Chapter 63 · The Purge Response

"Get your hand off the console, Lucas, or I'll shoot you before your father gets the chance."

I jammed my pistol under his jaw. His skin burned against the barrel. Every breath brushed my knuckles.

Between us, the Vale family command console glowed behind three layers of security. One wrong move, and the purge file would vanish.

Lucas didn't look at the gun.

He looked at me.

"You won't shoot me."

"Try me."

"You need my clearance."

"I need the purge record. Your clearance is just the key you keep pretending you don't have."

His mouth tightened. Blood slipped from his temple and ran down his cheek.

Less than a minute ago, he'd thrown himself over me when the ceiling charge blew. Steel shelves had crashed down behind us. He'd taken the blast meant for my spine and still managed to stay on his feet.

Now he stood between me and the only file that could prove who ordered the city murders.

Or prove I was the one who started them.

Lucas lifted both hands, slow and careful. "The console's locked because someone inside Command knows we're here. If you fire, the lock stays active.