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“Like what?”

“Like challenging my masculinity again.”

“Again?” There was disbelief in the way he’d said it. “When did I do it the first time?”

“When you offered to let me wait outside until you’d decided it was safe.”

“It was simply a generous offer. I brought you here. Do you think I could live with myself if I got you killed?”

I turned my head and studied him. He was calm. Almost too calm. Like ice ran through his veins instead of blood. No sign of the thudding orchestra that existed in my chest. “Yeah, I think you could,” I answered honestly.

The look he gave me was almost as sharp as the axe blade. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I gestured at the door we’d just reached, inviting him to be the one to open it. “Maybe we should save the chat until later. If there are biters behind this door, it might be best not to announce ourselves.”

Tobias inclined his head in agreement as he tried the door handle. It didn’t open. Unlike the rest of the glass we’d seen so far, the pane in the door had survived the decades with nothing more to show for the passage of time than a single crack down its middle and dirt. If you ignored the grime, it left an unobstructed view of the corridor beyond.

I cringed at the noise as Tobias brought the handle of his axe down on the lock mechanism without warning. Well, if that didn’t bring the biters running, nothing would. Tobias’ delay in reaching for the handle said he thought the same, his inaction long enough for someone to make it from any part of the building, no matter how extensive it might be.

When no snarling face appeared on the other side of the glass, Tobias tried the handle again, the door swinging open. Stepping through it revealed several open doors leading off the corridor. Open was good. Open meant no biters lurking behind them, silent only because they couldn’t get to us.

The first room contained rows of metal lockers, Tobias immediately heading straight for them. “Keep watch.”

I obediently took up point in the doorway, crossbow moving in a slow arc over the corridor. “I think we’re okay,” I whispered.

“So do I,” Tobias said at a normal volume as he opened up a locker. Either it was empty or its contents were disappointing, Tobias quickly moving onto the next one. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Safe would be using a building you already know, surely?”

Tobias’ silence spoke volumes as he pocketed something from the next locker.

“What was that?” I asked.

“A watch.”

My gaze traveled to Tobias’ wrist, a watch with a black leather strap wrapped around it. I’d noticed it before, but assumed it was just for decoration, an affectation some people persisted with. “Does the one you’re wearing actually work?”

“It does.” He pocketed a couple more things. I didn’t ask what they were.

“You don’t want me to know where any of your safe houses are,” I stated.

That earned me a sharp look before he went back to his systematic search of the lockers. “Safe houses only stay safe if people don’t know about them.”

“You can trust me.” Silence met my statement, leading me to defend myself. “You can. I’m a good guy. I don’t go around sharing other people’s secrets.”

Tobias’ lips twisted into a sneer. “Good for you. I hope that works out. I, however, favor staying alive over being virtuous.”

“There’s nobody you trust?”

“You ask too many questions.”

Which meant I should mind my own business. Tobias didn’t speak again until he pulled something heavy out of a locker. “Here.” It was all the warning I got before he tossed it at me. I caught it one-handed, figuring enough time had passed that I could lower the crossbow and investigate it properly. “What is it?”

“It’s what the firefighters used to wear. Part of their uniform. Made of special fabric to give it protective properties. Fireproof. Chemical-proof. Waterproof.”

“Waterproof.” That got my attention. “Rainproof?”

Tobias nodded. “See if it fits.” He pointed to the tall locker he’d just opened. “If not, there are others in here.”