Chapter 9 · Ashport's Dirty Rules

"Don't move or I paint the kid's brains on the wall."

The barrel was already pressed to Leo's temple. Two hunters boxed us in that shitty slum alley, vests, rifles, corporate patches still shiny.

I had my hand half-raised. The Current was humming under my skin, begging to snap.

"Let him go," I said. "You want me."

"We want the bonus," the one holding Leo said. He grinned. Teeth filed sharp. "Dead or alive pays the same for you. Kid's extra."

Leo wasn't crying. That was worse. He just stared at me, eyes huge, trying not to shake.

"Hey," I said to him. "Look at me. Not at him."

"Reid—" Leo's voice cracked.

"I got you," I said. "Breathe."

The second hunter swung his rifle at my chest. "Hands up. On your knees. Now."

I didn't kneel. I shifted my weight. One inch. That's all I needed.

"You deaf?" he snapped. "Knees!"

"You really think kneeling helps you here?" I said. "You pull that trigger, you lose your hostage. You lose your leverage."

"We don't need leverage," the first one said. "Mira Quinn wants you flatlined. That's enough.