air locked room. The thought of it sent waves of panic through me, which in turn made me feel guilty. I rationalized that I wasn’t panicking because they were depending on me, although that didn’t help. No, I was panicking because of how tired I was.

Sleep deprivation was a difficult thing for the mind to handle. My brain needed sleep so that I could function, and because of the lack of sleep, I was breaking down, and I knew it. I just needed to hold it together until I could get Viggo up. He could take care of Ms. Dale and himself.

I felt the tears continuing to fall, my eyes raw, but I picked myself up anyway. I felt dead and empty as I made my way back.

Viggo was leaning against the wall on the other side of the door, his expression relieved as he looked at me. I tried to feel relieved too, but I couldn’t. Wordlessly, I held out the supplies while hot tears slipped from my eyes and down my cheeks.

21

Viggo

Violet was breaking down, and I didn’t blame her. When she opened the door with tears running down her face, holding out a bedpan of medical supplies, I ignored them completely, and pulled her to my chest, wrapping my arms around her.

Her shoulders shook as she sobbed, her tears collecting on the front of my chest. I stroked her hair, letting her cry it out. I held her for several minutes, the sounds of her choking sobs filling the small room.

“I shouldn’t be crying,” Violet breathed against me, as her tears started to subside. “We still have work to do.”

I placed a finger under her chin, tipping her head back so she was looking at me. Her eyes were like twin storm clouds, threatening to spill over again. Deep dark bags had formed under her eyes, and her face was streaked with blood and grime.

She had never looked more beautiful. Without thinking, I dipped my head and pressed my mouth against hers. For a second, she was still, frozen under my mouth, and then she softened, her lips parting. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling her body flush against mine. I cupped her face and her neck, feeling her pulse beating strong under my fingertips.

After savoring her for a long moment, I broke the kiss, and rested my forehead against hers.

“We’re alive,” I whispered, using my thumb to stroke away her tears. “You saved us all, Violet. We’re safe.”

“I lost Samuel,” she wheezed.

I shook my head. “Samuel is smart, and better equipped to survive. We’ll find him.”

She nodded, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m so tired, Viggo,” she whispered, and I could see the exhaustion was more than just physical. She needed to rest.

“Okay. Tell you what. Help me move Ms. Dale to a bed. I’ll patch both of us while you get a little sleep, okay?”

She hesitated, her eyes searching mine. “What about you? You need to sleep too.”

I nodded. “We’ll sleep in shifts.” I had no intention of waking her up, of course. She could forgive me this one little white lie.

Violet needed sleep more than I did. She was on the verge of mental breakdown, and we couldn’t afford for her to have one, not at this juncture. Besides, I was worried about her. I wanted her to feel safe and secure, and get some much-needed rest. I didn’t mind suffering for that.

Violet nodded, and then paused again. “This place… we have no idea where the people are or when they’ll be back. We need to search it. Do you think it’s a Matrian facility, given that it’s on Matrus’ side of the river?” she asked.

I nodded, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “It probably is Matrian, but until we know for sure I’ll secure the floor and barricade the doors. If anyone is here, we’ll know it, and handle it from there. It will be all right, Vi. We’ll handle it as it comes, together. I promise.”

The look of relief on her face was worth it. She leaned into me, pressing her ear against my chest and wrapping her arms around my waist. I bound my arms around her, and she gave a soft little sigh in response.

I gave us a moment to just hold each other, because we both needed the comfort the other provided. We shared the knowledge that we had both nearly died, multiple times, and we just needed a moment to feel alive and safe.

After the embrace was over, we went back for Ms. Dale. I had managed to drag her through the