“We found her,” Sting says. “Vi’s little friend.”
My pulse kicks. “Where?”
“Service tunnel. Level three. She’s not alone.”
Rogue’s mouth curves into something that isn’t quite a smile. “She brought friends.”
Vi’s breath catches. “How many?”
“Four,” Sting replies. “Including her.”
I look at Vi. “Stay here.”
“No.” She pushes off the wall. “I’m coming.”
“Vi—”
“She came for me,” Vi interrupts. “I’m not hiding while you handle it.”
Sting’s gaze flicks to me, waiting.
I exhale through my nose. “Fine. But you stay behind us. You don’t move unless we say. Understood?”
Vi nods once.
“Good.” I turn toward the corridor. “Let’s go.”
59
ARMEN
The service tunnelon level three is narrow, dimly lit, the kind of place people avoid unless they’re looking for trouble. Water drips somewhere in the distance, a slow, steady rhythm that echoes off concrete walls. One large section is missing railings. A misstep would mean disaster.
We move in silence, Sting leading, me at Vi’s side, Rogue bringing up the rear. Our boots are quiet on the cracked tile.
Then I hear voices. Low. Hostile.
Sting stops at the corridor mouth, raises one hand. We halt.
I peer around the corner.
The girl is there, exactly where Sting said she’d be. And she’s not alone. Three others stand with her, twomen and another woman. All of them armed. Makeshift weapons, pipes, knives, a length of chain.
The girl is talking, voice low and urgent. “—doesn’t matter if they’re watching her. She has to leave sometime. And when she does?—”
She stops mid-sentence. Looks up. Sees us. Her expression shifts to surprise, then calculation, then something darker.
“Well,” she says, voice echoing off the walls. “Look who just joined the party.”
I step into view, Sting and Rogue flanking me. Vi stays just behind, close enough I can feel her heat at my back.
The girl’s gaze locks on Vi. “Brought your boys, did you?”
Vi doesn’t answer.
The girl smiles. “Smart. Because this time, I’m not alone either.”
One of the men, broad-shouldered with a huge, beefy face, steps forward. Pipe in hand. “This the one?” he asks.
