Chapter 10 · Dangerous Symbiosis

"Get your hands off me, you gutter-trash scrap boy," Eve spat, though her voice lacked its usual bite. She was pinned against the cold metal wall of the medical bay, her chest heaving.

I didn't let go. I kept my forearm pressed across her collarbone, locking her in place. The distance between us was barely an inch. I could smell the sterile scent of the med-bay mixed with something sharper—the metallic tang of her crashing protocol.

"Funny," I whispered, leaning in until my lips almost brushed her ear. "A few hours ago, you were the one calling the shots. Now you're shaking. Why is that, Eve?"

She tried to jerk away, but the movement only brought her closer. Her eyes—those cold, Syndicate-blue eyes—were wide, flickering with a mix of hatred and something that looked terrifyingly like desperation. "This is a glitch. A temporary system failure. Once I reboot, I'll have you stripped of your skin for this."

I chuckled, the sound low and rough. I shifted my weight, pressing my hip firmly against hers. I felt her shudder. "You're not rebooting. Your system is starving. And I'm the only thing on the menu.