Chapter 34 · Black-Box Files

"Don't touch that drive." Cael caught my wrist before my fingers reached the black case.

His grip was hard enough to stop me, not hard enough to hurt. That was the problem with Cael. He always knew exactly how much force to use.

I looked at his hand, then at his face. "You dragged me through a collapsing server vault to find it. Now you're scared of a little box?"

"I'm scared of what it knows."

"Cute. Move."

"Lex."

"Cael."

The floor jumped under us. Dust shook loose from the ceiling, peppering my jacket. Behind him, a row of dead server towers folded in on itself with a metal scream.

Cael pulled me against his chest and turned his back toward the falling debris. His coat took the hit. A jagged panel slammed into his shoulder and bounced away.

"You good?" I demanded.

"You asking because you care?"

"I'm asking because if you break, I have to carry you. And you weigh like a bad decision."

His mouth twitched. "Still lying badly."

"Still talking too much."

He released my wrist, but his fingers stayed around it for one extra second. Warm skin. Steady pulse.