Battl

turned the

he guest bedroom. The sheets were

dn't co

rk clothes, locked the door, and d

desk, his sharp eyes behind rimless glasses focused squarely on his diagno

doorframe and stepped inside

ful eyes, the entire tuning circuit wrote me off as a washed-up ghost. Only Connor quietly pres

g to pull out a leather chair. "Did you bring

the heavy manila enve

out a low breath. "Paperwork is clean. The state registry transfer will clear in ex

nly, my voice devoid of emotion. "I'm serving hi

the right call. Anyone who grinds down your worth isn't worth keeping around. Wi

a fai

. He's the financial backer behind the Oakland tech facility and the President of the Iro

's g

putation had rea

on airborne equipment. After his discharge, he returned to California and dismantled every rival syndicate along the transit corridor with ruthless ef

man was already there, leaning against the w

g an aura of lethal, quiet discipline. Hearing th

cut into me so sharply that m

nd, his gaze drifted past me, l

the designer behind the micro-injection powertrain architecture, Jolene Battle-known in t

oused hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lynch

n was undeniable. His jawline was razo

on an entirely different level. Dressed in a dark tactical shirt buttoned straight to

t me, his voice smooth, low, and completely

the brief awkwardness, a

gned yet, but I can personally vouch that once Jo

itched with fai

pped forward, placing a thick leather

this line of work, safeguarding proprietary schematic

nd a three percent equity cut of all production engines built on my micro-injection architecture. The penalty clauses were eq

xceptional, and

ned my name on the final execution line. I slid the folder

oo

crawled his sharp, authoritativ

shifted over the table as h

six-foot-three-taller an

e overhead lights. His ice-grey eyes pinned mine with total focus. "Get your

firmly. "Thank y

vy texture of a man used to handling firearms. The instant our palms br

lert tone sliced through the room as the overhe