Chapter 11 · Celeste Brings a Witness

"Step away from him, Mara, or the next bullet goes through his heart."

The threat came through the sealed doors. Julian's hand closed around my wrist before I could turn toward it. His palm was hot, his grip hard enough to hurt.

"Don't," he said.

I shoved him away. "You don't get to tell me what to do. Not after admitting you worked for Celeste."

"I admitted I was inside her security wing. I didn't admit I believed her lies."

"You still wore her badge."

His jaw tightened. Blood had soaked through the side of his shirt, dark and sticky beneath my fingers where I'd pressed the wound a minute ago. He looked pale, but his gun stayed aimed at the double doors.

"And you still have a gun pointed at me," he said. "So we're both having a bad night."

The lock clicked.

Nia backed away from the control panel. Her face went white. "That's not me. I can't override it."

"Then stop touching the system," Julian snapped.

"I wasn't touching it!"

"Both of you, shut up." I raised my gun.