Chapter 32 · Neon Deadline: Glitch Hunt - Chapter 32: Devil's Deal

"Get your hands off me before I rip your throat out!" Seth’s voice wasn't a shout—it was a snarl, raw and vibrating with a violence that didn't match the look in his eyes.

He had me pinned against the cold metal plating of the server rack. His forearm was jammed across my collarbone, crushing me into the machinery. But he wasn't pushing. He was shaking. His whole body was vibrating, a glitch in the flesh, and his fingers were digging into the steel behind my head with enough force to leave dents.

"Look at me, Kaelen," he hissed. His face was inches from mine. I could smell the ozone and the metallic tang of blood. "Look at me and tell me you don't feel it. The override. It's taking over."

I didn't look. I stared at the vein pulsing in his neck, a jagged line of neon blue flickering beneath his skin. The curse was spiking. The corporate neural-lock was forcing his body to execute the kill command. To the system, I was a glitch. And Seth was the debugger.

"Then do it," I spat, my voice cracking.