Chapter 23 · Ghost in the Code

"Put the gun down, Kaelen." Jax's voice came through the comm in my ear, low and sharp. "Right now. Not in three seconds. Not after you decide whether you trust me. Now."

My finger stayed on the trigger.

Victor's hologram stood between us, blue light spilling over the black walls of the safehouse. He looked exactly the way my broken memories kept showing him: silver at the temples, suit pressed flat, hands folded behind his back like the world had signed itself over to him.

Jax was on his knees beside the terminal, one hand clamped over the cut in his shoulder. The other was wrapped around a shock pistol. He had the barrel pointed at the floor, but his eyes were on me.

"You want me to lower it?" I asked.

"I want you to stop aiming at my face."

"Your face is in the way."

"Cute. Try not to shoot me while you're doing it."

The pistol in my hand felt warm. Familiar. My arm knew the angle. My wrist knew the pressure. The crosshair had already settled over Jax's chest before I had decided to raise the weapon.

That was the part I hated.

Not the gun.