Chapter 20 · The Lethal Sync

"Don't move. One twitch and I fry your cortex right here," Jaxon snapped. He had me pinned against the rusted bulkhead, his forearm pressing hard into my throat.

I couldn't breathe, but I could smell him—expensive tobacco and the sharp, metallic scent of high-grade neural coolant. My vision was swimming, the Glitch protocol in my head screaming in red warnings.

"You're shaking, Jaxon," I managed to choke out, a smirk tugging at my lips despite the pressure. "Scared of what you'll find in there?"

He didn't flinch. He leaned in closer, his chest brushing against mine, cutting off the air even more. His eyes weren't on me; they were locked on the neural port at the base of my skull. "I'm not scared of the code, Kael. I'm scared of how much you're enjoying this."

He shifted his weight, his knee sliding between mine to keep me locked in place. The power dynamic was clear: he had the keys to the city, the backup power, and right now, he had my windpipe. I was a scrapped tool with a broken mind, and he was the golden boy of the Corp.

"Do it then," I spat, my voice rasping.