"It would've worked eventually,” he grumbled.
"It would've annoyed her,” Jasper said, “and the rest of us.”
"Also true,” Ronan admitted. Despite everything, the corner of Sophia's mouth twitched. She immediately frowned. Did she almost smile?
Ronan seemed to catch it. "I saw that."
"You imagined it,” she insisted.
"I definitely didn't,” Ronan said.
Dante looked between the two agents. "Can you flirt with my sister after we survive?"
Ronan looked genuinely offended. "I wasn't flirting."
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "You absolutely were."
"I was distracting her,” Ronan defended.
Sophia rolled her eyes. "You're both impossible."
"There it is," Ronan said.
"What?" she asked.
"The attitude your brother told us about,” he said.
She frowned at her brother. "You told them that I have an attitude?” she asked.
"I told them that you used to have an attitude,” Dante said. She was about to yell at her brother for talking about her like that to complete strangers when another burst of gunfire echoed from the stairwell.
Jasper immediately shifted. "Time to move." This time, Sophia's feet obeyed.
The west stairwell smelled of disinfectant and concrete. Jasper took point, and Ronan brought up the rear. Dante stayed beside her. Every landing they passed looked identical, and every door made her heart race. Halfway down the third flight of steps, she heard voices as they drifted upward.
"They're coming this way," Sophia whispered. Jasper raised one fist, and everyone froze. Three men appeared below. They were in black tactical gear with rifles. One of them looked up and met Sophia’s eyes, making her gasp.
"There!" the man shouted. Gunfire erupted around her. Jasper shoved Sophia behind the concrete wall as bullets chewed through the railing. Ronan leaned over the banister and returned fire with frightening accuracy. He got off two controlled shots, and two bodies fell. The third disappeared behind the stairs.
Dante looked toward Jasper. "Basement?"
Jasper shook his head. "Too exposed."
"The roof?" Dante asked.
“We would be trapped,” Jasper said.
Sophia swallowed. "They're herding us like cattle.”
All three men looked at her. "What do you mean?” Ronan asked.
"Keller's people always left one direction open.” She closed her eyes, forcing herself to remember. They want us somewhere specifically, and they are forcing us in that direction.”
Ronan smiled grimly. "I hate that she's right."
Jasper studied the building layout posted beside the stairs. His finger stopped near a maintenance corridor. "There."
"What are you looking at?” Ronan asked.
