“What?” Kinley asked.
“That noise.” She looked around the chamber.
“I didn’t hear anything,” Kinley said.
“I heard tapping.”
“Maybe whatever mechanism this is attached to runs through the chamber and it settled?” She shrugged.
He didn’t know whether she honestly hadn’t heard the signal or if she was trying to distract Christine. “Maybe it’s the poison darts cocking into position.”
“Shut up and keep turning,” Christine moved away from the back wall.
Perfect. Shane smirked at her and looked at Kinley. “Ready?”
She inhaled and blew out a breath. “Ready.”
Placing his hands back on the stone, he widened his stance and licked his lips. This was going to suck if he was wrong.
“Now!”
He grabbed Kinley and engulfed her in his arms, taking her to the floor as the lights went out, plunging them into complete darkness. A shot rang out and sparks ricocheted off the wall exactly where Kinley had been standing.
“Get down!”
“Drop the gun!”
“Shane? You good?”
“We’re good,” he said. “You’re good, right?” he asked against Kinley’s hair.
“You’re squishing my boob,” she said.
“Oh, shit. Sorry.” He relaxed his hold.
“Tango secured. Shane, if you’re done playing nookie, we’re bringing the lights back on.”
“Fuck off, Devon,” Shane said.
Devon laughed and counted down from three. Shane closed his eyes, then blinked them open to let them readjust from the total darkness. Visually checking that Kinley was unharmed, he gripped the side of her face and kissed her. Fuck, he’d been so afraid she’d be hurt during the takedown, he hadn’t even been able to contemplate it beforehand. Now his whole body shook with relief.
He pressed his forehead against hers. “You’re okay.”
“I’m okay,” she whispered.
“Y’all going to stay down there all night?”
Shane looked over his shoulder to find Harrison standing over them in full kit.
“Yeah,” Shane said. “Do you mind?”
Kinley slapped his shoulder. “No. Let me up.”
He sighed and rolled to his feet, then helped her stand.
Christine sat near the altar, her hands bound behind her back, tears streaming down her face and a look of unadulterated rage directed at them. Devon and Jordan stood next to her.
“Kinley, this is Devon, Harrison, and Jordan. They’re part of Leonidas. Guys, this is Kinley.” They all waved and said hello while Shane ran his hand down her shoulder and arm one more time. He needed the contact.
