And if I have to tear that safehouse apart board by board, if I have to burn down the whole world to get to her, I will.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
Not when it’s Sierra.
Chapter 12
Sierra
ThefirstthingInotice is the way the air changes.
Not the temperature. The pressure.
Dave is pacing in the guest room, cutting a groove into the polished floor like it might open a trapdoor if he walks it hard enough. His jaw is tight, his hands restless, eyes flicking to the windows like he’s waiting for the world to blink.
“We’re moving,” he says. “Now.”
I sit straighter in the chair, my fingers curling around the edge of the table. “What happened?”
His gaze snaps to mine. “They decoded the drive.”
“You go. I’ll stay here,” I say, even as my voice wobbles.
Dave’s mouth twists. “You’re coming with me. I need insurance.”
My heartbeat thunders in my ears. “Why are you still doing this?”
His eyes flash. “Because I’m already damned.”
He studies me for one long second, something in his expression hardening into decision. Then he turns toward the hallway.
“Get her.”
My blood turns to ice.
The guards appear like they were waiting behind the walls. Two of them. One reaches for my arm. Instinct takes over, sharp and panicked. I twist away and shove the chair back, its legs screeching across the floor.
“No,” I snap. “Don’t touch me.”
The guard grabs anyway.
Pain blooms where his fingers clamp down.
Dave’s voice tightens. “Sierra, stop making this harder.”
“Harder?” My laugh breaks, jagged. “You kidnapped me.”
The guard yanks. I stumble, catching myself on the table.
Then everything happens at once.
A sharp crack cuts through the house. Not loud like an explosion. Precise.
The guard holding me goes rigid.
Another sound follows. Shouts. Footsteps. Chaos crashing down the hallway.
