Page 18 of Red Zone Awakened

CHAPTER7

“Are you okay?”Keiko stared up into Mace’s eyes, but they were strangely blank.He’d checked out on her.And considering she’d literally put her life in his hands, that wasn’t a good thing.

His jaw tightened as his eyes slowly focused on her again.“Yeah.”

“You don’t seem okay.You seem to have zoned out.Do you hear something I can’t again?Is that what it is?”

The muscle at the corner of his jaw clenched and unclenched.It wasn’t reassuring.

“Mace?”

“I thought I heard something, but it was nothing.”The words were tight, like he had to force them out.

Oh, she didn’t like this at all.She wanted arrogant asshole back.At least he was confident in his plans and focused on the situation instead of whatever was going on in his head.

Keiko patted his arm.“Are you sure you’re up to this?You aren’t going to freak out on me and walk off the ledge, taking me with you, are you?”

He blinked several times before scowling.“What?No.I’m just thinking.”

“Uh-huh.”She nodded, completely unconvinced.“Well, it looks painful.Maybe you should stop doing it until this is over.”

“Funny.”

She wasn’t being funny.She was serious.“How about we just wait for Enforcement to rescue us?You don’t have to worry about being arrested.I’ll tell them you’re my bodyguard.They’ll believe me.”Maybe.She batted her eyelashes at him, trying to appear as innocent as possible.

It didn’t work.“You think they’ll believe you because you’re one of them.The rest of us know that Enforcement will do exactly what Miriam Shepherd tells them to do.And she does what she likes.”

Great.Now he was back to irritating her.She took her hand from Mace’s arm.“That’s not true.She swore to uphold the law when she became president, and she’s doing a good job of leading the territory.”

His smirk was patronizing.“Princess, she isn’t leading this territory.She’s running a company.Those are two totally different things.Now, are we going to argue, or are you coming with me?”

Well, that was a dumb question.

Keiko straightened her shoulders.“I think we should argue.”

“Why did I ask?”He lifted her again, as if she were a doll.“I’ll put you as far along the ledge as I can reach, so there’s room for me to climb out beside you.”

Her nails dug into his arms as she held on tight.“I don’t like this plan.I mean, Ireallydon’t like it.I want a new one.”

As usual, when he didn’t agree with her, he ignored her.“Keep an eye open for any shards of glass I’ve missed.”He examined the ledge with her still in his hold.

Keiko’s feet dangled well above the office carpet, making her feel even more helpless than she had since meeting him.“How can I keep an eye out for glass shards?I can’t look down.”Not while her entire focus was onnotdying.

“If you step on something sharp,” he said with clearly strained patience, “don’t freak out.Just keep going, and we’ll deal with it once you’re through the other window.”

Oh, she did not like the sound of that.“What if I get a serious gash, and I bleed a lot, and the ledge becomes slippery with blood, and I fall to my death?”

Mace just shook his head, leaned out of the window with her in his hands, and placed her on the ledge to the side of the window.She knew it was coming.He’d told her.But still, it shocked her that she was actually out on the ledge.Sixty-seven floors above Houston.At night.With a criminal.

One she couldn’t let go of.It was impossible.Her fingers had a mind of their own, and they were determined to hook deep into Mace’s flesh.“I want to scream,” she whispered the confession.“Take me back into the room.This isn’t going to work.”Every muscle in her body became rigid as her eyes scrunched tight.

Cool evening air swept over her skin.In front of her was the solid mass of the building.Behind her was nothing at all.And all she could hear was the thunderous drumming of her heart.

“Princess, open your eyes.”His voice was soft, calm, even.“You need to help me out here.You need to take a couple of steps along the ledge to make space for me to join you.”

“No.”Keiko shook her head furiously before freezing just as fast, afraid the movement would cause her to lose her balance and plummet to her death.“Take me back inside,” she begged.“I want to come back inside.If I’m going to die, I want to be shot instead of being splattered all over the ground.I can’t do this, Mace.Please take me back inside.”

“Nobody’s going to die,” he said firmly.“Take a step or two along the ledge, and I’ll come out there beside you.You’ll feel better with me holding on to you.”