Eli’s tech den shook as Order assassins breached the door, Mara’s voice—You’re mine—ringing through the chaos. Ava’s implant pulsed, the vision of a man resembling Jace working with Mara burning in her mind. Was he Jace’s brother? Lena fired her rifle, downing an assassin, while Jace’s pistol blazed, his movements lethal. Ava grabbed a stun baton from Eli’s table, her implant sharpening her reflexes, but her desire for Jace surged, a distraction she couldn’t shake.

“Get to the back exit!” Eli shouted, his cybernetic eyes flashing as he hacked the drones outside. Ava’s implant flared, and Mara’s device pulsed in sync, pain shooting through her. Jace caught her, his arms strong, his eyes fierce. “Fight it, Ava,” he growled, his lips grazing her temple. His touch was fire, and she clung to him, their bodies pressed close, desire overwhelming the pain.

“I’m trying,” she gasped, her hands gripping his coat. Their lips met, a desperate, searing kiss, his hands sliding to her hips, pulling her against him. The implant amplified every sensation—his taste, his heat—and Ava arched into him, her fingers digging into his back. They stumbled into a corner, bodies entwined, and she felt his need, matching hers, a promise of more in stolen moments.

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Lena’s shout snapped them back. “Move, now!” They ran, Eli leading to a hidden hatch, but Mara appeared, her device glowing. “You can’t escape, Ava,” she said, her eyes cold. Ava’s implant surged, showing another vision: Mara implanting the man—Jace’s brother?—with a device that controlled him. Was Jace at risk?

Ava swung her baton, striking Mara’s arm, and the device fell, but an assassin tackled her. Jace fought him off, and Lena grabbed the device, tossing it to Eli. “Hack it!” she yelled. Eli’s screens lit up, but Mara laughed, vanishing into the chaos. A new figure emerged—an assassin with Jace’s eyes, his face a twisted mirror. “Brother,” he hissed, raising a blade. Was he the man from Ava’s vision, and could she save Jace before his brother struck?

Cliffhanger: Is the assassin Jace’s brother, and can Ava save Jace from his deadly strike?

Chapter 6: Betrayal’s Edge

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