Page 63 of Immersed
The easy acceptance, delivered with that disturbing smile, made Levi edge closer to the door.
“We should get back,”Levi said warily.
“In a minute.”Asher wiped the last of the blood from his nose, still grinning.“I like this version of you. Feisty.”
But before Asher could say more, the sound of grinding metal echoed through the building. The front doors they entered through were sealing shut with mechanical precision.
From the lobby came shouts of alarm as the team realized they were trapped.
“We need to get back,”Levi said, pushing past Asher toward the door.
But as he reached for the handle, Asher’s hand slammed against the door frame, blocking his exit.
“Not yet,”Asher said.“I want to finish our conversation.”
“There’s nothing to finish. The building’s active now. The team needs—”
“The team will be fine for a few more minutes.”Asher’s other hand came up to brace against the opposite side of the frame, caging Levi in.“I want to know if we’re still allies.”
Levi stared up at him, trapped between the door and Asher’s larger frame.“Are we?”
“That depends on you.”Asher’s voice was soft, almost gentle.“I’ve agreed to your rules. No touching without permission. But that goes both ways, doesn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, if you want my cooperation, if you want me to help keep your little friends alive, then maybe you should consider being a little nicer to me.”
The threat, delivered in that reasonable tone, made Levi’s blood run cold.“Are you saying you’ll kill them if I’m not nice enough?”
“I’m saying I might not try as hard to save them. Accidents happen, after all. Floors collapse. People get separated in the dark.”
Fuck.
A sharp knock on the door interrupted them.“Asher? You okay in there?”Zoe’s voice carried through the wood, concerned.“We heard a noise.”
Asher didn’t move from where he was caging Levi against the door.“I’m fine. Just having a work discussion.”
“Well, the building’s doing something weird,”Zoe called. “Doors are sealing. We need to regroup.”
“Be right there,”Asher replied, but his eyes stayed locked on Levi’s face.
The sound of Zoe’s footsteps retreated, but the interruption broke the moment. Asher stepped back slowly, giving Levi space to breathe.
“Think about what I said,”Asher mumbled, then opened the door.
They returned to the lobby to find controlled chaos. The team was clustered around their equipment, voices tight with barely contained panic.
“Thank God,”Owen said when he saw them.“The whole building just... sealed itself. Front doors, emergency exits, even some of the interior corridors.”
Maddie looked up as they approached, her eyes focusing on Asher’s face.“Jesus, what happened to your nose? You’re bleeding.”
“Walked into a door frame,”Asher said, dabbing at the blood with his sleeve.“These old buildings, narrow doorways.”
Tyler squinted at him suspiciously.“That’s a lot of blood for walking into a door.”
“I have a deviated septum,”Asher shrugged.“Bleeds easily.”
Levi kept his expression neutral, but he could feel Asher’s amusement at the lie.
