Page 156 of BounBound By Scars

Goddamn.

I stopped ten feet away.

Hands still raised. Breath steady. My pulse wasn’t.

“Kabir,” Ghost said, his voice low but unmistakable.

He used my name.

He’d rarely used my name.

I didn’t let the surprise reach my face. I dipped my head.

“Ghost.” Beat. “I thought we told you to back off.”

I propped up my rifle again.

“Lower your weapon,” Zane said quietly, his voice steady. “Come back with us, Kabir. We can still fix this.”

I kept my gun raised high, pointed at no one, eyes locked on Sebastian.

Seb’s jaw was tight, his finger twitching near the trigger. “Where is the Doom Switch? Is it inside?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, calm and rehearsed. “You need to leave. Now.”

“Cut the shit,” Ghost snapped, stepping in. “You’ve been feeding them everything. You think we don’t see it?”

I met his glare but didn’t flinch. “You came to the wrong house.”

“Where is it?” Sebastian asked again, his voice slightly soft.

Internally, my stomach churned.

I have no fucking clue where the Doom Switch is.

But if they thought I did, I had to keep it that way. Anything less, and Dragon would sniff me out instantly.

“Answer the question,” Seb pressed. “Where’s the Doom Switch, Kabir?”

I hesitated for just half a second. Enough for him to notice.

“I’m not telling you,” I said coldly.

That was the truth—and the lie.

“We’ve got backup in place.” Dragon’s voice crackled in my earpiece, tense and clipped. “Orders are clear. One more hostile move and I take the shots.”

I went rigid.

My eyes flicked to Zane. To Dylan. To Ghost and Seb.

Shit.

They had no idea how close they were to dying.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears. The crosshairs could already be locked in.

I had seconds.