CHAPTER 20

Amity stopped at the third landing. “This is high enough.”

“Trust me, I’ll never be high enough for this shit.” Lexi relaxed against the stairwell railing. “So what we are doing?”

“Creating an ambush. If we await them here, the stairs will force them into an awkward single-file approach. There’s a chance they may send someone from above, pincering us, but I’m confident I can handle that.”

“Pincering? Sounds sexy.”

“Be quiet. They’ll begin their attack with batons or possibly stun guns, though they’ll be hesitant to subject you to an electrical current. Unlike the thugs that comprise the so-called Codist military, Intel agents aren’t killers by nature. Even Reed is soft on that score. I’ll cut them down before they can find their resolve.”

“You ought to get yourself augmented too. You’d be terrifying.”

Amity pursed her lips. “Augmentations are expensive. Not all of us have blood money to spend as we choose.”

“I wouldn’t call it blood money. I make peace between the gangs. I’ve probably saved more lives than you have.”

“Saved the lives of whom? Criminals?”

A door slammed below, followed by the noise of people ascending—not at speed, but with what sounded like a respectable amount of caution. Amity pressed a finger to her lips, perhaps assuming Lexi was so fucking stupid as not to realize silence was important.

Seconds later, a door opened above. Amity frowned, took Lexi’s hand and pressed it to her forehead. Clever girl.

Lexi peeked into her eyes. Several fresh thoughts were there, waiting to be read. Lexi lying on the landing, feigning unconsciousness. Amity slipping through the door and sprinting to the level above…

Lexi nodded. Amity opened the door—its squeak was inaudible beneath the echoing footsteps—and squeezed through. As the door shut, Lexi curled on the cold steel and closed her eyes.

“I see something!” The excited voice came from above. “I think it’s Vale!”

“Yeah, that’s her,” said a deep, cautious voice from below. “Is she dead?”

“She’s not dead,” said an irritated voice from the same direction. “Why would she be dead? Do you think the excitement killed her?”

“Easy. I’m just asking a question.”

The agent above descended a step, and the steel beneath Lexi’s cheek vibrated. “This isn’t right. That drunk said the whole group went in here. So where are the others?”

“It was a trick, genius,” said the irritated agent. “This is part of it. Get on the comm to Reed before somebody pops out and blows us away.”

“Are you sure she’s faking?” said the cautious agent. “I mean, this is definitely Vale. She’s right there. Reed’s just going to tell us to apprehend her. You know how he gets when people waste his time.”

“She’s breathing, fuckbrain, and I doubt she took this opportunity to dope up and pass out. It’s a goddamn trap.”

A fourth voice joined the assembly of idiots. “Guys, just call it in.” The nasal tone suggested a young man, barely an adult by the sound of him. “Mr. Reed will handle the rest.”

“Yeah, great,” said Cautious. “He’ll love that. ‘We’re too scared to touch her, sir. Please come down and collect her.’”

“Then you grab her,” said Irritated. “Get the promotion.”

“And maybe you’re right, and she is faking.” The cautious agent sounded even more nervous now. “We should just zap her from here.”

“I’m not zapping her. You think I want to be responsible for frying that implant? Hell, fuck it.” Feet clanged nearby, and a hand touched Lexi’s shoulder and shook her. “Hey, you troublesome bitch. What are you trying to pull?”

Lexi opened her eyes and smiled at the agent, an ugly bastard with a broad face and a menacing expression. Before he could do more than widen his eyes, she trapped his head between her hands. His mind washed over her, a confused scattering of thoughts and a mounting sense of fear.

The agent on the steps above was a tired-looking woman. The two below were men, both looking every bit as hopeless as she’d imagined them.

“If any of you come closer, I’ll wipe him,” said Lexi.

“Wipe him?” One of the agents was, as Lexi had guessed, little more than a teenager, pimpled and bewildered. “How would you do that?”

“With this chip you’re looking for. Didn’t anyone brief you?”

“Call it in,” said the agent in Lexi’s grip. His forehead was damp with sweat, which slickened her palms and left her with a strong desire to wipe her hands. “Do it quickly.”

The cautious agent—from here Lexi could see a bald spot on his scalp, which seemed tragically appropriate for his personality—snatched a mobile-comm from his belt.

“Sir,” he said, depressing its button. “We have a situation. One of our agents is, uh… He’s being held hostage.”

Lachlan’s voice crackled through the comm. “Explain.”

“Vale. She’s grabbed hold of his head, sir. She’s threatening to wipe him.”

There was silence. The agents exchanged worried looks. “She’s holding his head?” said Lachlan.

“Yes, sir. In both hands, sir.”

Another brief silence. “And where are the others?”

“We’re not sure, sir.”

“Then subdue her and find out, please. Just don’t harm her.”

The agent standing above unclipped a pistol—a stun gun, judging from its odd, squat shape—while the cautious agent took a nervous step closer, baton in hand. “Stay back,” said Lexi. “I’m serious.”

“You’re bluffing,” said the agent in her grasp. He lunged for her neck.

Lexi set his thoughts ablaze. His memories evaporated, spiraling out of the burning rupture Lexi had gouged into his mind, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

The female agent aimed her stun gun. A shot rang out, and she jerked, fell and slithered down the steps. Amity stood behind her, a wisp of smoke rising from her pistol. She fired again, and the baton-wielding agent crumpled, a bloody hole in his forehead.

“Holy shit,” said Lexi. “Was that necessary?”

“They could have chosen to stay home.” Amity glared down the stairwell. The remaining agent—the kid—stared back at her, apparently unable to move. Amity took aim.

“Fuck, Amity!” Lexi jumped to her feet. “Don’t shoot him.”

“Pity is a weakness. One we can’t afford.”

Lexi looked down at the dead agents—strange to be standing over the bodies of people who’d been talking just seconds ago—before placing a hand on Amity’s forearm. “Executions aren’t my style. This kid isn’t planning on doing anything stupid. Right, shut-in?”

The young man nodded, and Amity lowered the pistol.

“Run home, okay?” Lexi said. “Before she changes her mind.”

The agent fled down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Lexi scooped up his fallen mobile-comm, winked at Amity and pushed the button.

“Hello,” she said in a suggestive purr. “Is this the sex hotline? I have shameful, naughty urges.”

“Who is this?” Lachlan didn’t sound amused. “Alexis? Is that you?”

“Call me Lexi. And I’ll call you Lockie. I’m not one for formalities.”

“What happened to my personnel?”

“Two are dead. One had a little memory lapse, and the other—well, never mind that. The point is that you fucked up, son.”

“You’re a sadist. Those were good people.”

“I agree, it’s a tragedy. Next time, send bad people.” Lexi began climbing the stairs, and after nudging the comatose agent with her toe, Amity followed. “I hear you’re a pretty nasty piece of work yourself.”

“I suppose Kade was responsible for smearing my reputation.”

“Fucking paparazzi, am I right?”

Lachlan sighed. “If I’d known you were so enamored of your own wit, I would never have accepted this assignment.”

“You should’ve sent a hot femme fatale after me instead. Think of the sexual tension. Of course, she’d eventually fall in love with me, and you’d have to kill her. She’d die with betrayal in her eyes and my name on her lips. I’d avenge her and then carry her corpse into the sunset.”

“You’re quite deranged, Lexi. Are you really coming to the rooftop?”

“Certainly am, Lockie. Sorry to say that Kade isn’t with me. I get an intuition that you two have been close in the past. How close, I wonder?”

“You do have a prurient turn of mind, don’t you?”

“Not sure. I’d have to find out what that word means.” Lexi turned to Amity. “What’s prurient?”

“It’s you,” said Amity tersely. “Can you please stop bantering with the enemy and focus on the task at hand?”

“I need to go, shut-in. But I’ll see you soon.” Lexi dropped the mobile-comm over the bannister. “Why the scowl, Am?”

“You’re treating this like a game. Reed isn’t someone to be toyed with.”

“This is my chance to meet the guy who’s hunting me. I’m glad for it. If you’re angry with me, sweetie, you can always punish me later.”

“Don’t adopt that tone with me. Don’t think that what happened between us means you can take such liberties.”

“No liberties. Understood. Just promise we get to do it again.”

Amity blushed. “Of course it won’t happen again. It was a moment of madness. I was confused, upset.”

Even now, it was impossible to resist flustering her. “Felt good, though, didn’t it?”

“Will you abandon the subject if I admit that it did? In any case, this isn’t the time. We still have agents unaccounted for.”

“And new friends to meet. I can’t wait to see you kick this guy’s ass.”

“I have much worse in store for Lachlan Reed.” Amity spoke with such coldness that Lexi’s smile faltered. “And no more moments of pity. If any opportunity arises to kill him, take it.”

“Not so quick. If I read his mind, we’ll know what they’re planning, and I can’t read a corpse.”

Amity nodded. “True. But once you’ve done that, I’m killing him.”

* * *

By the time they reached the door marked Roof, Lexi’s legs felt as stretched and limp as old rubber bands. She emerged into insipid morning light and a cold, persistent breeze. The helicopter sat twenty meters away, its blades still. A huge, impassive man in a black uniform waited beside it.

Amity drew her pistol and fired twice. Lachlan ducked aside, Lexi froze, and the windshield of the helicopter shattered. The pilot convulsed in his seat as a spray of blood misted the glass.

“What the fuck!” Her insides squirming, Lexi took a quick step back. “Jesus, Amity!”

“Now he can’t escape.” Amity gave Lachlan a disdainful smile. “This is your reckoning, traitor.”

Lachlan gaped at the bloodied glass and the slumped shape behind it. He ran his palm over his greased hair before meeting Amity’s pitiless gaze.

“Hello, Amity. If I’d known Nikolas had sent his rabid dog, I’d never have let that poor man wait in the helicopter.”

“Draw your gun. Let me see it.”

Lachlan unholstered the pistol at his hip, an inconspicuous little weapon with an oily black gleam. “And now what?”

“And now—”

Lexi interrupted. “And now you give both those nasty things to me. They’re dangerous, and you two have proven you don’t play nicely.”

“Fine.” Lachlan placed his pistol in Lexi’s hand. “Your turn, comrade.”

Unpredictable, Kade had called him. It seemed an understatement. She tried to penetrate his glittering brown eyes, but he was another one of those frustrating impervious types. “Aren’t you afraid she’ll shoot you?”

“No. You want to use Project Sky on me. It’s no use on the dead.”

“She could shoot you in the knees, though. I mean, she’s capable of it.”

“Trust me, I know. But she’s a very smart woman. She’d be hesitant to subject me to any pain that might make your task difficult.” Lachlan’s broad lips formed a knowing smile. “I take calculated risks, Lexi. It’s the nature of my profession. I’m sure you understand.”

Fascinating. A professional manipulator with an excess of arrogance, a talent for bullshit and a healthy amount of brazen audacity—how very familiar. “I think we’re in the same trade, you and me.”

“An amusing comparison. Codism is certainly much like a drug, though I prefer dealing to partaking.” Lachlan eyed the distant stairwell. “Where are your friends?”

“Let her read you,” said Amity. “Or I’ll make your death painful. I have no reservations about leaving you gutshot.”

“I’ve no doubt. I was very sorry to hear about Ash, by the way.”

“Don’t you dare say her name.”

“But it’s a genuine tragedy. Your best friend cut down in her prime. Did you cry for her? Or have you forgotten how?”

“I’ll shoot you, Reed.”

“Do you know how a reflex implant works?” Lachlan tapped the back of his neck. “It’s like a little brain devoted to keeping me alive. The chip monitors sensory stimulus and computes it in a nanosecond. Should something like a bullet come toward me, the chip forces a reflex action, and I move out of the way. It’s rather like being on auto-pilot.”

“He’s exaggerating,” said Lexi. “It doesn’t always work. If you get attacked from behind, for example.”

“Granted. Surprise attacks are something else.” A metallic object shot from Lachlan’s sleeve, hissing while it flew, and Amity grunted. A flechette quivered in her right shoulder. “I’m very good at them, as it happens.”

Amity’s fingers twitched, and her pistol fell to the ground. “Lexi, I can’t feel my arm.”

“I do apologize. But I have a healthy respect for your ability to tear a man, augmented or otherwise, into countless bloody pieces.” Lachlan grinned at Lexi. “Now it’s you and me. Shall we?”

The attack came sudden and swift—not the undisciplined lunge of a street brawler, but the precise strike of martial artist—and Lexi ducked just in time. He may have been built like a bruiser, but Lachlan was one fast motherfucker.

Lexi fumbled with the gun in her hands. Before she could do more than flick back the safety, Lachlan lashed out and struck her with the side of his fist. A single point of agony drove from her forehead to the back of her brain.

“Fuck!” Lexi dropped the pistol as she clutched her aching face. “You fucking asshole!”

“I hope I haven’t damaged your looks. I suspect you’re proud of them.”

Lexi glared at him through her fingers. Her head still throbbed from the impact. “Amity, are you okay?”

Amity was fumbling with the flechette, but she seemed to be struggling to pull it free. “Going numb. Hard to breathe.”

“Fucking hell. Lockie, I thought we were going to talk!”

“No, you were going to interrogate me and then kill me. I chose to play along with your ruse, but you’re still the dishonest one, not me.”

With frightening abruptness, Lachlan grabbed Amity and drove his knee into her chest. She gasped and doubled over. “That’s for the innocent lives you took today,” he said. “You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

He pushed Amity away. She staggered before dropping to her knees. Paralyzed though she seemed, her eyes remained bright with fury.

“Leave her the fuck alone,” said Lexi, focusing through the biting pain. “You flew out here for the chip in my head. Why don’t you come and get it?”

“You should have ended that taunt with ‘motherfucker.’ As in, ‘come and get it, motherfucker.’ It would have added a little more punch.”

“Given who I was addressing, I thought the motherfucker was implicit.”

There was a quiet thump as Amity fell forward and landed on her face. “Shit,” said Lexi. “Tell me you didn’t just kill her.”

“She’s not dead.” Lachlan walked toward Lexi with a patient, measured stride that suggested he had plenty of experience in beating ass. “I wouldn’t dream of killing an old friend.”

“Something tells me she was never your friend.” Lexi made a wary retreat while evaluating her enemy. Lachlan was a head taller, probably fifty pounds heavier and—worst of all—a fellow cyborg. Not great odds.

“Fill me in,” she said. “You want to capture me. Then what? Dissect me?”

“It may be as insignificant a process as taking a blood sample.”

“But if you had to take a brain sample, you’d do that too.” Lexi raised a hand. “You come any closer than that, and I’ll wipe you.”

Lachlan stopped. “Will you now?”

“You know I’m capable of it.”

“In that case, I’d better take you down quickly.” Lachlan rushed her, and his full weight crashed into Lexi, sending her toppling. She landed with stinging force on her butt. “I’m sorry, did that hurt?”

Lexi scrambled to her feet, propelled by anger and panic. “You fucker.” She unleashed a clumsy combination of punches. He laughed as he effortlessly evaded each one. The smug cybernetic bastard.

“I see you have no real martial arts training,” Lachlan said. “You’re completely reliant on your augmentations.”

“I’m a sophisticated person. My hands are meant for finer things.”

“You’ve had a good run with that undeserved implant, but it’s over. Accept it gracefully. You’ll likely live through our experiments, and even diminished, I suspect you’re smart enough to continue in your career. In fact, given your ability to maintain order between the gangs, perhaps you could do some work for us.”

Lexi glanced at Amity. Her eyes were closed, but their lashes fluttered as if she were still trying to force them open. “The moment you lay a hand on me, I really will wipe you. Think of me as radioactive. The nearer you come, the more dangerous I am.”

“Then I won’t lay a hand on you.” Lachlan took a short black rod from his belt. A baton telescoped outward from it, and he gave it a quick swish through the air. “Far subtler than our standard issue.”

He took a purposeful step closer, and Lexi tensed. Now that he had twenty inches of steel to keep her at bay, she really didn’t stand a chance. Better to find Kade and Callie so that they could fill Lachlan with lead.

“Later, Lockie.” Lexi was a decent runner, and urgency propelled her forward. Her boots beating out a rapid rhythm on the cement, she ran between a pair of striped barriers and descended to the level below.

How the hell had she ended up going this alone? Hadn’t she boasted an entire posse just this morning? “Callie!” Her shout echoed back to her. Fuck, where was that fucking smuggler? “Help me out, you bitch!”

Behind her, Lachlan chuckled. Her very own arch rival. What a treat.

Lexi hurtled down a ramp and skidded around a corner. From this height, the view of the district gave the clearest sense yet of its devastation. Neglect and street warfare had reduced the suburb to a grid of ruined streets, collapsed bricks, and exposed metal, all laid out in the morbid pretense of a neighborhood. If this was going to be the last thing she ever saw, she wanted a refund.

“Kade!” Shouting wasn’t conducive to conserving air, but it was better than dying with full lungs. “I need you, asshole! Come on!”

She flagged sooner than expected, already worn out from the stairwell climb. By the time she neared the next downward ramp, Lachlan had closed the gap to only a few meters. No gloating smirk on him now—his face was set in serious concentration.

Halfway down the ramp, Lexi stumbled and regained her balance only by flailing her arms. Her feet were aching, tired of being slammed against hard cement, and sweat had left a salty trail on her lips. She was fucked.

Engines growled in the distance. Lexi faltered to a stop.

Two bikes zoomed around the corner, one little more than a scooter, the other a big hog with tattered rags trailing from its handlebars. The riders—both men, both leather-clad, both as unattractive as a dog eating its own shit—whooped, and one loosed a bloodcurdling howl while whipping a chain above his head.

Behind the bikes, a rusted, graffiti-covered pickup bounced on its suspension as it tore across the parking level. A heavyset gangster sat behind the wheel, wearing a smile just about as pretty as a scar, while another gang member lolled in the seat beside her, playing with a knife.

Standing in the bed behind them, her black mane wild around her stern face, Rusalka looked like an Amazon having a bad day.

The bikers shot past Lachlan, accompanied by more hollers, before skidding to a halt. Lachlan stared up at the truck as it braked beside him.

“Hey, shut-in,” Rusalka said. “I didn’t give you permission to be in my district.”

For once, Lachlan seemed speechless. A moment to treasure.

“You’re late,” Lexi said, trying to conceal her shortness of breath. “I already took out most of them.”

Rusalka gave her an amused look. “You were running in our direction, Lexi Vale. Not his.”

“I didn’t want you to miss out, that’s all.”

“This is Code business.” Lachlan brandished his baton. “Make yourself scarce, and I’ll forget I saw you.”

“Forget?” The truck’s driver leaned out of the window and spat. “You’re about to be dead, shut-in. You better believe you’ll fucking forget.”

Rusalka jumped out of the bed, and the bikers dismounted. “I decide who lives and who dies around here,” Rusalka said, approaching with a sinuous gait. “Should’ve stayed behind your wall.”

“Be careful,” said Lexi. “He’s a cyborg.”

“Cool,” said the biker with the chain. “Always wanted to meet a cyborg. Why don’t his eyes glow?”

Rusalka paused beside Lexi. “There’s a bruise on that pretty forehead of yours.” She cradled Lexi’s cheek in her hand. “Did he do this to you, my clever little broker?”

“Yes,” Lexi said. “Now it’s time to show everyone what happens when someone is hurt while under your protection.”

“Oh, I will.” Rusalka drew the knife from her belt. She was taller even than Lachlan, and the way he maintained a careful distance suggested he wasn’t immune to her intimidating presence. “How do you want to die, shut-in? We can cut you. We can shoot you. We can drag you.”

One of the bikers snickered. “Maybe we can mix it up. A little of each.”

“Lexi, this is enough,” said Lachlan. “Call them off. We’ll talk, just as you wanted.”

“Sorry, Lockie,” said Lexi. “You’re just not my type.”

Rusalka and the bikers closed in. The chain whistled as it lashed Lachlan’s back. He spun and drove the tip of his baton into the biker’s eye, and the man reeled, clutching his wounded socket.

“That’s one,” Lachlan said. “I trust the rest of you aren’t so expendable.”

Rusalka executed a snakelike thrust. Lachlan pivoted, knocked the blow aside, and smacked Rusalka in the face with his free hand.

Without even flinching, she jabbed again. Lachlan easily twisted away from the flashing blade.

“He’s fast for a big guy,” said the truck driver, who apparently believed her role was to provide commentary. “No wonder you were running, Vale.”

“Can’t you just shoot him?” Lexi said. “You must have a gun.”

The truck driver frowned. “Yeah, but I’d get in trouble with Rusalka.”

Lachlan flicked his baton and struck the second biker in the mouth, spilling blood. The goon staggered back, leaving only Rusalka, who was visibly seething.

“Have I demonstrated my point?” said Lachlan. “Or must I break all of your minions before you understand?”

“You don’t fucking stand still.” Rusalka bared her teeth in an animalistic sneer. “You don’t like fight like a man.”

“I was unaware self-defense was so strictly gendered.” Lachlan lifted his baton, and a drop of blood fell from its tip. “All this pain for the sake of a handsome ruffian you’ll never see again. Is it worth it, do you think?”

“I gave her my word.”

“I may have to kill you if you don’t back down.”

Rusalka growled. “You’d die with me, shut-in.”

“Just hold him for a moment,” said Lexi. “I’ll do the rest.”

“If you say so.” Rusalka flipped her knife before sheathing it. “You’re going to pay if you’ve blinded my boy there.”

“You’ve already promised to kill me,” said Lachlan. “How do you top that?”

“By choice of method.” Rusalka flung herself at him, bearing him to the ground. As the two grappled, Lexi crept close and seized Lachlan by the head. He looked up, and she met his startled eyes.

Mineko.

She was everywhere in his mind, connected to every thought. The night before, she’d finally lost her temper, unveiling the woman he’d waited so long to see. She and Kaori looked so alike—the same slender, sensitive features—but Mineko was far greater, possessed of a deep richness of soul…

Older memories now. Reports of a Codist girl seen at a club. Dismissing the agent who’d brought the intel. Suppressing the evidence. Ensuring that nobody would ever know who the traitor was.

Another recent memory, still vivid. Mineko standing on a balcony with Valerie Wren, two silhouettes pressed close. A fearful sight. Kaori was a bigot, and Gaspar only cared about his position. A daughter with lesbian proclivities would do the Tamura lineage no favors at all. Yet how could he protect her without exposing himself and the crimes they shared?

Lachlan’s mind was intense and chaotic, a dark current surging toward a waterfall. Lexi found herself swept through countless images, one sensation after another, all while Lachlan’s anger smoldered around her…

A lifetime of nodding, listening, and lying. They all thought he wanted Gaspar’s job, but little did they realize that to be seated behind that desk was a kind of death.

The current raged, tossing Lexi between frustration, confusion, and resentment, a wave of violent feelings that rippled across a bed of desires. Clearest among them was the face of the man they both knew.

Get out of my head. Lachlan’s mind vibrated with the message, his entire will bent toward it. Get out of my head, you bitch.

Startled, Lexi retreated. The dark waters dried up. The current ceased.

Lachlan pushed Rusalka away and sprang to his feet. He whirled on Lexi, his face contorted into something primal. She flinched as she prepared for the inevitable blow.

He lowered his fist, gave her a rueful smile and ran toward one of the abandoned bikes. “Stop him!” said Lexi.

Too late. The gangsters in the pickup stared, slack-jawed, as Lachlan rode past them, whipped around the corner and vanished from sight.

* * *

“Is she dead?” said Rusalka.

Lexi knelt beside Amity and lifted her wrist. “Nope. There’s a pulse.” She tilted Amity’s head. Eyes closed, breath shallow. “Can we get her into the back of the truck? Lay her down?”

Not showing the slightest strain, Rusalka lifted Amity and carried her to the bed of the pickup. “Hope princess here doesn’t mind being handled by trash.” She glowered down at Amity before looking away. “Mouthy cunt.”

“I’m sure you’ve been treated worse.”

“Yeah. But they didn’t walk away.” Rusalka loomed over Lexi, a hand on each hip. “We have unfinished business.”

“Do we?”

“We do.” Rusalka cupped Lexi’s butt and planted a firm kiss on her lips. A pleasant ache built in Lexi’s groin. Sure, Rusalka was a bloodthirsty colossus, but being handled this way was a definite turn-on.

“As far as women go, you’re the type I like.” Rusalka squeezed with both hands. “Nice tight ass.”

“Sure you wouldn’t break me?”

“I’m sure. I don’t like to break pretty things.”

The mobile-comm at Rusalka’s belt crackled, and Rusalka kissed Lexi again before pushing her away. “Rusalka here.”

Lexi managed not to laugh. The gang had fallen upon the comms with the enthusiasm of kids getting birthday presents. Rusalka had taken for herself an impressive black handset—presumably Lachlan’s—that had been inside the helicopter. They’d even discussed stealing the chopper itself, not deterred by the broken windshield and the blood on the controls. That part hadn’t been so funny.

“We found them,” said the tinny voice of a gang member. “They’re in the mall, like you thought. Two men, two women.”

“Bring them over.” Rusalka gave the mobile-comm a satisfied look before clipping it to her belt. “That shut-in’s going to cause trouble now, isn’t he?”

“I couldn’t say. He’s an odd one. But you might want to be careful.”

“What were you doing touching his head? He stopped struggling the second you did it.”

“Special fighting technique. Don’t worry about it.” Lexi stood on her toes to gaze at the unconscious Amity. If only she could slip a pillow under her head or put a blanket over her—anything to make her seem less like a body thrown in the back of a truck. “Thanks for the help back there.”

“I didn’t have any choice. My reputation was riding on it. Especially because I made that stupid promise in front of everyone.” The corner of Rusalka’s mouth lifted. “I can see why Vassago hires you.”

“Because of my tight ass?”

Rusalka’s laughter raised the hair on Lexi’s forearms. “I doubt you’d go along with that. Something tells me you don’t do dick.”

“No, I don’t do men. If you had a dick, I’d be on my knees blowing you right now.”

“You’re strange, Vale.”

“You might even say I’m queer.” Lexi grinned. “One of my friends is a doc. Kinda. He’ll be able to help the poor bastard who got his eye poked.”

“Good. That quick-shot journalist with you as well? I wouldn’t mind having some unfinished business with him too.”

“Uh, yeah, he’s here.” Lexi brushed a strand of hair from Amity’s nose, just in case it was tickling her. “And he’s all yours. I hear he likes it rough.”

They waited together in silence while admiring the view. Standing high above the city, radiating savage grandeur, Rusalka looked like a warlord surveying her kingdom. Hard not to respect a woman who managed to survive in this wasteland while maintaining order among people as wild and ruthless as herself.

Callie arrived first, her auburn hair shining in the sunlight. Riva followed close behind, magnificent as ever, while Kade, Zeke, and a bored-looking gangster trailed them. The relief on Riva’s face quickly became alarm. “Where’s Amity?”

“In the back,” said Lexi. “Don’t panic, she’s alive.”

Kade touched Amity’s forehead. “Her breath is erratic.”

“Your friend Lockie had a needle hidden up his sleeve. She got a dose.”

“A paralyzing toxin. It’s commonly used to subdue defecting Codists and bring them home unhurt. It shouldn’t do any lasting harm, but we need to get her some medical attention promptly. I assume Lachlan got away?”

“Yeah. But on the bright side, he’s gone.” Lexi prodded Zeke. “There’s a guy downstairs who got his eye gouged. Want to take a look at him?”

“Uh.” Zeke didn’t even turn—he was too busy staring at Rusalka. “Wow, uh, sure. Um.”

Rusalka smirked. “I like your look, little man. Nice tatts.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Zeke cleared his throat. “So anyway, I’m Zeke. Body artist and surgeon. Single, as it happens.”

“A surgeon, huh? Not bad.” Rusalka swaggered toward Zeke, who watched her every motion as if he were recording it on the seedy camera of his brain. She laid a hand on his spiked scalp. “This must have hurt.”

“Nah, just a tickle. Now, this one here—”

Rusalka led Zeke away while he continued babbling and indicating his countless piercings and tattoos.

Lexi winked at Callie. No reaction. “Callie?” Lexi jostled her. “Did you see that? Zeke and Rusalka. Imagine those two together.”

Still silent, Callie walked across the rooftop and stood at its edge.

“She shot someone back there,” said Kade. “A young agent. A girl.”

“And that’s messed her up? I melted an agent’s brain and then watched Amity shoot three people. I’m doing okay.” Lexi bit her lower lip. “I think.”

Now the action was over, a shivery sickness had crept into her stomach. Adrenaline crash, maybe. But it was hard not to dwell on the fact she’d wiped five people this week. Whole lives—dreams, memories, ambitions—gone in an instant of violent purgation.

“Hey.” Riva put a hand on Lexi’s shoulder. “I was worried about you.”

Lexi smiled. There was something good about hearing those words and knowing they were sincerely meant. “Likewise, babe.”

“And now I’m worried about Callie.”

“Don’t worry. She’s a tough little butch. How are you holding up?”

“Besides being embarrassed about a little hysterical screaming, I’m fine.”

“She did some quick thinking over there,” Kade said. “She convinced the agents she was you.”

Lexi laughed. “Seriously?”

“It was dark,” said Riva. “And I have the right build. I guess it was luck.”

“It’s one hell of a compliment to me, that’s what it is.”

Riva smiled, but her attention had already strayed back to Callie. Lexi sighed. “Okay. I’ll talk to her.”

She joined Callie at the roof’s edge. The smuggler was slumped against a barricade with her head in her hands, her palms squishing her chubby cheeks flat. It would have been adorable if she hadn’t looked so sad. “Shit view,” Lexi said.

“It’s not so bad. You can see the mesa from here.”

Presumably Callie meant the uneven, reddish-brown line on the horizon. “Ever been out there?”

“Lots of times. There’s mountain lions.”

“Huh. What do they eat?”

“Don’t know.”

That topic hadn’t gone anywhere. Time to try something more contemporary. “Kade said you saved everyone’s butts. He also mentioned you had to shoot somebody to do it.”

“I’ve had that shotgun for five years. I’ve only killed dogs with it. Wild ones, you know, not nice dogs. I once fired at a guy trying to steal my van, but I missed on purpose.”

“Well, smuggling’s a rough gig. Ever considered being a plain old mechanic? You’re handy with a spanner.”

“She was only a kid.” Callie closed her eyes, concealing—but not soon enough—her tears. “A girl told to wear a uniform and do as she’s told. Just like Min. How am I supposed to fight shut-ins, Lexi? How am I supposed to hurt them? They’re only scared. Like us.”

A tear escaped Callie’s lashes and crested her round cheek. The sight of that glistening trail hit Lexi in the gut and left her aching. This caring, lonely girl had been fucked over more times than anyone deserved. Fucked over by her mother, fucked over by her ex, fucked over by the shut-ins, fucked over by the world from the moment she’d been born.

Lexi put a hand over Callie’s. “Can you forgive me, Callie Roux?”

“I forgave you a long time ago. I just couldn’t forgive myself, so I pretended I still blamed you. Hoping I’d hate myself less. But I didn’t.” Callie’s lips trembled. “Instead, you only ended up hating me too.”

“I was selfish, that’s all. I imagined it was all about me and my right to fuck whoever I wanted. I forgot to show you that it wasn’t personal. To prove I never meant to hurt you.” Lexi crooked an arm. “C’mon.”

Callie stumbled forward, and Lexi hugged her close. Nosed through her auburn mane, nuzzled her neck, breathed her warm, scented skin. Callie squeezed back—soft body, strong arms—and held Lexi in a forgiving and protective embrace. No wonder Riva and Mineko found this so comforting.

Lexi’s eyes prickled. How could she have hated this girl?

“It’s been a long time since I had a friend,” Lexi said. “I hope you’ll help me change that.”

That brought the dimples out. “I know we get on each other’s nerves sometimes. But I’m glad you’re here, Lexi, even if the reminder hurts.”

“I could learn something from you.” Lexi twisted a strand of Callie’s hair between her fingers. “I’ve been a hypocrite all this time.”

“You mean your grudge with Kade?”

“Something like that.” Lexi took Ash’s photograph from her pocket and held it to the sunlight. Callie craned to see. “Meet Ash, my cousin. No longer with us. She and Kade were a couple. Real lovey-dovey.”

“He mentioned a woman. But he never said she was your cousin.”

“My only blood relative, though she was smarter than me by a long shot. She was so calm, so decisive. You felt like nothing could go wrong when she was around. I mean, she wasn’t perfect. But the three of us together, we came pretty close.”

Lexi put away the photo—God, that fucking smile hurt to look at, like a hammer to the heart—and blinked away tears. “Anyway. Just wanted to show you.”

“I had a weird dream last night.” Callie stared at the distant mesa. “I was lost on the road, but your voice found me.”

Lexi glanced over her shoulder. Kade still stood beside the van, talking to Riva. A lean, confident man. Nothing like the little boy who had trembled against her breast while trying to stammer out the truth he’d been hiding.

That night, she’d tried to comfort him by murmuring what she’d thought was his name. It had only made his distress worse. So she’d asked him the question that had changed both their lives.

What do I call you now?

Kade met her gaze. Lexi held it for a moment—the length of a single breath—before looking back to the sky.