them, the clamor of the city faded away as the ragged gasps of their breath and the desperate rhythm of their footfall overtook it. S

an?" Her lungs bur

ged at the ends. His gaze flashed forward

ine's thoughts whirled. Their future seemed a bright promise as they laughed over ch

ding?" She spoke

ked back, his jaw tightening.

m free. "Cease! Until you tell me what's

. Do you believe this to be a game? Jasmin

ce broke. "You have been deceiving me!

n his grizzled thumbs brushed her cheeks as they framed her face

Tears clouded the resolution

spresso filled the air. Ethan dragged her into a dark back hallway after shouldering past e

back against the crumblin

"A syndicate." I owed them. attempted to b

d you owe

wheeled on her. "You are now entangled in

"So I'm to bla

as he drew closer. I believed I could outpace them.

h. The glass broke. Orde

ped. "Rema

d of his sleeve. "You're n

"They'll use you to break me if they

ung the unvarni

away w

alone, the tile scratched by boots

topped beati

ood dripping from his lip, he

a little hallway. Ethan pushed open a steel door

d air. Freedom-until someone

out so q

edge. fitted suit, merciless eyes.

smine out of his

opped at a dead end.

h. "Very nice. Little songbird

touched Jasmine

the moonlight like the fangs of a serpent as he walked closer, his polished shoes clicking against the s

nthusiasm, "Sterling, you've led us on quite the ch

n Jasmine and the gun's barrel. "Give her up," he

, we have discovered something fascinating about you. How... invested have you become in this one? He wave

by Jasmine's fingernails.

"Nothing," but the

to us. Additionally, when you betray a promise to the Syndicate... He ga

, poised to flex. "If

outnumbered. and *weak*. He lifted the firearm and aimed it directly at Jasmine's for

thoughts whirled. Ethan

out, "I don'

elieve that we would pursue you based on a *hunch*? We are aw

ered. A momentary distraction, the m

prang fo

was ana

a shot rang out, the blast thunderous. As the two guys struggled, their moans and

the man's wrist to th

d just above her as she looked around the alley. She jumped mindlessly, her fingers grabbing at the chilly

here! She let

r her. As Jasmine ascended higher, Ethan leaped onto the ladder, his weight ja

imbed, Ethan pushed, prote

til they arrived to the rooftop. The city spread out below them like a mercile

oulders in his. "

shook her head. Which ledger is h

was sufficien

s hammered on th

Another rooftop loomed across the distance between buildings,

to jump that!"

, he fixed his gaze on

in a blur of shadows and automobile lights

gers with hers and added,

k, their assaila

ne.

s heart p

wo.

sh. We will

hre

Jasmine swore time paused for a second, her feet

and her knees smacked onto the roof across from he

er to her feet.

wed them as they ran across the roofto