Ballistic: Icarus Series, Book Two by Aria Michaels

head,” Riley said gently laying her hand on his shoulder. “If Gabe really wanted to protect you, it seems like now would be a good time, don’t you think? But he’s not here is he?”
    Tim grunted his jaw clenching. Bella’s ears pinned back and her hackles rose as a low growl rumbled in her throat. Tim’s head snapped back up sharply, and he spat in Riley’s face.
    “Get your filthy hands off me,” he sneered.
    “ Gabe , I presume?” Riley asked wiping the spit from her face with her shirtsleeve.
    “In the flesh,” he smirked his eyes raking over Riley’s body. “It’s a damn shame your skin ain’t the right color, girly. I would love to rip that shirt off and—.”
    “Shut it,” Falisha said cracking him in the back of the head with the butt of the gun. “Next time you run your mouth like that I’m gonna use the end that goes boom.”
    “Try it, mongrel,” he said glaring at her over his shoulder. “See what happens.”
    “That’s enough!” Zander’s voice boomed through the empty space.
    It was loud enough that most of us flinched. Tim, or Gabe; whoever the hell the guy was at that moment, simply laughed. His eyes were wide and manic. He kept them honed on Zander as he paced aimlessly in front of the chair.
    “Jake, grab that roll of tape and shut this guy up.” Zander’s hands were shaking. He rubbed anxiously at the back of his neck.
    “Gladly,” Jake said. He scooped up the roll of medical tape from what was left of the med kit and rushed back over. He glared down at Tim as he tore off a broad strip. “I don’t care which one of you is driving the crazy train right now. This is your stop. You are done spewing hate.”
    “You alright?” I gently laid my hand on Zander’s shoulder. He flinched away as if I had burned him.
    “Don’t touch me,” Zander said squeezing his eyes tight as he took a step back. “Please.”
    “Zander, what the hell is going on with you,” I said inching closer.
    “You okay, Z?” Jake asked stowing the tape back in his bag. “What’s up?”
    “I don’t know,” he said itching at his arms. “It’s like there are a thousand tiny bugs crawling around under my skin and every single one of them is on fire.”
    “Liv?” Jake turned to me gestured to his chest. “Are we talking leeches ?”
    “No,” I said. “At least, I don’t think so. I don’t know, maybe I am just out of whack from the transfusion.”
    “Could be,” Jake said eying Zander as he continued to twitch and dig at his skin. “It’s worse than it was before, isn’t it? No offense, Z, but you look like a junkie itching for a fix.”
    “Something is coming,” Zander groaned biting his bottom lip. “Agh!”
    “What can I do?” I lunged for him, but he ducked away from my hand.
    “Please, don’t,” Zander said holding his hands out as he took a step back. “I’m sorry, it’s not you. It’s just that even the slightest contact feels like razor blades against my skin. It’s making me crazy. I swear this shirt is made of sandpaper.”
    Before I could get another word out Zander had scraped the shirt from his body and tossed it to the floor at my feet. He hooked his thumbs into the waist of his pants but thought better of it when he noticed the shocked stares on everyone’s faces.
    “I am going for a walk,” Zander grumbled itching at his chest. His hand covered the ink there. I stepped toward him ready to follow, but he stopped me. “No, Liv. Just Stay. I just need a minute, okay? And besides, Eli said you should be resting.”
    “Oh,” I said trying to disguise the hurt in my voice. “Right, no problem. I totally get it. Be careful and don’t go too far, okay?”
    Zander nodded with a grimace then spun on his heel and stalked off, itching and scratching at his skin as he went.
    “I don’t get it,” I said, lowering myself onto a nearby mall bench. “I feel a tingle, but it’s nothing like that. He’s in so much pain, Jake. It doesn’t make