Chapter 19 · Get off me

He dragged me behind the conveyor as three rounds tore through the metal where we’d been standing. Shards snapped past my face. Jaxon shoved me down and covered my body with his, his injured shoulder pressed against my chest.

The impact made him suck in a breath.

"Get off me," I whispered.

"You keep saying that like you mean it."

"You’re bleeding on me."

"You started it."

His mouth was close to my ear. His heart hammered against my ribs, too fast for someone pretending he wasn’t afraid.

Another round struck the conveyor.

Jaxon reached under his coat with his good hand and pulled out a small black injector.

I caught his wrist.

"What is that?"

"A reset spike."

"You’re not putting anything in my head."

"It goes into your neck."

"That’s not better."

"It burns the Glitch’s command loop for twelve seconds."

"And what happens after twelve seconds?"

"You stop trying to kill me."

"That wasn’t my question."

His eyes held mine.

The drone’s scanner passed over the conveyor. Red light washed across his cheek, then mine.

"After twelve seconds," he said, "you’ll still be alive. That’s all I have."

"You expect me to trust that?"

"No.