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Abe sucked in a breath gritty with dust and the acrid stink of plaster, and sprinted after Freya.

Anger fueled his legs. She had deliberately knocked him off balance, causing his aim to go wide and allowing the intruder to escape with her precious laptop.

For what? To protect twisted research? As far as he was concerned, it would be no loss to the world if that damned device was blown to smithereens. It would be good fucking riddance.

“Fox. Where the hell are you? Intruder in the lab. I’m in pursuit…with Freya.”

No reply. Something’s up with the comms.

His boots pounded the floor as he gained on her. She’d kicked off her heels and was running full tilt.

The sterile corridors of the research facility abruptly gave way to the cavernous interior of the power station. A jarring shift. The air, previously cool and antiseptic, now hung heavy with humidity and the acrid tang of minerals.

He ran past massive turbines, their deep hum vibrating through the metal grating beneath his feet. Heat radiated from every direction and condensation beaded surfaces, making the handrails slick and treacherous as he used them to swing around corners. Steam hissed from countless vents, creating a ghostly, ever-shifting landscape of white plumes that obscured vision and muffled sound.

He’d lost sight of her.

Where the hell is she?

He strained to see through the hazy veil of steam, his ears fighting to distinguish footsteps from the omnipresent murmur of machinery. Sweat trickled down his spine as he scanned the area, his shirt clinging uncomfortably to his skin.

There.

She was above him, balanced on a precarious catwalk. Massive copper pipes, thick as tree trunks, snaked overhead, carrying super-heated water from the earth’s depths. Freya’s words disappeared in the plant’s roar, but her frantic gestures told the story. The thief was just feet away from her on the same walkway.

His heart thudded. How do I get up there?

He spun, searching, and spotted the narrow ladder. His fingers slipped on the damp metal as he climbed, legs pumping furiously. He had to reach her before she did something stupid. What part of him being her protection did she not understand?

Abe launched himself onto the catwalk. Metal groaned, vibrations shooting through his soles. Heat blasted from below, forcing him to swipe moisture from his eyes as his chest heaved.

If there was a time when he’d missed the fresh air of Norway more than he did now, he couldn’t remember it.

Freya and the thief stood mere feet apart. The man’s hands were locked on the rails, backpack straps taut over his shoulders. The laptop was still safe—for now.

“Freya.” He hated the tension in his voice.

She ignored him, laser-focused on her target.

“ Freya .” He raised his voice, hot blood pounding in his temples.

“I have this, Abe.” She didn’t even glance back.

What the fuck. “Freya. Walk backward. Let me go first.”

“Sorry. Can’t do that.” Freya released the handrail, raising her hands in a show of submission.

“Freya, I’m telling you —”

She inched closer to the thief, as if expecting him to hand over his prize.

Too close.

Abe tensed, ready to spring. One wrong move and they’d lose everything—or worse.

A metallic click cut through the din. Abe’s eyes locked onto the thief’s hand.

Fuck . A grappling gun.

The thief aimed upward. With a sharp hiss, the hook shot out, latching onto the plant’s domed ceiling. The cable went taut as the man swung his boots onto the handrail.

Where the hell is he going?

The thief turned his back—just for a moment. Freya jumped, fingers splayed, reaching for the backpack straps.

Time slowed. Her hands snatched at thin air as the thief jumped, swinging in a wide arc over the maze of pipes below, steam billowing around him.

Freya’s momentum carried her forward, and her feet left the metal grid.

Abe’s world narrowed to a pinpoint. He dove, arms outstretched. His hands found her waist, yanking her back from the abyss of boiling water and unforgiving steel below.

Reaching the apex of his swing, the thief released the grappling gun. Momentum hurled him toward a large exhaust vent on the far wall. With ease, he tucked and rolled through the opening, vanishing into the ventilation labyrinth.

Freya’s elbow jabbed into Abe’s ribs as she wrenched free. “What the hell are you doing?” Her words came in short, furious pants. She staggered back, eyes blazing with an intensity that could melt steel.

“Keeping you alive,” Abe growled. His jaw was solid. I don’t care how pissed you are, Duchess, you’re my priority.

“You let him get away.” She jabbed a trembling finger at the dark vent, her voice cracking with a mix of rage and disbelief.

Abe stepped closer, invading her space. “I prefer my clients breathing.” His gaze never wavered from hers. “The laptop’s replaceable. You’re not.”

Freya’s nostrils flared. “That’s not your call to make.”

“It’s exactly my call.”

He risked a glance at the vent. In a station like this, the ventilation system was a 3D maze, leading anywhere—and everywhere. Right now, their target was racing toward freedom, where extraction would be swift and nearly untraceable.

“We need to move. That vent system’s a highway out of here. Every second we waste arguing, he gets further ahead.”

Her chin lifted to a stubborn angle. “Fine,” she bit out, the word clearly costing her. “But get this straight: the laptop is the priority. I’m not some helpless damsel for you to coddle. That device is more than data—it’s a weapon. One that’ll go to the highest bidder. We get it back, no matter what. Clear?”

“Crystal.” He leaned in. “And next time I ask you to jump, you ask how high.” He didn’t wait for her reaction. “I’m your best shot at retrieving that laptop and keeping your heart beating. We don’t have to like each other, but we damn well need to work together.”

Her jaw jutted. For a heartbeat, Abe could almost see the ‘fuck off’ forming on her lips.

She exhaled slowly, the sound like a hiss through gritted teeth. “Understood.”

“Good.” Abe didn’t soften his tone. “Now, you know this place. Where’s that vent system likely to spit him out?”

Freya’s eyes flashed fire. “Follow me,” she said, already moving. “And try to keep up.”