"Hold onto me and don't you dare let go!" James roared, his voice cutting through the deafening shriek of tearing steel.
The concrete landing beneath our feet cracked open, swallowing the stairwell in a blinding geyser of fire and pulverized stone. Viktor’s triumphant cackle was cut short as the upper floor caved in, crushing him beneath a hundred tons of falling debris before he could even take another breath.
James didn't hesitate. He wrapped his massive body around mine, twisting in midair as the entire structure gave way beneath us. We plummeted through the choking smoke, slamming hard onto the reinforced steel roof of a stalled elevator car two floors down.
The impact rattled through my teeth, knocking every drop of air from my lungs. Sparks rained over us like liquid fire as the e
