Chapter 14 · The Blood Lock

"Hands off the console, Maya!"

Kade’s hand slams down over mine, pinning my fingers an inch from the transmit key. He doesn't just stop me—he crushes me. His chest hits my back, hard. No romance here. Just tactical weight, like he’s trying to staple me to the console so I can't do anything stupid.

"Get off me!" I snap, twisting in his grip. "We have three minutes before that tracker locks this room!"

"Exactly. So don't light us up like a goddamn flare." His palm is hot, sweaty, shaking just a fraction. He doesn't let go. "You hit send raw and every federal ghost in a hundred miles hears your mom say hello."

"Uh, guys?" Nox calls out from the door. He's holding it cracked with his shoulder, glancing back at us. "That happy glow in the hallway? It's getting brighter. And way buzzier."

I glare at the console. This room is too clean. That’s the problem. Everything else in this hellhole is rust and rot and dead air, but here? The screens are awake. The consoles are humming. It’s like someone left the lights on ten years ago and just...