Unable to speak, I reached for her hand. When she turned to look at me with a question in her gaze, I kissed her. Really kissed her, with everything in me. Everything. Willing her to understand.
When I pulled back, she stared at me for long seconds, holding my gaze. Then she smiled. Nodded.
She understood. Thank the goddess. I never wanted to see her look at me with so much hurt in eyes again, not at my betrayal. And I had betrayed her. I realized that now. It took being secured naked—alone—to our bed to see it.
Never again.
She turned back to the door and I inspected the room, looking for anything useful. Exits. Weapons. I had plenty on my utility belt—a new one since she had mine—but it never hurt to be prepared.
There was neither. The window and the door were the only two ways in or out. And without opening the boxes, I had no idea what might be in them.
She pulled me down close, her lips pressed to my ear. She spoke so softly I barely heard her.
“There are twenty-two distinct voices. Six female. The nearest is about ten steps to the right of this door.”
My eyes widened and I stared at her. How the fuck did she know that?
“Nix? Did you hear me?”
I nodded and squeezed her shoulder so she’d know I was listening.
“If anything goes wrong, we need to get Morson out. He’s Optimus Unit, one of the good guys. The only one.”
I squeezed her shoulder again. I knew who he was. How she knew what she was telling me, I had no idea. But I trusted her.
“Everyone else can fucking rot.”
Awww, there was my female. I grinned, which made her squeeze my shoulder.
Then she froze.
“Do you hear that?”
I shook my head. What? What was she talking about? Just like that night in Elder Amandine’s office. She’d said she’d heard something and I hadn’t. And she’d been right.
“Oh, shit.”
She pulled away from me and walked along the boxes, listening. Searching. Then she stopped and just stared at one in particular. “This one,” she whispered as she pulled a box down off the shelf.
I saw the circuits and wiring a split-second before she could pull off the lid. Fuck, she’d kill everyone in the building!
Slamming my hand down on top of the box, I tore it from her arms and settled it back where it had been on the shelf. When she just looked at me, I pointed to the circuits and leaned in close. “It’s a bomb.” The timing circuit was clearly visible, counting down in a military style system of clicks I knew all too well.
She frowned. Stared at the odd dashes and lines on the display. “How long?”
I glanced at it again. “Five and a half minutes.”
Her eyes widened slightly, but she remained calm. “Shit. There are twenty-two people who are going to be blown up. We have to get Morson out of here.”
“Morson?” I whispered. Fuck Morson. He’d walked into this place, he could get himself out. There was a fucking bomb right in front of us. I had no idea if this was the only one or not. I needed to get my mate out of here.
Now.
She darted toward the door. I grabbed her by the elbow. When she turned back to look at me, I saw raw fury in her eyes.
“What?”
“Obviously, someone wants a lot of people dead.”