Chapter 20 · Neither do you?

"Neither do you?"

"I built it."

"You built him. That is not the same thing."

Silas went silent.

Cain's head turned toward her. His voice came low. "Take the unit off me."

"Are you asking or ordering?"

"Asking."

"Try again."

His fingers curled against the floor.

"Please."

The word sounded dragged out of him.

Lila's chest tightened.

She removed the unit.

Cain stayed on one knee, breathing hard. Sweat darkened the collar of his shirt. His skin was hot beneath the blood and dust. Lila crouched in front of him, close enough to feel every uneven breath.

"Tell me what the trigger word is," she said.

"I don't know."

"Silas used Protocol Omega. Then you tried to kill me. There has to be a fail-safe."

"There is a command phrase."

"What phrase?"

"I don't know."

"You are lying."

"I am not."

"Your pulse just jumped."

Cain stared at her. "You can hear that?"

"I can feel it."

Her fingers were still wrapped around his forearm. She had not noticed when she grabbed him.

Neither had he pulled away.

His thumb brushed once against the inside of her wrist, right over the frantic beat.