Chapter 21 · Breakout or Bust

"Shut it down. Now," Lila hissed, her palm slamming against Cain's chest to shove him back into the shadows.

Cain didn't budge. He felt like a wall of heated granite. "I can take them," he rasped, his voice sounding like grinding metal. "Three of them. Maybe four. I can clear the path."

"And leave a trail of bodies for the Hive scanners to find in ten seconds? No chance," she snapped. She gripped the collar of his tactical vest, pulling him down until his face was inches from hers. "You're a beacon, Cain. A giant, walking, gene-modded dinner bell. If you don't go dark, we're both dead before the next sweep."

Cain’s eyes flickered—a predatory gold that didn't belong to a human. He looked at the narrow alleyway, then back to the small, fierce woman holding him hostage with nothing but a kill-switch and a glare.

"How?" he asked. "My core doesn't just stop."

"It does if I tell it to," Lila whispered. She reached for the interface port at the base of his neck, her fingers cold against his skin. The contact made him stiffen, a low growl vibrating in his chest. "But I'm not killing you.