up the screen

en

Jaxon's phone. Boun

short, cold

alone. Midnight. No weapo

location somewh

as trembling until J

but not painful. Like

ey get her?

w. But I wil

ve to

t go. His vo

exactly what

y sister

ed. "If you walk into this

y eyes, but I b

t happens to me.

voice dropping

ave me

opped m

the threat. Because they meant he wasn't ju

eant

of

t her," he said. "But

t trust

behind my neck,

at you feel wh

I

sed me, it was desp

a cl

rom

. Bronx

ked of damp c

ywhere, hidden shadow

No wire. No gun. Just the fire in my c

use door c

ere sh

ape over her mouth. Tea

ung

from the shadows,

wo

lad. Red lips a

ed. "Nice to meet the gi

her

oman

ter you do

ha

lked c

a flas

n's private network.

's on

smir

uran

er. My voice

s, she walks

oman

es told an

up at me, sh

in her

thed on

Don

outhed i

on

ike she knew exactly what pluggi

believ

't about leverage

my sister?" I asked the woman,

ised a

ve. There's a

s fam

said casually. "Don'

And I hated that my hands we

ing I knew. But whatever was

put Sienna

with a choice I sho

buzzed in

vibr

xo

n't a

r the panic in my voice or worse

d, narrowing my eyes,

an smil

ou already know

den

nf

s. Close.

. I ducked, pulling her down as

ed and ran for

en I s

xo

aze, dressed in black,

ulled me into him. Che

y?" he b

d, brea

anted

aw clenched. "I

lin

bugge

slid down

ct what'

He cut her ropes. She

ed into her hair. "I d

let us go," Sienna cri

ed at

were

say I to

cheek with his thumb and kissed

his city to get you

asleep beside me, Jaxon h

erything?" he asked.

red a

as brave enough to

ng for a man who'd already

ed. "Because once you know what's

a

able to keep the tremble from my voic

e gash oozing down his side. Instead, he

e mayb

into the ring tonight," I said quietly

seeping into the white towel he refused to replace.

d. "You really

e to me. Like

s in his arms twitch, the tension p

I needed to feel some

anded like

something I want t

something you

The distant sound of sirens, the hum of the city, the rawness

ce low. "But you make me feel like I could

and surely, under the hon

edge of his bloodied shirt. "I don't need you to be goo

dn't

n't ha

mine, desperate, angry, starved. Like he'd been drowning in eve

ed, hands tangl

sn't

s on

s sur

shirt over my head like the world was ending, I le

I kept choo

a

blood on my hands literally and figuratively. But t

ost

about needing someone this much

g I touched fell

fe place. I was the weapon you called

aybe, just maybe, I could be more

ted her

away, I still heard her laugh in my head. Still felt her finger

nst my lips, breaking the k

. "Don't say my

e wh

the man unde

ainst my chest, right over

econd, that this wasn

't just in the streets or

as i

vorite casualty w

a

't say a w

st he

shape of my soul, not just my body. I laid my head on his ch

peace didn't last

lly not

I said finally, the words scraping out of m

body s

ot ready

. "Don't tell

or a moment I saw the man who'd broken

en he

soft

," he said, s

ing to let

htstand and placing the flash drive in

the little p

sma

devast

t had been worth

a be

h a

t was in

like what I fin

e like I was a

er story. One that makes

lowed.

t tha

dn't

I alre

I slipped out of bed, pulled on one of his bl

the windows, oblivious to my he

flash drive in

fo

d in a

ERE

lic

t opene

hing I thought I

my f

t my

er of the screen was

two ye

sis

om with

wasn't afr

standing n

mil

a

photo until my

sis

g besid

Not hostag

il

elonged in

he cho

tamps. Some folders were encrypted, but others were full of documents with watermarks

ed one

w her

ought she disappeared. Leaning close to Jaxon, whi

t just b

ked like

. acco

deepened into somet

he l

working

didn't want me t

was I just

oor opening behi

shirtless, sleep-rumpled, an

as a bad idea,"

've told me

the room, not an

g for my fury or mourning the en

you," I whispered. "

esitation. "But it w

what w

answer f

alked past him, and snapped, "Tel

ened. "It was

hat I

love you

be

h

, she was the only person who knew what I was

. "Destr

his voice dropped to

. The ones who buried your family'

ily?" I

g that would've put a target on your entire bloodline. She ran.

ice cr

ht she w

tween us like an o

ing of tears. "Another Calder girl to protect? Another

, grabbed my wrist, and

s hoarse. Ho

better. You're the only person who makes

ve shoved

oken things, torn the

ad... I k

n't live beside the

eel him I'd forget what was real and what

tangled in heat, despera

rned across

embled agai

d for her. But I'll kill for you," I d

ter scree

video aut

wasn't just Ja

was

urity

years

e fou

a man whose face I'

il

o tried to kill