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Roark’s old boss lifted his gray eyebrows at me as I collapsed in a heap at his feet once my hands were free I wasn’t sure if it was broken, but my kneecap felt like it wasout of here on my own

“I got a frantic call from Reeve Black She said ayou to Roark She told us to hurry She said you told her to wait an hour but that was too long She called us the second you hung up the phone I pulled o after you Gotta say the ti lot almost bled out but the paraery quick and gets a blood transfusion He was still conscious e rolled onto the scene, so they took that as a good sign and the bulletmajor Lucky bastard Looks like you would’ve been in pretty bad shape if we had been even a minute later”

I didn’t know if Booker would agree that he was lucky This was the second time he took a round in the chest in less than six months Even if he did have asto run out

“I’nored me and called you” Hell, I was stunned she hadn’t tried to ride to the rescue all on her own

“Yeah Told so the syste She also said if we didn’t send soal backup I didn’t realize you had your hand so deep in the cookie jar, Detective Can you walk?”

I shookan arm around my back We both looked at where Roark lay still and lifeless, a bullet hole decorating the center of his forehead

“See he put you and the people of this city through”

I disagreed, but I had just spent the last hazybeaten with pipes and fists “He died on the ashes of the empire we took from Novak Seems oddly appropriate”

Packard snorted as we hobbled toward the door “I’h I’ll never officially adlad I’m the one that fired the shot I screwed up with Roark Evens the scales back a little in my favor”

I sighed This was the Point It was never over and our scales were always out of whack in the opposite way anyone wanted I shuffled, jumped, and stumbled with his help out of the warehouse to where I could hear sirens wailing We were headed toward the back of an open ambulance when I heard rowled at Packard when one of his guys grabbed her to keep her back from the chaos and crime scene

He ordered the fed to let her through and she ran ather She hit round I was covered in blood, not all of it my own, and she didn’t seeeta mile a minute, her eyes wide and shiny with relief and unshed tears I slurabbed her cheeks so I could hold her face I kissed her to shut her up and because I had to I was alive She was alive The good guys were battered but victorious

“You didn’t wait”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in the curve there “I’ve been waiting for sooing to wait for it for another hour I couldn’t risk it I couldn’t risk you”

“Thank you I’ care of me”

She nodded againstI wanted you to see that I do trust you, trust the system I wanted to show you ht way”