The impact with the rescue net felt like being hit by a freight train made of nylon and kinetic energy. For a heartbeat, the world was nothing but the rush of air and the terrifying, weightless plunge from the fiftieth floor. Then, the net snapped taut, tossing them upward before they settled into its heavy, swaying center.
Ethan groaned, the movement jarring his wounded shoulder. He didn't let go of Lila. His arm remained a protective bar across her waist, his body shielding hers even in the aftermath of their death-defying leap.
"Breathe, Lila," he gasped, his voice a jagged rasp. "Just breathe."
Lila shivered, her lungs finally expanding as the adrenaline began to recede, replaced by a cold, bone-deep tremor. Above them, the Blackwood Emerald Tower was a silhouette of dying lights. T
