I Am Not Junco Omnibus: Books Four - Six Read Online Free Page B

my head, but he continues.
    "Ya never trusted me."
    I'm breathing funny now, the air coming and going in gasps.
    "You only care about yerself, Junco. And I can't live like that. You don't need me because ya don't need anyone. You only want what you can't have and ya know why? Because then you can blame yer failure to get these impossible things on yer horrible fucking life. On all the things those people did ta ya. Ya never look at yerself and ask how you contribute to yer own unhappiness."
    Lucan appears behind him in his ancient armor and black wings, looking like Satan straight out of Dante's Inferno.
    "Tier, that's enough now." His voice is soft and gentle, like when he talks to me.
    Tier looks to the side but doesn't turn. He takes a deep breath.
    "Come with me, we'll go home."
    I'm shocked at both of them now. "He cannot go home, Lucan. He doesn't get to say that shit and just leave! I didn't choose Gideon over him, I just didn't want to leave him there! What was I supposed to do? He's my partner!"
    Tier flies at me in a rage before anyone can stop him. He slams me down on the ground and the air bursts out of my lungs like a wind storm. He sits on my chest, restricting my breathing, and then leans down just like Isten did back on the rifle range.
    My words come out in a sputter. "I didn't choose Gideon, Tier. I didn't!"
    His eyes abruptly stop glowing and become calm as he whispers down at me. "Ya absolutely did, Junco. I wanted what you had ta give. So bad. And you chose death over me. Ya gave that bitch her chance to ruin us and unlike you, Junco? When she gets a chance to win she takes it. She doesn't throw it away. Ashur already had Gideon. I would never have left him there. Never. I know he's yer partner and I was gonna take care of him for you."
    I swallow and stare into the hurt he's got penned up behind those eyes.
    "I always trusted you and you never trusted me. You gave it away to Ashur, to Isten, to Lucan, to Moju, to that piece of shit clone of Aren and even that fucking nobody Kush. Ya slept with him the minute ya left my cell that night. And I never told ya nothing about that or the way ya broke down on stage after ya killed him. You killed yerself over Kush, Junco. Not me."
    I turn my head again but Tier reaches down and grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him as he hurts me in ways I never imagined possible. With a simple look of disappointment.
    "So here we are."
    I nod up at him. "Here we are." My lips fall into a deep frown as I forget everything I promised myself about giving up crying. The tears stream down my cheeks and I start to sniffle wildly to stop the snot from running down on my lips. "I love you, Tier."
    He's not swayed. His face grows more and more hateful as the seconds pass and I can't get myself under control. "No, Junco. You don't. You love Lucan now." He gets up and reaches down to pull me up as well, spinning me around by my shoulders so we are both facing Lucan. "And I'd just like to tell ya congratulations. He's a hell of a guy."
    And then he pushes me out of his way and covers the distance to the flyer in a determined walk. Lucan meets him halfway and the two of them get in the vehicle together. Lucan reaches out and grabs the door and swings it closed and they take off.
    My face stares up at the night sky as the shrinking flyer disappears. Leaving only stars that are practically begging for me to pay attention to them.
    I walk back down the stairs and Gideon and Selia follow me in silence as we enter the apartment. There's a cake and some balloons on the dining room table that I missed rushing past to catch up with Tier.
    They didn't forget.
    And ten minutes ago my life would've been complete with this simple expression of friendship.
    But now I am lost. Utterly lost.
    I stop at the table and read the card.
    "Happy birthday, Juncs."
    I break down in sobs and Gid turns me around and hugs me close. "He's just angry, Junco. He'll come back around. He was so hurt after Inanna took