Chapter 16 · She Killed Him Once

"You gave me to them."

Mara's voice is flat. The gun doesn't waver. Cade stands three feet away with his hands open, empty, watching her finger rest against the trigger guard.

"Yeah," he says.

"Say it again."

"I gave you to them." His jaw tightens. "Three years ago. I handed you over and they scrubbed you clean."

She laughs, sharp and bitter. "Clean. That what they called it?"

"That's what the contract called it." He takes half a step forward. The muzzle lifts an inch. He stops. "Mara, I need you to—"

"Don't." Her grip shifts. "Don't say my name like we're still something."

"We were never something. That was the problem."

Her breath catches. Just for a second. Then her eyes go cold again and Cade knows he said it wrong, said it true, said it the way it'll get him killed.

"Then why'd you kiss me back?"

He doesn't answer. The safe house is silent except for the hum of Nix's backup rig on the table behind her. The phone's screen glows pale blue, casting her shadow long across the floor.

"You want the rest of the file," Cade says quietly. "I'll give it to you.