Being under Charade’s influence is like nothing I have felt before. Not even in my nightmares could I have imagined this drone. Thisnothing. Only the sound of his voice telling me to?—
Stand.
Stand.
Stand.
So I do.
He helps me to my feet, his arm bracing my weight.
You’ve done well.
Contentment blooms in my chest. Distantly, anxiety prickles at the edges of my brain, but the veil created by his powers is too strong for such an intrusion.
Let me take you to safety. You can do that, right, Checkmate?
He’s careful to maintain contact with my skin as his other arm settles under my knees. Then I’m nestled against his chest, his heart beating in my ear.
Lay your head on my shoulder. Rest.
Tears swell over the crest of my eyelids, the last of my bravado shattering. He carries me past every enemy I have ever faced, staring each of them down in turn. Daring them to even try to take what he has claimed.
Please, I beg the veil. Beg him.I’m not ready to die.
4
ZANE
How long have I waited to get my hands around Checkmate’s perfect, stubborn neck? I wanted to best her at the height of her game. But this feels more like grinding her broken pieces into the floor.
Please. The plea is faint. Fragile.I’m not ready to die.
Her body trembles despite the control. I know what it must have cost her to give those words to me. To beg for her life.
“There’s no need to be afraid.” I infuse the words with warmth and hope it’s enough to provide some kind of comfort. Then my attention turns to the windows and rooftops of the six buildings nearest to us, tall and dark but by no means empty. My people are up there. But others likely are as well. “We need to get somewhere safe.”
In my black Nissan GT-R, I settle her on the passenger seat, my fingers curling around the curve of her jaw, the pads settling over the steady beat of her pulse. I won’t be able to maintain the control once I lose contact anyway. I let the tendrils of my power slip away until her eyes clear, her heartbeat racing as my influence recedes.
I trace my thumb across her silky cheek. “Don’t do anything stupid, Checkmate.”
She shakes free from my grasp, and I let her go, slamming the door behind me.
She lunges for the handle. Adrenaline floods my veins as my hand slams to the night-cooled metal before she can reach it. Power snakes from my palm and into the body, passing through joints, wires and circuits until it reaches the locking mechanism, welding it into place. Wide-eyed, she pulls at the carbon fiber grip, slamming her shoulder against the surface when it fails to unlatch.
“I’m disappointed, but not surprised.”
Her attention shifts to the rest of the car. There’s nothing for her to find. I keep at least one fingertip on some part of the car until I am seated behind the steering wheel with the keys in the ignition and the car in gear.
The smooth aluminum casing of my phone is cool as it slides into my hand. My fingers fly across the glass, firing off the signal to a long string of unnamed contacts.
A crack crosses my jaw that I barely manage to block. She strikes again and I catch her wrist with a tight pull. The momentum throws her off-balance and she ends up half-sprawled in my lap.
“Don’t move.”The words lance through her skin, into the core of her being.
Please.
I laugh. “That won’t work a second time, gorgeous.”
