Marcus trembled in my arms, his blood warm as it soaked into my skin.
His shallow, irregular breathing, then—nothing. His lips curled up slightly as if he had something else to say, but the words would never be uttered. His eyes stared blankly at the stars.
He was dead.
A gun fired in my mind, but the alley was silent. There was no sound except the odor of gunpowder and blood thick in the wet air, almost suffocating. My fingers cramped against Marcus's icy skin, holding on.
And then there were the footsteps. Steadily, deliberately. Someone was waiting outside.
My heart thudded against my ribcage as I jerked my hands back, scrambling to get to my feet. Shadows stretched long against the brick walls. The alley was too narrow, too many places for someone to hide.
I had to get out of th
