Page 63 of One Step Sideways

And I’d bet that was the real reason so much money had been poured into this place. Because whoever was behind it intended it simply as an investment. And the riot screwed all that up.

“This is a set-up,” Danny started, obviously coming to the same conclusion. and then we both heard another crash, considerably closer. Fuck, they were nearly in here. I pushed open the door to the next room and it was tiny. Not much more than a closet with some filing cabinets.

I shoved Danny in with me. “Here.” Turning, I thanked fuck the doors in here opened inwards, and shoved two heavy filing cabinets against it. Now, unless they had someone with enhanced strength, no one was getting in.

I took a breath and turned to Danny.

Took in his rapid breathing and wide eyes and the way he was holding himself incredibly still, and silently cursed.Small spaces.Threatening situation. And no Sadie. I’d just pushed Danny into his own version of hell.

“Help me,” he whispered, his whole body shaking. The words were barely a murmur. I took in his posture, his need, and I swore I would protect him with my life. I could survive out there, but he was a target. A nice, juicy hostage, and fuck knew what they would do to him.

I took his hands and pulled him close. “We’ve got this. We’re safe.” And what surprised me was instead of trying to create space for himself, he almost tried to burrow into me. I bent and pressed my lips to his head. Distraction. He needed a distraction. “We agree this is a huge con. The whole prison taking enhanced in plain sight.”

“Ya think?” Danny mumbled against my chest. He tried to laugh but it didn’t work.

“Tell me your theories,” I instructed, not giving a fuck if Danny saw through my distraction.

Danny took a breath, but kept his hands fisted in my jumpsuit. “Connaught was a smokescreen,” he said, agreeing with me a hundred percent. “Officially there’s seven enhanced including you. Shae definitely. Three you met.”

“And two I didn’t. Did you?”

He shook his head. “ But you told us you’d seen more. What if the one you saw being strapped down was new? We still don’t know where Shae is. Something initiated this. Something that they hadn’t planned on.”

“Yes,” I agreed, thinking about the guy I saw. “I know Connaught was involved, but I don’t think this is just him. He had to have serious backing for something on this scale. He was too…patriotic, almost. I think this goes further.”

“And O’Connell?”

“Can be bought. Same as Saunders.” I gazed at him.

“It could be a diversion or a catalyst,” Danny said.

“Someone spent a great deal of money on this place. I think they intended it to be open for a while. It’s a great cover. The ones like Callum that have families and the low-grade abilities like Cherry are here for cover. They maintain the appearance of the specialized unit, but the ones like Shae?” I swallowed. “Those are the ones that disappear.”

“We can’t stop them in here,” Danny said, his voice low.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. It was a battlefield out there, and we were outnumbered and out-gunned, and I knew of all people Danny understood that better than I. He lifted his face from where he had it pressed against my chest. “We don’t have a choice,” he whispered.

“We always have a choice,” I lied, because I knew what being backed into a corner felt like, and Danny just smiled and, grasping my neck, brought my lips down to meet his for a heart-stopping kiss that silenced the noise outside.

“Having you in my corner lessens my anxiety. I don’t want you thinking I’m using you as some sort of crutch—”

I growled, or that’s what the noise that left my throat sounded like. “You give me so much, Danny. You hold me up, not the other way around.” I caught his face in my hands. “I was released from prison five weeks ago, but it was you who gave me my freedom.”

Tears bloomed in Danny’s eyes, and we just stood there holding each other, hearing the shouting and the banging from outside until it died down. They considered opening the door a couple of times but soon gave up when someone yelled that they’d found the clinic and knew they were still close. It was insane. It was dangerous, to say the least. But it was like we were in our own cocoon. And it wasn’t safe to move while they were out there.

But this had to stop.

“We need to make sure the kids are okay.” Danny knew who I meant. He nodded. I waited what seemed like a long time while the noise moved to another area, then pulled the filing cabinets aside, and walked out into an empty but completely trashed room.

I glanced at Connaught’s body and wished I hadn’t. The prisoners hadn’t been kind, even to a dead body. I kept Danny away, which I suppose was ridiculous, as he’d seen combat. I took his hand and glanced down at him, taking my focus for one second away from the corridor. “We have to gather up anyone we can and get them out.” There was no way Ringo would have survived the mob unless he’d gotten out.

“I don’t think so.”

I glanced back up but knew who I was going to see.Saunders.And he had a gun pointed at my head and enough hatred to fill a chamber.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Kane

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