Chapter 10 · Rain, Lies, and Data

"Stop lying to me, Jax."

I didn't say it. I screamed it. I had him slammed against the corrugated metal wall of the safehouse, the rusted iron biting into his shoulder blades. My forearm was pressed hard against his throat, cutting off just enough air to make his eyes widen.

"I'm—I'm not lying," Jax gasped, his voice thin and strained. He tried to squirm, but I shifted my weight, pinning him tighter. I could feel the frantic beat of his pulse against my arm. It was fast. Too fast.

"You said you were a freelance glitch-hunter," I spat, leaning in until my nose almost touched his. "But that coordinate in my head? The one that looks like a death warrant? You knew exactly where it pointed. You didn't even blink when I saw it."

Jax let out a choked laugh, which sounded more like a wheeze. "Maybe I'm just—really good at my job, Kaelen. Give me a break."

"Wrong answer." I tightened my grip. I could smell the ozone and stale coffee clinging to him, the scent of someone who lived in servers and shadows. "Who are you actually working for? Is it Victor?