She edged out and ducked as a drone buzzed just over her head. It hit the wall above her and shattered, the blades still spinning as they crashed over her, plastic and metal raining down.

She bit down on a scream, and hunched over, scuttling away, along the edge of the room. Caught herself again before she cried out when another drone zipped close, hovering just over her head.

“You’re mine, dorogaya,” Sergei said, his voice singsong, something deeply sinister as it mixed with the buzz of the drones. “I know you miss me.”

He didn’t sound close, but his words sent fire through her, ignited her entire body.

Move!

She hunkered down, combat style, and shimmied along the floor, through the darkness, away from the flickering lights.

Around her, more drones collided, exploded. She put a hand over her head, the other gripped the screwdriver. Kept her breath tight.

The lights were blinking out, one drone after another propelled into the wall, the ceiling, another drone. Just stay along the perimeter and—

A hand reached out and grabbed her jacket.

No! She rolled onto her back and with everything inside her, stabbed at her attacker with the screwdriver. He slapped her wrist away, then grabbed it, holding. “Stop!”

The voice seized her. She froze. Made out his face in the erratic light.

Colt!

He pulled her up, into his arms.

Oh. Oh—she couldn’t breathe, her heart too fast, her face dug into his neck. He smelled of the night, of safety and protection and everything she needed him to be. Thank you, God! His arms tightened around her, as if trying to hold her in place against his heart.

“How are you here?” She tried to keep her voice low into his neck, his ear.

He pushed her away, his forehead to hers. “Are you okay? I saw him hit you.” He made a little sound at the end of that, a growl that lit something inside her.

“I’m okay. But the drones have deployed, Colt. The S-poxR.”

“We’ll keep it contained. I think Dodge took out the lights, which means he also took out the electrical to the building. The door isn’t going to open.”

Dodge. Of course, the Kingston brothers to the rescue.

“You shouldn’t have come in here.”

“Seriously?” He pulled her tight against him, his voice now against her ear. “Where you are, I am. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

She closed her eyes, hung on, her hands clutching his shirt. Oh, she wanted to stay here. Right here. Secure in his embrace.

“You need to get out of here,” he said.

No.

He held her away, his brown eyes hard in hers. “Go for the door. Ranger is outside.”

“Not without you.”

“Yes. Without me. I need to shut this guy down.”

“It’s Sergei.”

A beat, then, “What?”

“Sergei, the guy who—”