“All right, everyone calm down,” says a familiar, disembodied voice.
James stiffens beside me.
A body materializes out of thin air in the distance, the sight of him striking my memory like a match. Black hair, impish eyes. I remember fighting him in the morgue. I remember lifting a gun to his head.
I remember his name:Kenji.
My pulse picks up.
“Kian’s not dead,” Kenji says as he approaches, his boots echoing. He looks at me, sparing me a searching glance that leaves me unsettled.
Then he narrows his eyes at James. “You didn’t disarm her?”
James turns to me sharply. “Shit, yeah, sorry, I’m going to need the gun,” he says, reaching for the strap.
“No,” I whisper, taking a measured step back.
“You and me?” Kenji says to James, his eyes darkening. “We’re going to talk later. I don’t know what the hell you thought you were doing today, but just to be clear? Fuck you.”
James glowers. “Great,” he says. “Can’t wait.”
I look from Kenji to James, confused.
I take another step back.
Kenji turns to the group. “Kian’s with the girls now,” he’s saying. He unearths a familiar pair of manacles from his jacket pocket, the sight of which sends my heart rate rocketing. “Warner called them in hours ago as a precaution. We didn’t know how bad the night would get. But no casualties tonight.”
Tension releases from the room with a palpable exhalation; shoulders falling; eyes closing. They’re relieved. Wrapping things up. They think this is over.
No.
No.
I begin to panic.
“Rosabelle, I need the gun,” James says, lowering his voice. “You’re outnumbered and injured; there’s nowhere to go. Please don’t make this difficult. If you don’t give up yourweapon I’ll have to physically disarm you—”
“And James is right,” Kenji is saying, heading toward me now with the manacles. “We’re done here. Go home. Get some rest. And congrats to Malick—”
A couple of people cheer.
Adrenaline floods my body, sharpening my senses as my heart pounds. The pain in my head nearly retreats as my thoughts clarify and clarify.
This can’t be it.
This can’t be over.
“Let me do that,” James says to Kenji, nodding at the manacles. “Last time the settings were way too high—”
“Hell no,” Kenji says, shooting him a dark look. “Get out of here, bro. Warner’s waiting for you.”
“What? Where?” Then: “Why?”
“Why the hell is she still armed?”
James swears again. “Rosabelle—”
Kenji shakes his head angrily, tucking away the manacles before pulling a gun on me. “Drop the weapon, Rosabelle. I’m not your boyfriend, okay? I have no problem taking you out. In fact, I’m still pissed at you for throwing a knife at my leg.”
