Chapter 33 · And if she remembers me?

Then Jaxon's voice.

"And if she remembers me?"

The memory broke.

I turned on him.

He saw it on my face and went still.

"What did you see?" he asked.

"You."

"Where?"

"With Victor."

His fingers curled around his pistol.

I was faster. My blade flashed up and stopped beneath his jaw again.

He didn't move.

"Tell me you weren't there," I said.

"I was there."

The words hit harder than any punch.

"Tell me you didn't help him build me."

His eyes didn't leave mine. "I didn't build you."

"You stood beside him."

"Yes."

"You knew what he was doing."

"Not all of it."

"That's a lie."

"It's the truth. I knew he was running illegal upgrades. I didn't know he was copying minds."

The Glitch pulsed again. Blue light crawled beneath my skin.

Jaxon caught my wrist before I could press the blade deeper. His grip was firm, his face close enough that I could feel the heat of him against the cold metal at my throat.

"Kill me," he said. "Then Victor wins."

"You say that like I care what Victor wants."

"You care what he did to you."

"Don't pretend you understand me.