Raven" Du

concrete wall as Bennet bolted dow

reading across the floor. His face drained of color as his eyes lock

rew herself into his chest, burying her

ling. "She came at me with a wrench because I was looking at the bikes!

y in the blood and oil. She slid her arms under my shoulder

he whipped her head around at Bennet, her eyes wild. "Call 911! Or get Doc

His jaw slacked, his eyes darting frantically fro

's shirt with dying strength. I looked up at Bennet, forcing

forward, his hand twit

. "She's lying, Bennet! She faked the whole thing! It's fake blood, it's a trap

t sto

yard above. The national delegates were up there. If an ambulance showed up with sirens blaring, if

nnet said, his voice dropping i

ed, tears cutting clean lines through t

"Lock the bay doors. Nobody leaves this basement until the delegates clear o

y the waist and drag

el fire door

home echoed through the empty ga

my body draining out onto the cold stone. The teari

dn't

shred of humanity I had ever felt for B

ishop" Co

and slammed the steel door shut

eep into the pockets of my leather cut

d me. It was all a calculated stunt-a desperate, pathetic at

front of the Nine States representatives, I'd never hear th

ide. Tomorrow morning, after the delegates hit the highway,

ile onto my face, and pushed open the back door, ste

Raven" Du

tor oil was gone, replaced by the sharp, s

cot inside the windowless back

auze into an aluminum medical kit. Maxine sat on an overturned milk crate

t need

ness inside my lower b

gh window, watching the gray light o

nce's order." My voice sounded l

er jaw hardening in

aring into the gray sky. "