Chapter 14 · Job Five: Keep Him Breathing

"You pushed me."

Iris didn't look up from the map spread across the hood of the car. "I got you out."

"Into the water. Into the loop." I leaned over the hood, forcing her to meet my eyes. "You shoved me off that pier."

She finally looked at me. Her jaw was tight. "You were about to let the ghost take you. I made a choice."

"A choice to reset me like a fucking game cartridge."

"A choice to keep you alive." She straightened, and now we were six inches apart, the map crumpling under my palm. "You think I wanted to? You think I like watching you die?"

"I think you're real comfortable with it."

Her hand came up fast, index finger jabbing into my chest. "You don't know what I'm comfortable with."

I caught her wrist. Her pulse hammered under my thumb. "Then tell me. Tell me why you cursed me. Tell me what you're really paying off."

For a second, something cracked in her face. Just a second. Then she yanked her hand back and turned to the map. "Job five. We keep the witness alive until midnight. That's it."

"That's never it with you.