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9
MINA
Iwait until I can’t see Brian anymore through the glass, then I punch in the code, and go in after him. He’s fucking crazy if he thinks I’m going to risk him dying and me being left behind. If he goes, I go. I pull the 9mm from my waistband and take the stairs.
I’ve never been more grateful for Brian’s grueling workouts and my laps in the pool. Otherwise I would never be able to run up thirteen flights of stairs without stopping. Even so, I’m still winded when I reach the top.
I take a few long deep breaths before continuing on.
The thirteenth floor is the only floor of office suites not being rented right now. It’s an abandoned floor that’s in the process of a renovation for future tenants. Everything is exposed beams and concrete floor and columns. Bare fluorescent track lighting hangs down from the ceiling like convicted criminals swinging from nooses.
At least they work, well... one of them on the far end of the room works. And it flickers. It’s just enough light for Brian to see what he’s doing.
This floor is such a contrast from what I know the top floor must be. As the top floor C-suites, fourteen is lush. Chic décor, wide expansive views, soft music playing just beneath the sound level of your notice.
Brian sits hovering over the bomb, wire cutters out, ready to make the cut, when a sound causes us both to look up. A guard has wandered down to this level to check things out. No doubt he noticed activity on the elevator’s movement, the light moving down and back up. Or maybe he saw activity on the live security feed.
He’s seen Brian, but he hasn’t yet noticed me. He draws his gun, and I fire. The man drops after four shots, two of which went into the column behind him. But one was a head shot so… probably beginner’s luck, but yay.
Brian was not wrong when he said adrenaline will fuck up your aim.
As the shots go off, fireworks erupt in the background, illuminating the room further in bursts of reflective red and gold lights. Brian shoots me a glare but goes back to the bomb. I hold my breath as he makes the cut and a beep sounds. We both let out a sigh together.
“I thought I told you to stay outside.” His voice is even and calm, and yet I have never felt this level of anger from him aimed in my direction. It sends a chill down my spine.
“How much time was left?”
He looks down at the disarmed bomb. “Twenty-one seconds.”
“If I’d stayed outside, you’d be dead right now. How on earth have you survived this long without me? What is that? Two times I’ve saved your life now? So we’re even.”
But the joke doesn’t land. Maybe it’s the delivery. It’s hard to be a comedy genius when I still have ringing in my ears from the gunfire.
He’s a professional, and I’m an amateur still in training. But I’m right. I don’t think the guard realized what Brian was doing and that shooting him would end us all. And if Brian had gotten up to fight him, the outcome would have been the same. For the barest flash of a second, I’d considered waiting for him like he’d asked, but we both know if I’d stayed outside that boy and Brian would both be dead right now. I try not to think too hard about this.
He gets up off the floor and stalks over to me, pushing me against the wall and spinning me so that I’m facing it, my cheek pressed against the drywall. If he were the good guy he’d be arresting me and reciting my rights.
Instead his hand skims down my back, stroking over my ass. He leans in close to my ear, his voice dark and deadly. “So what now, Mina? Tell me what we do now.”
I shrug. I hadn’t thought that far.
“The only reason I came back was because you never would have forgiven me.”
“If I hadn’t been here, you would have let the kid die.” This realization disgusts me.
“Yes.” His breath is harsh against my ear. “And you’d better learn collateral damage is part of this job if you want to be in this life. So… what now? After all that careful planning, what now?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Exactly. You don’t know. You don’t know why I would let that boy die. You think it’s because I’m just some irredeemable monster, that only you have a soul, and only you know what’s best. You’re dark, but not quite like me, sweetheart. Not yet. Tell me, Alice, can you go down the rabbit hole and stand in a world where everything around you is upside down? Or do you want to stay safe in the shiny clean world where the good people live? Because I’m not that guy, and you’ve always known it.”
“Tell me why, then? If it’s not because you’re a monster… why?”
But he doesn’t answer. He pulls his gun in one swift movement, turns, and fires. I only realize two more guards have moved in on our space as the bodies hit the floor.
Brian turns back to me. “Mina,” my name comes out on a sigh. “Some things I guess you’re going to have to learn the hard way.”
“How many more are there?”
