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Before I can tell him to, a blast of fire lights up the sky, then quickly fizzles out.

Sniper dude just got sniped.

“He’s dead,” he announces in my ear, breathing out a sigh, but then immediately starts panicking again, “Please tell me everyone is alive. You’re all alive, right?” he asks repeatedly.

“We’re all good. But there could be more,” I say. “We’ll stay away from windows as best as we can. Keep me updated on any more movement.”

Another sigh of relief. “Will do.”

Sibby growls, wiggling beneath Addie, who is gripping my injured arm and looking over it, her fingers coated in my blood. I quickly check it over. It’s superficial.

“You okay, baby?” she asks quietly, her voice shaky. It’d take nothing short of an incinerator to melt me, except when it comes to Addie. Then I’m fucking slush.

I place a kiss on her forehead. “I’m fine, mouse. Let’s get moving,” I say.

“I really want to stab someone right now,” Sibby snips, finally sliding out from beneath Addie. Glass has to be cutting into her, but she doesn’t seem to notice when she’s too busy yelling at herself.

“Mortis, move! Quit clinging to me like a leech, I’m fine. Zade’s the one that took the bullet, stupid.” In her attempt to detach herself from her imaginary friend, she ends up kicking me in the head.

See? The assholes always cause problems.

“Sibby,” I hiss through gritted teeth.

“What? It’s not my fault,” she sasses, not the least bit sorry.

Groaning, I roll off of Addie and sit up.

“Get up. We need to get away from the window.” I stand and help the girls up, one of them now in a seriously foul mood. Her temper is only going to continue to rise until she stabs someone, and my headache is only going to worsen until that happens.

They gently brush the glass from their bodies, and with the moonlight spilling into the room, I note tiny cuts all over their faces.

“Which one is your mom’s room?” I ask, keeping my voice low and swiping a few shards from Addie’s backside that she missed. Sibby is sticking out her ass and wiping her butt off, but in her head, one of her henchmen is helping her.

“First door on the left,” she responds.

“Sibby, I want you to go and check the other rooms,” I tell her. Surprisingly, she doesn’t complain and takes off, probably praying for someone to try her. I’m praying for someone to try her.

Glass crunches beneath my boots as I hug the wall, sliding along it until I reach the door with Addie following my lead.

I crack open the door, tucking myself back around the corner in case more bullets come flying.

“Stay here for now,” I order, not giving her time to argue. Holding my gun up, I slip into the room. It’s pitch-black in here, and I wish I had thought to bring my night vision goggles.

Straining my ears, I listen for any noise, but I don’t hear anything. Not even the sound of breathing.

As my eyes adjust, the bed becomes clearer. Empty, save for the rumpled bed sheets and skewed pillows. A lamp is knocked off the end table, upside down with the cord ripped from the wall. There must’ve been a struggle getting them out of bed.

I let out a slow breath, continuing to scan my eyes over every inch of the room, trying to pick out any figures standing in the shadows or lying on the ground.

“They’re not in here,” I call out quietly.

Addie sneaks into the room behind me, her footfalls light and her body poised for threat. She’s come so far from the girl who ran headfirst into situations without properly thinking it through. She’s a trained killer now, and fuck if it doesn’t make my chest tight with pride.

I never wanted to change Addie. Despite how dangerous her impulsiveness and stupidly brave tendencies were, it’s what made her so fascinating. But her circumstances took that out of my hands, and while I still needed my brave girl, there wasn’t any room for thoughtless actions anymore.

There’s nothing thoughtless about how Addie moves now, and my fascination with her has only amplified. All those idle threats she used to make about killing or hurting me—she could make those come true now.

Fuck. Yes.