Page 11 of Born Reckless

And like she has nothing at all to worry about, hand in hand, Elena leads me straight into that glass wall.

It shatters into a million tiny pieces. And for one freeing moment, we sail through the night air.

It's natural instinct. I don't know where it comes from, it's definitely new. But my brain is tumbling through all the possibilities, all of the trajectories, finding the best way to land and how to move when I hit the ground. Midair, Elena let's go of my hand. She, too, positions her body, ready for impact.

My feet hit the ground, but my knees bend with just the right timing. Pain doesn't even bark into my feet. I roll perfectly, ducking my head, rolling my shoulder, and position my body so precisely that not a single bit of it hurts.

Elena and I both pop up onto our feet at the same time. I look back, and up. And up. And up.

It happened so fast. I don't hesitate, and there is no difficulty. But instantly, my brain counts up to thirty-nine. Thirty-nine floors up, and I see the broken glass.

Elena and I just jumped out of the thirty-ninth floor. And both of us are standing here, not a scratch on us.

"Juliet," Elena says with panic. "We have to go. We have to get out of the city."

Looking back, I see the man standing in the opening of the shattered window. His expression is one of fury. Vengeance. "I will find you, and I will make you suffer as much as she did."

The man's vow chills me to my core. I feel it in every ounce of my being. He means what he just said. Looking at him, it's easy to tell. This is a man of power.

That was his daughter. I realize it now. He and Elena were just speaking in the room next to where I was laying, and he said that he wanted Elena to meet her. She was on her way to that room when I intercepted her.

"Juliet!" Elena yells. I feel her strong hand, too strong, close around my wrist, and she pulls me toward the busy road.

I follow after her. My eyes roam everywhere around me. There are lights, so many lights. There are towering buildings and flashing billboards. There are so many people coming and going.

And these buildings… This is no normal city.

Las Vegas. It's not difficult to tell where I am. There are so many recognizable landmarks. There's no doubt in me. We are in Las Vegas.

Last I remember, we were in New York. It's where I live. How the hell did we get to Las Vegas?

"Elena?" I ask, her name coming out as a panicked question. "Where… What…"

"I swear, I will answer all of your questions soon, but right now, we have to get away from here. We have to get out of the city. That man is powerful, and hewillcome after us."

She's dragging me down the sidewalk. Frantically, her eyes search the space ahead of us. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her cell phone. She wakes the screen, taps it, and then presses it to her ear.

"Done already?" I hear Mason answer. The street is crowded, people are talking. I shouldnotbe able to hear him on the other line.

"Juliet woke up early," Elena says, her words barking fast and quick. "Things didn't go well. We have to get out of the city. Now. Meet us at the airport."

I hear him swear on the other end. "I can be there in twenty minutes."

Elena slides her phone back into her pocket.

So many heartbeats. I hear them all. I hear them pumping blood in and out of veins. I hear it as pulses spike, as they drop. That burn reignites in my throat. There's a fire in the pit of my stomach, and it begs to be extinguished.

My nostrils flare as we pass a crowd.

They smell good. They smellsogood.

"Elena," I say, and her name comes out so rough, it's barely recognizable.

She glances over at me, and her eyes widen just a little bit. She curses, and her eyes start scanning the crowd. "It needs to be someone alone. Someone who doesn't look like a tourist. Someone who will not be missed. Try your best, but I know how hard it is to control in the beginning."

I should realize what she's saying. I should be able to process the fact that she's trying to tell me not to kill someone. But all I can think about is the burn in my throat and the thirst on my tongue.

Half a block down, I spot him.