Chapter 135: Taran

"Why do I need it?" I ask, my voice softer than I'd intended, fear leaching some of the stridency from my tone.

He looks over at me, his eyes hard. "The first time I met you, you had a gun. You remember, Taran? How we met out here in the desert? You knew the value of having a weapon then. Now is no different. If I become incapacitated, you'll need it to defend yourself."

I lick my lips and nod. He's right. I've come to depend on Diogo to keep me safe from harm, when the reality is, if he's not around, it'll be up to me to fight my way out of a situation. I'd been all alone when Stryker took me, and though I hadn't been forced to actually defend myself, the entire scenario could've gone in a completely different direction.