d tilted

nd sticky down her arm, but everything looked slightly blurred at the edges

uld fall again. "Stay with me," he said, quiet, con

an

ni

grip was firm but careful, as if she were something breakable. The neon streetlight

whispered, even

passenger door, ushering her ins

der making the wound throb. The moment she was inside, Damian circled to the

ine

ghts st

climbi

You shouldn't help me.

s voice was steel.

e," she said quickly.

arp. "Street thugs don't use suppressed pistols. And th

omach

se he n

well noticed

ut. "Please. Just drop m

hat I saw?" His hand tightened around th

dn't a

aking into her clothes. The pain was sharp, but not unbearable. A c

ck

elieved

descending levels below street noise. Damian parked fast, ho

lk," she

ed. "Then wa

tor lined with steel walls that reflected their distorted silhouettes.

watch

y men look

hunters wa

he wasn't

ing to und

vast, minimalist penthouse-glass walls, low lighting,

a f

elong in spac

pointed to a l

myself," she said.

ice softened.

her more than any com

e

emoved his jacket, and rolled up his sleeves. The white shirt beneath strained over broa

n't pa

asn't ca

he tight lines

you feel diz

m o

ised

hough it sounded unc

e could feel the warmth of his breath as

brushed her ski

pped. "Doe

thing

tive to every twitch of her body. When he press

murmured. "But you lost

gly good at this,

that money isn't useful if you can't s

bli

t does th

for a fraction of a second-a barely perceptible

what a bullet w

wallow

e with firm, confident hands. He was close enough that she could sme

id quietly. "

away. "I

lie t

led. "Damian, yo

he said. "The kind you don'

head. "I can'

lready

ugh around the edges.

was w

g you because I feel

d stay out

ess breath. "You really t

d desperately. "A company.

out men

anything for p

xpression cracked,

tly. "You have no ide

What are you t

n't el

bar, poured water into a glass, a

he crouched again, liftin

ri

, swallowi

s away, she whispered,

d with hers, blue,

he said quietly. "The moment before the

breath

wa

raid of be

er. "You were afra

twisted painfully. "Y

id. "You're goi

fened. "

u c

don't know what

rushed a strand of hair from her face, a gesture so gentle

art st

se yo

ou found

s how everythi

dn't feel. "Maybe I just

fe finding people who don't want to be

ttered. "Plea

sliced throu

n's p

s still locked on he

ckwe

le

nt still. A quiet,

pression harden-col

?" he

er si

cked to the massive fl

blood r

istant, but unmistakable, red sniper do

trembled.

ed the

she met him, she saw somethin

d quietly, "ge

roze.

ow

cracked li

pped in

bullet sliced through the glass, tearing in

ground, shielding her with his body

ath knocked out

't m

lack weapon case-fast, decisive, terrifyingly

s happening?"

and the broken window, eyes scanni

words that fr

ren't af

ha

d fell with a sin

e after b

down her spine.

at her, really

was no coldness, no distance

the t

eone knows I

heart s

t even mean?"

lowering his voice to a

sn't the only dangero

ed for h

not the only o

ath sha

what di

r was qui

I can't t

him, pulse roar

what are

h to speak, But th

of t

ity b

house ar

e swallowed in an unnatu

he had prayed never to hear ag

nd y