I draw a breath, gauging the distance between us. If I lunge and tackle, he’ll get at least one shot off. And he’s aiming for my chest. He’s smart. The bigger the target, the better your chances of hitting it.
My muscles coil as I prepare to spring to action. I can’t move too quickly, but I’m not standing here so he can play target practice. Our gazes lock. He knows what I’m planning. He’s not stupid. His finger hovers over the trigger. I draw a breath.
Footsteps thud from the path and we both freeze.
“Wrenny, what’s going on—” Mako stops, his confused eyes shifting from me to Hawkins.
He’s ten feet away, too far to disarm Hawkins. But if we work together, maybe I can get close enough to do it.
Mako takes a step, slow, deliberate, but Hawkins snaps the gun toward him.
“Let’s not do that,” he calls out. “Stay where you are, Mako.”
Mako blinks as he tries to make sense of the standoff between me and Hawkins. “Hawkins, man. Put the gun down.”
“Yeah, sorry,man,can’t do that.” Hawkins releases another cold laugh. “Darlington was sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Gotta take care of that, unfortunately.”
I step forward, and the gun swings back to me, allowing Mako to close the distance, lunging toward Hawkins.
He’s maybe six feet away before Hawkins turns with a dark expression. “Stop.”
Mako stops.
Horror spirals through me when I realize what’s happening. Hawkins is harnessing gold. Even beneath his clothes I can see his body glowing.
But maybe this is good. If he’s focused on inciting Mako, it gives me an opening to incitehim.There’s no way he’ll be able to keep his grip on Mako and repel me at the same time—
Pain shoots behind my eyes as he once again pushes me out.
How thefuckcan he do that?
Fear skitters along my spine. How can one Mod be this powerful?
“I told you to stop it, Wren.” Hawkins keeps the gun aimed at me, along with his gaze. His back is completely turned on Mako as, in a bored tone, he says, “Don’t move a muscle.”
Desperation tightens my throat. I stare at Mako, who stands there with his mouth agape. His entire body is frozen in place. Every muscle in his face is stretched taut. He looks like a marionette with its strings pulled tight, and Hawkins is the one controlling them.
“You…fucking…prick…” Mako knows exactly what’s happening to him. Why his body is stiff. Why his boots are rooted to the ground. “Stop…inciting…me.” The strain with which he’s fighting the incitement shows. His face is slack, chest heaving as he breathes harder. “I’m going to kill you, you asshole.”
Hawkins clicks his tongue, sighing with what sounds like regret. “Yeah…I think you could, Mako. Fuck. And I actually don’t mind you that much.”
The regret in his tone sends another chill down my spine.
“I need you to walk toward Darlington now,” Hawkins tells the motionless man.
Mako’s body sways as he tries to fight the command.
“Come on,” Hawkins encourages.
There’s a deep furrow in his brow. His mind is working hard, as evidenced by the silver glow beneath his sleeves and running up his neck.
“Walk,” he orders, and the other man starts to move. “That’s it. One foot in front of the other.”
The cords of Mako’s neck are vibrating. He’s fighting as hard as he can, but he’s no match for Hawkins’s power.
As worry tears through me, I prepare to lunge, but his aim doesn’t waver. “Stop that, Darlington. Keep walking, Mako.”
I’m filled with panic when I realize he’s forcing Mako to walkpastme, not join me. I try to grab Mako’s sleeve, but it slides through my fingers.
