Page 94 of Hunt Me

Alexi’s jaw tightens and his eyes meet mine.

Cold calculation.

He’s running numbers. Angles. Trajectories.

Figuring out if he can make the shot.

My heart pounds against the barrel pressed to my chest.

“Three seconds,” the agent says. “Weapons down or?—”

I slam my head backward into his face.

Cartilage crunches. The agent’s grip loosens.

I drop.

Three guns fire simultaneously.

The agent hits the wall behind me. Slides down. Dead before he reaches the floor.

Alexi grabs me and hauls me upright. “Can you move?”

“Yes,” I lie, while my shoulder screams and my vision swims.

Even so, I force my legs to work, and we run.

Erik reaches the loading dock first and throws it open.

A black SUV idles outside with Nikolai behind the wheel.

Dmitri shoves Maya into the back seat. Erik dives in after her.

Alexi lifts me despite my weight and carries me the last ten feet before placing me in the vehicle beside Maya.

Sirens wail in the distance, closing in.

Maya’s expression is a storm of fear and anger as she stares at me, her bandaged face a painful reminder of the horror we just escaped. “What the hell were you thinking?” Her voiceshakes, tight with emotion. “You could have gotten us killed! We werekidnappedby the government!”

“I know, I know.” I let out a shaky breath, guilt surging as I meet her gaze. “I thought?—”

“Thought what?” she interrupts, her voice rising. “That you could handle everything alone? You put us in danger, Iris! More danger than either of us expected. I was terrified! When those guys had us, my heart was racing, thinking I mightdie. I thought—what if I never made it out of there? What if you didn’t either?”

“I didn’t want to drag you into this…” My voice trails off, the weight of reality hitting me like a wave.

“Drag me into this?” She shakes her head. “Youdiddrag me into it when you went off on some reckless mission without a plan! I could have lost my life—wecould have lost our lives!”

Her words strike me hard, and I glance down, struggling against the torrent of emotions welling up inside me. “I just wanted to protect you. I thought I had a handle on everything...”

Maya shakes her head, frustration pouring from her. “You think I’m just going to forget how terrified I was? I can’t keep living like this, wondering if every choice you make will put us at risk again. This isn’t just some game, Iris. We have to think strategically, together. I don’t want to feel that kind of fear in my bones ever again.”

“I’m really sorry, Maya,” I say. “I never wanted to put you in danger, and I swear I’ll do better.”

Maya crosses her arms, her irritation still simmering but softened by a hint of understanding. “This is going to take more than just an apology. You need to realize how serious this is. I can’t keep feeling like I’m fighting for my life alongside you.”

“What are you saying?” I ask.

Maya’s jaw clenches. “I had a job offer in Seattle and I’m considering taking it.”