Chapter 13 · Empty Pockets, Big Bluff

"Don't move a muscle, kid, or she loses a finger."

The blade was cold. Hard. Pressing deep into the soft skin of Kaela’s throat. I could see her shoulders trembling—not fear, but the raw effort of not snapping the agent's wrist.

The man holding her was a skeletal wreck. Yellowed eyes. A smile that didn't reach them. An Auditor’s Hound. He had Kaela pinned against a damp brick wall, one hand gripping the iron chains binding her wrists.

"Let her go," I said.

My voice sounded thin. Pathetic. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.

"Let her go?" The Hound chuckled. It sounded like dry leaves scraping stone. He pressed the blade deeper. A thin line of red bloomed on Kaela’s skin. "You've got nerve, Quinn. You play with the Ledger and think you can just walk away from the interest? The Auditor doesn't like unpaid debts."

Kaela shifted. Her eyes locked onto mine. There was anger there, but also a warning: *Don't be a hero. You're out of your league.*

"What do you want?" I took a step forward.

"The book, boy. Give me the Ledger, and maybe the girl keeps her throat."

He leaned in.