Chapter 18 · Sync Overload

"Stop moving, Jax. You're literally leaking blood on my boots," Elise snapped, though her voice lacked its usual bite. She shoved him back against a jagged slab of concrete, her hand pressing hard against the gash in his side.

Jax let out a sharp, wet hiss, his head thumping back against the ruins. "My bad. Didn't realize... your boots were a priority over my internal organs."

"Shut up. Just shut up and breathe," she commanded. She was too close. He could smell the ozone and burnt gunpowder clinging to her leather gear, mixed with something sharp and clean—like winter air. Her fingers were digging into his ribs, trying to stem the flow, and every time she shifted, her thigh brushed against his.

Jax tried to laugh, but it came out as a choked cough. "You're actually... worrying about me. Is this a new thing? Do I get a gold star?"

Elise glared at him, her eyes flashing with that familiar, dangerous intensity. "I'm worrying about the lease, you idiot. If you die, the gear-lock kills me too. I'm not becoming a ghost because some street rat can't dodge a basic blade-strike."

"Right. The lease. Totally," Jax muttered.