“What does that have to do with anything?” Ronan asked.
“You're still annoying,” Dante said.
“Yet lovable,” Ronan joked.
“That’s debatable,” Dante sighed. Sophia fought the urge to smile. The overhead lights flickered before darkness swallowed the room. The emergency lights bathed everything in deep red, and an alarm began sounding somewhere down the hallway. Ronan was instantly at the window as Jasper moved beside the door. Every trace of humor vanished from them all.
“Dante.” Ronan's voice had become deadly serious. “Our vehicles are gone.”
Dante crossed the room. “What?”
Ronan pointed toward the parking lot. “The agents outside, they’re down.” Sophia's blood turned to ice. Not again, please, not again.
Jasper glanced toward her, remaining eerily calm. “Sophia.” She couldn't breathe. “Look at me.” She did for some reason. “We're getting you out of here.”
“I can't,” she whispered.
“You can.” His voice never changed. “Just take one step at a time. That's all I need.” Gunfire erupted in the hallway, and someone screamed.
Dante reached for her before stopping himself halfway, as though he remembered her fear of being touched. Instead, he simply held out his hand. “Come with me.” Sophia stared at his hand, and then at the three men standing between her andthe nightmare she'd barely escaped. She slowly reached forward, letting her fingers wrap around Dante's.
Jasper opened the door as Ronan raised his pistol. “All right,” Ronan said quietly. “Let's go ruin somebody's day.”
The first gunshot stole the air from her lungs. It echoed down the hospital corridor, followed by shouting and the shrill cry of another alarm. Sophia froze. Her body knew this feeling. It knew the smell of gunpowder and the sound of boots running down the hallway. She knew with certainty that someone was coming—not to save her, but to take her again.
"No." The whisper slipped out before she could stop it. Her knees threatened to buckle. Dark concrete walls replaced the hospital hallway in her mind as she heard Keller's voice in her head.
"Run all you want, little bird. You'll always come back to me."
A warm hand appeared in front of her—not touching her but waiting. "Soph,” Dante breathed; his voice sounded distant. "Stay with me." She couldn't because she was already gone, but she didn’t want to tell her brother that.
"Jasper." Ronan's voice cut through the panic. "She's dissociating." Sophia barely heard him as she stared at the floor, unable to make her legs work. The hallway blurred around her, and Everything sounded like she was underwater.
Jasper stepped into her line of sight. He didn't crowd her or reach for her. He simply stood where she couldn't avoid seeinghim. "Sophia." His voice was calm and steady. "I need you to tell me five things you can see."
She frowned. "I—” Her throat felt tight. "I can't."
"Yes, you can,” Jasper breathed. He glanced around the hallway. "The clock." His eyes returned to hers. "That's one."
She blinked as she tried to look around the hallway. "The—” She forced herself to focus. "The nurse's station."
"Good,” Jasper praised.
"The fire extinguisher,” she said.
"Good."
"The window."
His expression never changed. "One more."
She looked at him. "You."
A faint smile touched his lips. "Perfect." The hallway snapped back into focus, and the panic loosened its grip just enough for her to breathe.
Ronan looked impressed. "I was about to make a terrible joke to try to bring her back."
Jasper glanced at him. "I know."
