Chapter 7 · One Pulse Left

"Put the core back, Evelyn."

Kade had one hand around her wrist and the other braced against the side of the stolen transport. His grip was hot, hard, and getting tighter by the second.

The metal case sat between them. Inside it, the blue-white power core pulsed against its restraints.

Her core now. Her escape ticket. Her chance to pay off the debt that had a knife pressed to her foster father's throat and get her brother out of Crown custody.

She smiled through the pain in her wrist. "You know my name. That makes this awkward."

"You know exactly what you stole."

"I steal lots of things. Fuel. IDs. Bad decisions. You'll have to be more specific."

Kade shoved her back. Her shoulders hit the transport wall, and the case slammed against her hip. His face was close enough for her to feel the heat of his breath.

He looked worse than he had five minutes ago. Pale. Blood streaking one side of his jaw. A thin black line ran from his neck to his collarbone, glowing under his skin like a wire burning through paper.

"The core," he said. "Now."

"No."

His fingers tightened. "That wasn't a request."