Chapter 23 · Gates of the Hive

"Palm. Now. Or I flag you as defective and drag you to secondary."

The guard didn't even look at me. He just shoved the black scanner plate at my face. It was already glowing red. Waiting.

I froze. My hand was shaking so bad I couldn't lift it.

"Problem?" he snapped. "You deaf, scav? Palm. Now."

"Yeah, no, sorry," I said. My voice cracked. "Cold hands. You know. Waste chill. Give me a sec."

Cain's hand clamped around my wrist under the counter. Hard. Not hurting. Just holding me still.

His heat shot straight up my arm. He leaned in, his shoulder pressing into mine, and I could feel his breath against my ear.

"Don't," he whispered, so low only I could hear. "It's reading for your gene tag. That fake ID won't pass."

"No shit," I hissed back. "You got a better idea?"

"Yeah," he said. "Let me break it."

"And get us shot? No. Stick to the plan."

The guard banged the plate. "I said now! Do I need to call a gene-hound over here? You want a hound sniffing you?"

Behind us the line was getting pissed. Thirty people deep.