had been correct. The
unadorned cuff had been made for a man, but the metal was pretty soft, pliable
when warmed sufficiently, which meant it was real silver. She’d heated it and
shaped it to fit her thin wrist, ends overlapping. If she wanted to brand the
hell out of her arm, she could hold the cuff over an open flame and stretch it
open barely enough to allow her to tug it off, but since she wasn’t too keen on
that option, it stayed put. Didn’t move an inch on her arm. “It’s just a
bracelet,” she said. “It doesn’t do anything.”
Amy looked crestfallen. Nate rubbed at the back of his neck,
probably embarrassed he’d let it escalate into such a fiasco. But Connor stared
at the cuff with a calculating look that put Sinna on guard.
“Seven of us left that church this morning,” he said.
“Before that, all of us fled our homes to get there. Not one of us thought to
pack jewelry, except you. That’s not the sort of thing you think of when you
run for your life. Food? Sure. Weapons? Even better. But jewels?” He shook his
head. “And now, here we all stand, with Grays prowling around out there, and
you, wearing that cuff, miraculously survive them. Don’t tell me there’s
nothing special about it.”
Sinna rolled her eyes. “You got me,” she said dryly. “I
secretly harbored a weapon most deadly and off-putting to the Grays, and I
selfishly hid it because I knew you’d want to take it from me.”
Connor was not amused. “Hand it over.”
“Fuck you.”
“Hey, guys.” David raised his hands for peace. “Let’s not
fight, okay?”
“You want us to believe you’re still the good guy?” Conner
said to Sinna. “Then prove it. Take it off.”
“It’s skin tight. It doesn’t come off.”
He shrugged. “Then I’ll take your hand.” And he brandished a
knife to do just that.
“Connor! Stand down!”
“She’s making waves, Nate.” Connor clutched his blade
tighter, snarling in Sinna’s direction. “Someone needs to shut the bitch down.”
“That’s an order!”
“You think you’re so clever?” Connor said softly to Sinna.
“Let’s see how clever you really are. You go ahead and keep that cuff.” He
sheathed the knife in the back of his pants. “But I’ll be taking that gun
back.”
Before anyone could react, Connor lunged, grabbing for the
weapon in her hand. Sinna gasped and turned away, but he was much stronger and
she was cornered. His impact sent them both sideways, slamming into the pillar
and the wall as they wrestled for the gun. Jesus, the safety’s off! Sinna twisted, grappling with all her might. Still, he was winning, bending her
wrist inward and turning the gun toward her. She pushed off the wall to gain
some room to maneuver. She got mere inches, nowhere near enough to put up a
decent fight.
Connor fit his massive hand over hers and grinned savagely.
“Nighty night.” His finger squeezed hers, the trigger with it, and the gun went
off with a boom so loud, it rendered her momentarily deaf. Both of them
stopped, widened eyes locked onto each other, waiting for one of them to drop.
Seconds ticked by so slowly. Sinna’s ears began to ring,
drowning out her heartbeat but not the whoosh of her breaths. In and
out. In…and out.
Then Connor let go and stumbled back, looking down at his
side. When he pressed a hand to his shirt, it came away stained with blood. At
the sight of it, searing pain shot through Sinna’s torso, and the gun dropped
from her suddenly limp hand. Warmth trickled down her belly. Her knees buckled,
and she sank to the floor.
David caught her before she crumpled. Nate checked Connor as
Amy scurried back inside her car burrow, staring out with wide, panicked eyes.
None of this made an impression on Sinna; her mind was numb, while her torso
burned in agony.
Then David pressed on her—hard—and it was pain beyond
anything she’d ever thought possible. So much so, her breath locked up in her
chest. She couldn’t even scream. It
unadorned cuff had been made for a man, but the metal was pretty soft, pliable
when warmed sufficiently, which meant it was real silver. She’d heated it and
shaped it to fit her thin wrist, ends overlapping. If she wanted to brand the
hell out of her arm, she could hold the cuff over an open flame and stretch it
open barely enough to allow her to tug it off, but since she wasn’t too keen on
that option, it stayed put. Didn’t move an inch on her arm. “It’s just a
bracelet,” she said. “It doesn’t do anything.”
Amy looked crestfallen. Nate rubbed at the back of his neck,
probably embarrassed he’d let it escalate into such a fiasco. But Connor stared
at the cuff with a calculating look that put Sinna on guard.
“Seven of us left that church this morning,” he said.
“Before that, all of us fled our homes to get there. Not one of us thought to
pack jewelry, except you. That’s not the sort of thing you think of when you
run for your life. Food? Sure. Weapons? Even better. But jewels?” He shook his
head. “And now, here we all stand, with Grays prowling around out there, and
you, wearing that cuff, miraculously survive them. Don’t tell me there’s
nothing special about it.”
Sinna rolled her eyes. “You got me,” she said dryly. “I
secretly harbored a weapon most deadly and off-putting to the Grays, and I
selfishly hid it because I knew you’d want to take it from me.”
Connor was not amused. “Hand it over.”
“Fuck you.”
“Hey, guys.” David raised his hands for peace. “Let’s not
fight, okay?”
“You want us to believe you’re still the good guy?” Conner
said to Sinna. “Then prove it. Take it off.”
“It’s skin tight. It doesn’t come off.”
He shrugged. “Then I’ll take your hand.” And he brandished a
knife to do just that.
“Connor! Stand down!”
“She’s making waves, Nate.” Connor clutched his blade
tighter, snarling in Sinna’s direction. “Someone needs to shut the bitch down.”
“That’s an order!”
“You think you’re so clever?” Connor said softly to Sinna.
“Let’s see how clever you really are. You go ahead and keep that cuff.” He
sheathed the knife in the back of his pants. “But I’ll be taking that gun
back.”
Before anyone could react, Connor lunged, grabbing for the
weapon in her hand. Sinna gasped and turned away, but he was much stronger and
she was cornered. His impact sent them both sideways, slamming into the pillar
and the wall as they wrestled for the gun. Jesus, the safety’s off! Sinna twisted, grappling with all her might. Still, he was winning, bending her
wrist inward and turning the gun toward her. She pushed off the wall to gain
some room to maneuver. She got mere inches, nowhere near enough to put up a
decent fight.
Connor fit his massive hand over hers and grinned savagely.
“Nighty night.” His finger squeezed hers, the trigger with it, and the gun went
off with a boom so loud, it rendered her momentarily deaf. Both of them
stopped, widened eyes locked onto each other, waiting for one of them to drop.
Seconds ticked by so slowly. Sinna’s ears began to ring,
drowning out her heartbeat but not the whoosh of her breaths. In and
out. In…and out.
Then Connor let go and stumbled back, looking down at his
side. When he pressed a hand to his shirt, it came away stained with blood. At
the sight of it, searing pain shot through Sinna’s torso, and the gun dropped
from her suddenly limp hand. Warmth trickled down her belly. Her knees buckled,
and she sank to the floor.
David caught her before she crumpled. Nate checked Connor as
Amy scurried back inside her car burrow, staring out with wide, panicked eyes.
None of this made an impression on Sinna; her mind was numb, while her torso
burned in agony.
Then David pressed on her—hard—and it was pain beyond
anything she’d ever thought possible. So much so, her breath locked up in her
chest. She couldn’t even scream. It
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