“No.”
“Imara,” he warned, low and sharp.
She didn’t flinch. “What’s your plan, exactly? Break into Zion and assume you won’t get caught?”
“I’ll improvise.” He went to grab her arms and shift her out of the way, but she snatched his middle finger and twisted, an old-school move he should’ve seen coming. He hissed in pain.
“Wake up, bozo,” Imara scolded. “Going in there all gunslinging and balls out is going to get you killed. And then who’s gonna be around to help Gemma, hmm?” She twisted harder.
“Fuck—all right, you made your point,” Christian snapped. “Let go.”
When she did, he stepped back and shook out his hand.
“Now,” Imara continued, “shut up and listen to me. If you want to help Gemma, you need to be smart about it.”
“Hawk told you.”
“Of course he did. I also may have been in his bed when you called.”
Lysa’s eyes widened, but somehow, the fact Imara and Hawk were sleeping together didn’t surprise Christian at all. Two people didn’t bicker the way they did if they weren’t intimately close.
Imara’s voice softened a fraction. “Look, they’re expecting our team to escort Nadine to Zion. You break protocol now, they’ll know. They’ll execute you before you even get past the gate.”
Christian’s jaw flexed. His hands trembled with restrained fury. “She’s not safe. You didn’t hear Nadine.”
“I don’t need to. You and I both know what the Systems are capable of.”
Lysa stepped forward, her eyes wide with fear. “Please, Christian, just think. Imara’s right.”
He turned away, raking his hands through his hair. “Then what’s your plan?” he asked Imara.
She stepped closer. “We do this the smart way. Together. We get Nadine to Zion and keep our heads down. You earn their trust. You stay close to Gemma. Then we rescue her from the inside.”
We?
Christian shook his head. “Not happening. I’m fine with putting my own life at risk, but don’t you dare do the same.”
Imara raised an eyebrow. “You seriously think that speech is gonna work on me? She’s my best friend.”
He sighed. She had a point. Imara wasn’t exactly the type of person who did what others told her to.
“Then at least keep Hawk out of it,” Christian said. “He’s a Gallowood. Practically his whole family is part of the Systems.”
“You think he cares?” Imara snapped. “They hid his daughter from him. Handed papers and citizenship to actual criminals but not her. And has he told you yet who his mother is?”
Christian shook his head. “It’s his story to tell.”
“Oh, he won’t care if I share it. He’s been wanting to tell you anyway. His mom’s the fucking Kaizen.”
The heat ran out of Christian’s face. The conversation he’d overheard between Hawk and Philip made much more sense now. The Kaizen’s brutality was infamous, and she’d tortured Gemma. If the Kaizen were Christian’s mother, he wouldn’t want to admit it either.
“So, we’re helping you, whether you want us to or not,” Imara finished. “We all want her safe. But if we’re going to free her, you can’t be reckless.”
Christian’s chest rose and fell, every breath ragged. Several moments of silence passed. His heartbeat thrashed in his ears, the loudest sound in the room.
Finally, he let out a breath and slumped against the wall, nodding once.
“I want to help too,” Lysa said.
