Chapter 39 · Link now

He looked at me.

That was answer enough.

The breach team shouted outside. Boots hammered across the metal floor. Jaxon reached around me and hit the panel again.

"Link now."

"Say it."

"What?"

"Say you need me."

A bullet punched into the rack beside my head.

Jaxon grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me against him. His palm was hot. His fingers spread beneath my hair, firm enough to hold me still but not hard enough to hurt.

"I need you," he said.

The words hit harder than they should have.

"Louder."

His eyes locked on mine. "I need you, Kael."

The Glitch answered.

A thin red circuit crawled from my wrist to his palm. It burned through my skin without breaking it. Jaxon sucked in a breath and his grip tightened.

"Damn it," he muttered.

"Don't let go."

"Wasn't planning to."

The access panel split open. A narrow stairwell dropped behind it, swallowing the red emergency light.

Jaxon pulled me through.

The blast door started descending above us.

A purge soldier dove beneath it. Jaxon kicked him back, then shoved me down the stairs.