“Not yet.”
I paced to the bathroom and splashed my face with cold water at the sink. I pawed at my hair, which had gotten tangled and mussed in my escape. A flush still colored my cheeks. My reflection looked both bursting with life and a hundred years old, and that was exactly how I felt.
I walked back to the bedroom and untucked the gun from my waistband. I set it on the TV stand and then sunk onto the bed. The downy fluff cradled me like a hug. I would have flopped back and relaxed if my entire body wasn’t screaming with angst over what was happening to Bray.
“How long now?” I asked Ramesh.
“Six minutes.”
“This isn’t good.”
“It’s not bad yet, either. Give him time,” Ramesh said.
“He’s had plenty of time. Can you see his phone signal?”
“That’s dark too.”
I swallowed the curse stinging my tongue and lay back on the bed. How did this happen? How did the people chasingmeend up catchinghim? Behind my closed eyes, all I could see was the ghost pointing a gun at Bray and pulling the trigger.
“No,” I said and sat up sharply.
“No?” Ramesh asked. “No what?”
I pushed up from the bed and marched to the window. The city crawled below, a grid of lights and dark spaces. He was down there somewhere, and I was going to find him.
“No, I’m not waiting anymore,” I said. “I’m going to find him.”
“Erin, you can’t. You have to stay where you are. He told me to make sure you’re safe above all else.” He dispensed with my code name, making this sound much more serious.
“I’m sure he did, but he doesn’t get to die for me. No one else does.”
“Erin, please—”
“I’m sorry, Ramesh. I’ll go dark if you don’t want to help, but it will be better if you do.” I shoved my gun back in my pants and headed for the door.
“Erin!” Ramesh protested right as I wrenched it open to someone standing on the other side.
Bray, bruised and bloodied, leaned on the doorframe. My heart shot to the moon at the sight of him. He held up a finger like he was going to lecture me. “Don’t go trying to be a hero. I’ve already got that locked down.” Then he tumbled through the doorway and nearly collapsed in my arms.
CHAPTER25
“He’s here,” I reported to Ramesh. “He’s okay, I think. Are you okay, Bray?” My voice came out shaky with relief and worry at once.
“I’m okay,” he said, and stumbled to sit on the bed. “Just a little roughed up.”
“Is he in one piece?” Ramesh demanded.
“Yes. I’ll take care of him. We’ll check in tomorrow,” I said and pinched the bug out of my ear. “Bray, what happened?”
He winced when he sat, and I noted his shirt was streaked with dirt. His lip was cut, and his nose rimmed with dried blood. “He caught up to me, but I got away. You should see him,” he said and gestured to his bruised face with a small chuckle.
“Here, let me help you.” I hurried to the bathroom and ran a washcloth under warm water. His eyes were still wild with adrenaline when I returned and leaned in close to dab at his bloodied nose. He winced.
“It’s been a while since I took a few to the face, but it’s no big deal,” he said.
“It doesn’t look like no big deal. Why didn’t you listen to Ramesh?”
“I was trying to get to you.” He said it like anundeniable and completely logical fact. “I can’t stand to see you in danger.”
