Bloodhearts

Chapter fifteen: Grave Site.

JAY'S POV:

I hear Cory's voice carry through headquarters before I can see him. He storms inside like a mad man and whirls around until he sees me. It's like he breathes a sigh of relief when he does. I throw my arms around him, holding onto him for dear life. Cory does the same thing. We don't have to say anything to know that we have forgiven each other. This is enough.

"Your dad?" Cory asks me.

I shake my head, indicating how bad it is.

"At least we stopped this," I reply. "He would have wanted that."

Cory nods, still holding onto me and caressing my neck. I tell him who's in the prison cell. There's no 'I told you so'. We could use that accusation against each other many times over, but it would get us nowhere. Instead, Cory makes a request I'm very reluctant to listen to.

"Let me talk to him," Cory insists.

"No," I say sternly. "I think that's a very bad idea."

Cory rolls his eyes. "Let me talk to him," he repeats, giving me a look that's just as stern. "I don't care if you watch. I just need to talk to him. I need to know why."

I take a deep breath.

"Fine then," I say. "But only five minutes. No more. And I still don't like it."

Cory kisses my cheek. "I know you don't," he answers. "But thanks for understanding."

I instruct the guards to step aside let Cory go to Marc's cell, where only the bars separate them. I'm not about to let the man I love get any closer than that. Preferably, I want Cory out of headquarters and far away from these people.

As soon as Marc sees Cory coming, his whole face lights up. It makes me feel sick.

"Cory!" Marc exclaims, coming as close as the cell will allow.

Cory is visibly uncomfortable with such a welcome.

"I'm so glad you came," Marc continues with the most annoying smirk I've ever seen. "I was hoping to see you."

"I didn't come here for your sake," Cory snaps and Marc's head draws back a bit. "I came because I needed to look you in the eye and ask you how you can justify this?! This place might not be perfect, maybe even far from it, but what the hell gives you the right to come in here and play God? What gives you the right to start destroying everything we've worked so hard for all these years?"

Finally, Marc stops smiling. His affection for Cory is still painfully obvious even if Cory's words anger him.

"It was the only way," Marc replies simply.

"You had my best friend killed!" Cory yells.

This time, Marc looks eerily unfazed, clearly believing in the righteousness of his actions.

"She wasn't there for you—"

"She was there for everybody!" Cory exclaims, interrupting.

Marc shakes his head. "You don't have to understand," he says. "It's okay. I'm glad you're okay. I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I'd had you killed."

In response, Cory just stares at him, without replying. I step in to tell him it's time to leave, but before I get to say anything, Cory meets my eyes, marching out of the room.

"Congratulations," Marc says dryly. "How does it feel?"

He might be behind bars, but no one has won. He has taken so much from me, including Sadie and possibly my clever but stubborn dad. And he almost took Cory away from me, too.