Chapter 19 · The Bloodline Trap

"Get your hands off me!" Mara snarled, shoving Kane’s chest as they scrambled through the ventilation shaft of the Spire’s medical wing.

"I'm trying to keep you from falling into a shredder, Venn," Kane shot back, his voice a low, jagged rasp. He grabbed her waist, hauling her forward with a force that slammed her back against his chest.

For a second, Mara froze. The heat of him was everywhere—the hard line of his thighs, the steady, thumping rhythm of that engineered heart against her shoulder blades. It wasn't just a pulse; it was a countdown. She could feel it vibrating through her own skin, a shared death sentence that made her breath hitch.

"Stop touching me like I'm a piece of luggage," she snapped, though she didn't pull away.

"You're not luggage. You're a liability with a death wish," Kane muttered. He shifted his grip, his fingers digging into the fabric of her tactical gear. "Now shut up and move. We're three levels above the holding cells. If the sensors pick up our heat signatures, we're dead before we hit the floor.