Page 137 of Shatter

The latch clanks, and the door swings open, warm air rolling over me like bathwater.

The hall light is so bright I have to squeeze my eyes shut.

"Come out, Annika." Desmond's voice. "Someone's here to see you."

I try to stand.

My legs fold under me like wet paper.

"Anni." His voice, cracked straight down the middle. "Anni, look at me."

I open my eyes.

He's standing in the hall behind Desmond, with Laurent at his back and a pistol pressed against his spine.

His face is white.

His gray eyes are fixed on me, burning, and his hands are empty and hanging at his sides.

Gods help me, he came, and I prayed he would.

Now they're going to kill him in a fish plant hallway because of me.

Desmond reaches down and hauls me up by the arm.

My feet can't hold me, so he holds me up with one hand.

His other hand slides around the back of my neck.

My skin crawls under his fingers.

Across the hall, Hakon goes so still he stops breathing.

"The drive's real?" Desmond doesn't look away from Hakon.

Laurent's phone buzzes, and he glances at the screen without lowering the gun. "Text from the office. Every account's there. It's real."

"Good." Desmond's fingers tighten on my neck, gentle, possessive, and I feel his thumb stroke once along my throat. "Then we're finished. Take the prospect out back."

"No." The voice comes from the end of the hall.

Pierce.

He's standing there with his hands shaking at his sides, his face gray and wet, his quarter-zip stained dark at the collar with sweat.

My breath snags in my throat.

"This wasn't the deal." His voice breaks. "You said nobody gets hurt. You said you'd let her walk away."

"Pierce." Desmond sighs, like a man disappointed in a waiter. "Go wait in the car."

"No." Pierce takes a step toward us, and then another. "Let go of her."

"Step back." Desmond doesn't raise his voice.

"Let go of my sister." Pierce's voice cracks wide open. "Please. Des. I'll give you anything. Dad will give you anything. Let her go."

He takes one more step.