Chapter 17 · First Team-Up

"Stop pretending you're not shaking," Vivian whispered, her voice cutting through the roar of the wind.

She had me pinned against the rusted siding of an old warehouse, her forearm pressed firmly against my collarbone. The heat from her body was an insult to the freezing rain soaking through my jacket. I could smell her—something like ozone and expensive vanilla—and it was making my head spin faster than the gravity wells I'd just collapsed.

"I'm not shaking. I'm vibrating with hatred," I snapped, trying to shove her off.

Vivian didn't budge. She just leaned in closer, her eyes scanning my face with that terrifying, golden intensity. "You're a terrible liar, Tess. Your pulse is hammering against my arm like a trapped bird. Why are you helping me?"

I scoffed, though it sounded more like a gasp. "Maybe I just like watching you struggle. Or maybe I'm bored. Now get off me before I accidentally drop a building on us."

"You won't," she murmured, her gaze dropping to my lips for a fraction of a second. "Because you're too scared of what happens if you actually hurt me."

I wanted to scream.