Chapter 25 · Deadly Coordinates

"Move your ass or we both die in this vent!" Evelyn’s voice was a sharp hiss right in my ear, her breath hot against my neck.

I didn't move. I couldn't. My hand was clamped tight over her mouth, pinning her against the vibrating metal of the ventilation shaft. Below us, the heavy thud of combat boots echoed through the floorboards. They weren't just searching; they were sweeping the building like it was a goddamn slaughterhouse.

"Shh," I breathed, my chest pressing into her back. The friction of her silk dress against my tactical gear felt wrong—too soft, too intimate for a place that smelled like ozone and old blood. I could feel her heart hammering against my ribs, a frantic rhythm that matched the pulse of the Forbidden Card humming in my pocket.

Evelyn wrenched herself free, her eyes flashing with a mix of fury and adrenaline. "If you think I'm just going to let you play hero while we're trapped in a tin can, you've got another thing coming, Kane."

"I'm not playing hero," I whispered, sliding my knife out with a metallic click. "I'm trying to keep us from becoming target practice.