Page 286 of Vicious Temptation

Elena did all of this on her own.

“Your testimony confirmed the extent of that compromise.” Miller takes another cautious step back. “By the time this conversation ends, Central Intelligence will already be mobilizing containment teams.”

I came here believing I could protect Remi by exposing Elena, but all I’ve done is give Helios everything they need to justify targeting her.

Miller’s smile widens just enough to make my stomach turn. “You didn’t come here to save her, Agent Braga. You just ensured she’d become our problem to fix.”

That does it.

“Then you better kill me first.”

He barely has time to react before I fire. Three rounds slam into his chest, driving him back into the corner before he crumples to the floor.

I move fast, stripping the spare magazines from the guards’ belts and shoving them into my pockets before heading toward the door.

Seventy

thiago

Bullets pierce the wall behind me as I race down the corridor, the tactical team closing in fast. Adrenaline blunts the pain enough to allow speed and agility I shouldn’t still have. Ahead, a chime sounds as the elevator doors begin to close.

I push myself harder, and pain sears through my abdomen with every stride, but I force myself to keep moving. By the time I reach the elevator and wedge my arm between the doors, fresh blood is already soaking through the bandage beneath my shirt.

They bounce open, and I stumble inside, pressing the lobby button as voices draw closer in behind me.

“Stop!”

One of the agents lunges for the elevator just as the doors close, his hand reaching through the narrowing gap, but they seal before he can grab hold.

The car starts its descent, and I brace my back against the side panel, my weapon trained on the doors. My free hand presses against my side. When I pull it away, my palm is slick with blood, some of it already soaking through the bandages around my fingers.

Fuck.

The stitches are open.

I bear down on the wound, but the pressure sends a sharp bolt of pain through my body and forces the air from my lungs. I grit my teeth until it passes.

They’ll lock down the lobby before I even reach it. Every exit, stairwell, and vehicle will be covered, and in my condition, I won’t make it past a tactical team waiting for me when these doors open.

I close my eyes for a second and see Remi standing on the terrace.

“Minha chama…”

I’m sick at the thought of them reaching her before I do.

I’m not dying here before I know she’s safe.

My hand leaves my abdomen long enough to hit the buttons for several floors. The elevator stops at the next one, opening onto an administrative level lined with offices and conference rooms. I slip into the hallway, leaving the remaining buttons lit as the doors close behind me and the car continues toward the lobby.

Each movement tugs at my wound, and the dark stain spreads across the front of my shirt. I button my jacket and keep my pace steady. Running will draw attention, and right now, blending in is my only advantage left.

A woman hurries past me with a tablet tucked against her chest, too focused on the overhead alarm to spare me more than a passing glance, while another man barks into his radio as he rushes toward the stairwell.

“All tactical units to the lobby. Suspect is descending.”

They took the bait.

I turn down a side corridor and push through a door marked AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.