Chapter 15 · Don't you dare let go

She caught his sleeve. "Kane."

The hounds burst into the junction.

Kane fired twice. Selena fired three times. The first hound staggered, but the others spread wide, cutting off the way back.

Selena shoved Kane into the side passage and threw a charge behind them.

"Down!"

The blast punched the hounds off their feet. Heat slapped Kane's back. He hit the floor, rolled, and grabbed Selena before she went over the edge of the maintenance trench.

Her boots skidded on the grated platform. Kane caught her forearm with both hands.

"Don't you dare let go," she said.

"You think I want to carry your body through here?"

"You'd sell it for promotion."

"Victor already tried that."

Her expression changed.

Kane hauled her up. She landed against him, hard. Her hands closed around the front of his jacket. His chest pressed to hers through two layers of tactical fabric. For a second, the only sound was both of them breathing too fast.

Then she shoved him away.

"What did Victor try?"

"Selling me."

"To whom?"

"The purge team."

"That team doesn't exist."

"Not yet.