Page 18 of The Knight
Abe tensed, ready to spring. One wrong move and they’d lose everything—or worse.
A metallic click cut through the din. Abe’s eyes locked onto the thief’s hand.
Fuck. A grappling gun.
The thief aimed upward. With a sharp hiss, the hook shot out, latching onto the plant’s domed ceiling. The cable went taut as the man swung his boots onto the handrail.
Where the hell is he going?
The thief turned his back—just for a moment. Freya jumped, fingers splayed, reaching for the backpack straps.
Time slowed. Her hands snatched at thin air as the thief jumped, swinging in a wide arc over the maze of pipes below, steam billowing around him.
Freya’s momentum carried her forward, and her feet left the metal grid.
Abe’s world narrowed to a pinpoint. He dove, arms outstretched. His hands found her waist, yanking her back from the abyss of boiling water and unforgiving steel below.
Reaching the apex of his swing, the thief released the grappling gun. Momentum hurled him toward a large exhaust vent on the far wall. With ease, he tucked and rolled through the opening, vanishing into the ventilation labyrinth.
Freya’s elbow jabbed into Abe’s ribs as she wrenched free. “What the hell are you doing?” Her words came in short, furious pants. She staggered back, eyes blazing with an intensity that could melt steel.
“Keeping you alive,” Abe growled. His jaw was solid.I don’t care how pissed you are, Duchess, you’re my priority.
“You let him get away.” She jabbed a trembling finger at the dark vent, her voice cracking with a mix of rage and disbelief.
Abe stepped closer, invading her space. “I prefer my clients breathing.” His gaze never wavered from hers. “The laptop’s replaceable. You’re not.”
Freya’s nostrils flared. “That’s not your call to make.”
“It’s exactly my call.”
He risked a glance at the vent. In a station like this, the ventilation system was a 3D maze, leading anywhere—and everywhere. Right now, their target was racing toward freedom, where extraction would be swift and nearly untraceable.
“We need to move. That vent system’s a highway out of here. Every second we waste arguing, he gets further ahead.”
Her chin lifted to a stubborn angle. “Fine,” she bit out, the word clearly costing her. “But get this straight: the laptop is the priority. I’m not some helpless damsel for you to coddle. That device is more than data—it’s a weapon. One that’ll go to the highest bidder. We get it back, no matter what. Clear?”
“Crystal.” He leaned in. “And next time I ask you to jump, you ask how high.” He didn’t wait for her reaction. “I’m your best shot at retrieving that laptopandkeeping your heart beating. We don’t have to like each other, but we damn well need to work together.”
Her jaw jutted. For a heartbeat, Abe could almost see the ‘fuck off’ forming on her lips.
She exhaled slowly, the sound like a hiss through gritted teeth. “Understood.”
“Good.” Abe didn’t soften his tone. “Now, you know this place. Where’s that vent system likely to spit him out?”
Freya’s eyes flashed fire. “Follow me,” she said, already moving. “And try to keep up.”
11
Freya’s world had imploded,and now she was trapped in a car with the most insufferable man in the Northern hemisphere. She rubbed her temples, trying to ease the band of pain that circled her head with little success.
The search for the thief at Hellisheidi had been exhaustive, but ultimately fruitless. The theft of the laptop had been surgically precise. Hellisheidi’s firewalls were state-of-the-art, supposedly impenetrable, but all communication systems had been disabled remotely. Emergency protocols had failed to engage, and backup systems had remained stubbornly silent. Every inch of the power plant had been combed, from the labyrinthine ventilation system to the sprawling grounds, but the intruder had vanished, taking the laptop and the data with him.
With the laptop gone and no immediate leads to pursue, there was nothing left for her to do. Despite her vehement protests, Abe had insisted on escorting her home.
She sat as far away from Abe as the car seat would allow. It wasn’t far enough. She could still see the dark hairs on the backof his hand, the way sinew and muscle flexed as he drove to her rented house.
They rode in tense silence.Alone.