Chapter 35 · The Heir Arrives

The rotors were still turning when Marcus carried me out of the helicopter, ducking under the blades with my blood soaking the front of his shirt.

Nobody stopped him. Nobody said one word about his knuckles.

"Twelve minutes," he told the man holding the roof door. "You said twelve. It's been nine."

The man had a lanyard and no name tag on it. That told me everything about where we were going. The elevator had no buttons inside. Just a key slot and a camera in the corner that swiveled to follow us. Down we went, past the lobby, past the parking levels, into a hallway that smelled like cold air and money.

"Where?" I got out.

"Somewhere that doesn't write things down."

The room was white. White walls, white light, a bed in the middle with a plastic sheet already spread on it. A woman in scrubs came at me with gloves on and a face like a schoolteacher.

"Dr. Reyes. Let's get you on the bed. How far apart are—"

"Four minutes. Maybe three." I had to grab the rail and stop. The pain came up my spine like a fist closing. "Maybe two.