Chapter 21 · Neon Trap

"Get away from him!" Mira shouted.

Her baton cracked against my forearm before I could turn. The impact shoved me into the kitchen counter, hard enough to split the old wood beneath my palm.

Leo yelled from the hallway. "Reid!"

"Stay behind the door," I snapped.

Mira came in fast. Too fast for most people. Her silver jacket flashed under the broken neon sign, and the blue charge running along her baton lit her face in sharp pieces.

I caught the second strike with my hand.

Electric heat bit into my fingers. I smelled burned fabric.

Mira's eyes narrowed. "Let go."

"You broke into my safehouse. You don't get to give orders."

"This isn't your safehouse. It's a condemned unit with one working lock and a child hiding in the bathroom."

"You noticed. Congratulations."

She twisted the baton, trying to drag my wrist down. Her boots slid across the tile, but she didn't lose balance. Corporate training. Good reflexes. Better than the street crews we'd faced last week.

Still not good enough.

I stepped into her space and took her shoulder with my free hand. Her back hit the wall. The baton dropped between us with a sharp metallic clatter.