even sure I really know Killian anymore. It’s sure as hell looking like I never did.
Declan’s eyes narrowed. “I figured you’d say that. So, I guess I’m going to have to go with Plan B.”
Before she could even blink, Declan fired two rounds into Rio’s chest.
“No!” Bryn shouted, rushing forward to catch Rio as his chair tipped and he started to fall back to the floor.
Her brain screamed at her to move, to help Rio, to grab Declan, to do something. But panic had her rooted to the floor. Through a haze of rage, unshed tears and pain, all she could do was look Declan in the eye and ask, “Why?”
His remorse was clear as he looked back at Rio, whose head was now cradled in Bryn’s lap while she sobbed quietly. Eventually he said, “If you can’t stop them from coming after me and my sister, I will. I’ll burn the whole world down if I have to. Everyone who has the ability to track me has to die. I really am sorry, Greer.”
And with that, he turned on his heel and took off so fast he was nothing but a blur.
“Call 911 and stop bawling,” she barked at Bryn.
“I did! They’re ten minutes out.”
Greer dropped to her knees and took Rio’s hand. He didn’t have ten minutes. That much was obvious by the blue tint of his lips and the wet, sucking noise in his chest when he tried—and failed—to breathe.
Jesus, think, Greer! There has to be something you can do. You’re a goddamned superhero!
“I’ll fly him to the hospital,” she said desperately, more to herself than to Bryn. “I’ll fly faster than I ever have before. I can do it.”
But when she started to ease her arms under Rio, Bryn stopped her. “No, you can’t,” she said. Closing her eyes, she ran her hand over his wounds. “One of the bullets pierced his lung, but the other is laying right against his aorta. If you move him, it could go through and kill him.”
Greer blinked at her. “You can see that?”
Bryn let out a shaky laugh. “Well, I’ve never tried before, but yeah, it would appear so. Guess the ability to see through walls translates to the human body, too.”
Rio’s already sluggish breathing was slowing down even more. “We can’t just wait around for another ten minutes, Bryn,” she murmured. “We can’t just let him…”
Greer couldn’t even finish the thought. Wouldn’t let herself finish the thought. Rio was not going to die. Damn it, she couldn’t lose him!
Tightening her hold on his hand when his eyes started to flutter shut, she got right in his face and broke out what Rio called her drill sergeant voice. “You will stay awake and you will stay with me, do you hear me? I do not give you permission to die, you son of a bitch, do you hear me? You’re not done here. You. Are. Not. Done. With. Me.”
One corner of his mouth lifted into a weak smile before he mouthed, “Bossy.”
She let out a watery chuckle and impatiently brushed at the tears that were now spilling down her cheeks. “That’s right. I’m bossy. And if you go into that light, I swear to all that’s holy I will follow you and drag your ass back here with me.”
“I have an idea,” Bryn said quietly, rubbing her palms together.
Greer waited for about half a second before her patience snapped. “Well? If you have an idea that could save him, what are you waiting for—a fucking parade? Let’s hear it!”
“Ok, ok,” she said, taking a nervous bite out of her thumbnail. “You remember when I said I was working on a new power?”
“Yes. Jesus, yes. What, kid? What is it?”
“Rio,” Bryn said, sounding more nervous than she had in her initial job interview with Greer (and the kid had puked in the middle of that), “this is probably going to hurt.”
Bryn’s hands shook as she held them about an inch above his wounds. She squeezed her eyes shut and seemed to be channeling every bit of energy she had into his body. Rio groaned and shifted under…whatever she was doing to him.
Greer laid a hand on his shoulder to keep him still, and she had to fight the urge to yank it back, because his entire body felt like it was being electrocuted.
She swallowed hard. “Bryn, are you sure—”
Bryn shushed her and flexed her fingers.
That’s when Greer noticed her hands were starting to…glow.
Jesus, her hands were glowing. And even though