Page 66 of Defiant Beta

From far away, something bangs. I drag air into my lungs, cough so hard and for so long that I black out.

Slap.

Someone shakes me.

“Hey!”

Another light slap hits my cheek, and a familiar voice penetrates.

“Levi, come on, man.”

Xavier.

I peel my eyelids open.

He’s crouched beside me, his brow furrowed.

I’m no longer roasting in the sauna. I’m flat on my back outside it.

“What happened?” His phone vibrates. He pulls it out of his pocket and lets out a laugh, flipping the phone to show me my message.

Out of the steam room, my message just hit his phone.

“Someone tried to kill me.” I sit up, hunching over as I cough until my lungs burn.

Sitting up helps. The door to the hallway Xavier left open helps even more, letting a waft of cool, fresh air into the humid space.

Then it hits me what this means, and I start laughing.

Xavier studies me with a raised brow. “Is this a heat stroke? Should I be throwing you over my shoulder and running to the nurse?”

“Why else would someone want me dead unless I found out something they don’t want me to know?” My grin widens. “It means that we’re right where we need to be.Finally.”

I was starting to believe we were chasing a ghost.

This changes things.

He cocks his head, his expression thoughtful. “You think we’re onto them?”

“I think we’ve spooked them. Give me a hand.” I hold my palm out, and he helps me to my feet. “How’d you know something was wrong?”

“Tried calling you, but your phone rang out. Then I found something wedged in that door when I went looking for you. Didn’t expect to trip over you when I opened the door.”

If he hadn’t shown up when he did, I’d be dead.

He peers into the corner of the steam room and frowns. “What the fuck is that?”

“Bait.”

We drag out the sweat pants and hoodie stuffed with towels that someone tossed in to lure me into a deadly trap. This time, I keep one eye firmly on the door so no one can come along and slam it shut again.

I keep a change of clothes in the wellness center, which Xavier grabs for me. I’m lightheaded when I pull on the dry sweatpants and a black sweatshirt, but every minute I’m out of that sauna, I feel stronger.

“You should get yourself checked out,” Xavier suggests.

I shake my head. “I’m good. Don’t trust the nurse here.”

I don’t trust anyone here.

---