She ground her teeth. “I was afraid you might say that. Can you read it?”

“No. Your sister’s the only one I know who knows any Tris.”

Of course, she was. “So, you have nothing useful to tell me on how to pilot this thing.”

“Best advice? Don’t hit anything. And you’re right. It is an open contract. Vicious one.”

She cursed as he used his League magic to confirm what she already knew.

Open contracts were so rare as to be virtually non-existent. The League almost never granted one because it could lead to assassin guilds fighting over a single bounty, and that could lead to all-out war. Which was the last thing the League, or anyone else wanted.

A contract was only deemed “open” until an assassin signed their name to it. Then that specific assassin was given a specified amount of time to complete it.

If they failed to kill their target during the allotted time and were still alive when it ended, the League took out its own kill contract for the assassin who failed their mission, and the original contract was opened again for another to take and complete.

If the assassin died in pursuit of their target, the contract was immediately opened for someone else to sign, and usually the League added more creds to it as they didn’t want anyone that dangerous left on the streets.

If the kill-warrant target terminated more than two professional assassins who’d signed on, the League then sent in their own.

That was where soldiers like Jinx came in.

Fast, brutal.

Inescapable.

No one survived being hunted by a League assassin.

No one.

Jinx snorted. “Obviously, they bribed the right person. My higher-ups are corrupt as shit. You know that.”

Yes, she did. The League Prime Commander had it in for Jinx and had almost slaughtered him a year ago. It was how he’d met her sister.

But that didn’t change the fact that this was wrong.

“We can’t kill him, Jinx.”

“If you can’t, then you have to hand him over to me and let me finish this.”

“No. It’s bullshit.”

“Jayne . . . be reasonable.”

“It’s a life, Jinx.”

“It’s a target. An assignment. Nothing more.”

She would never understand how her sister and Jinx could do that. Just look at someone and cross them off a list as a commodity.

“Listen to me, little sister, it’s his life or yours and I’m more attached to you. The League will take you both and you know it. He’s assigned a death warrant. There’s no way out for him. And if you’re there when it happens, they’ll take you, too. You know how this plays out. Turn on your tracker and make this easy.”

That would be the smart thing.

However . . .

“There has to be another option.”

“Jayne!”

“Give me another alternative, Jinx. I mean it!”

Cursing her under his breath, he let out a tired sigh. “There’s only one other way. Find the asshole who took out the warrant and get them to rescind it.”