Chapter 20 · The Neon Refuge

"Keep your hand off the drive, Lex." Cael caught my wrist before my fingers touched the black data shard. His grip locked around me, hot and hard, while the building shook under another impact. "Unless you want the whole block to come down."

"Then stop standing between me and the only thing keeping us alive." I twisted against him. "The squad is three floors up. Milo is bleeding. We need the extraction key now."

"I know where they are."

"Great. Move."

His eyes dropped to my mouth for half a second. Then they snapped back to mine. "You always this charming when you're about to get killed?"

"Only around men who grab me."

"You were reaching for a live corporate core."

"And you were reaching for me."

The next blast punched through the wall. Dust dropped from the ceiling. Somewhere below us, metal screamed as the corp squad tore through the old transit station.

Cael shoved me behind a support pillar and planted himself in front of me. His coat brushed my knees. The air between us smelled like hot circuitry, smoke, and the sharp clean scent that clung to him after a fight. His hand stayed around my wrist.