Chapter 12 · Asphalt And Armor

The door was still coming apart when Lucian hauled me off the marble by my tied wrists.

My shoulders screamed. The silk tie bit into my skin. Behind us, the mahogany exploded into splinters, and bullets chewed the kitchen wall where my head had been two seconds ago.

"Move," he said.

"I can't move! You tied me up, you psycho!"

"Then I'll move you."

He didn't wait. One arm clamped around my waist and lifted me clean off my bare feet. He fired twice over my shoulder, and somebody in the hall screamed and quit screaming.

His blood was still wet on my thigh. I'd put it there myself, with that brass letter opener. He'd taken a clean line across his ribs and hadn't even flinched.

Now the shirt was soaked red, and he was running like it was nothing.

He kicked a panel beside the fridge. The wall slid open on a black elevator shaft I hadn't known existed.

"Nice," I said. "Any other secrets I should know about before I die in your kitchen?"

"Plenty." He shoved me inside and slammed the button. "You won't like them."

The doors closed.