He slammed the heavy mahogany panel shut, cutting off the sound of the gun battle.

The silence of the hidden shaft was sudden and heavy.

“Is there another way out?” I gasped, my chest heaving.

“The service elevator,” Aries said, his hand still on my shoulder, guiding me down the stairs.

We reached a small metal door with a glowing green key pad.

Killian shoved past us, his face smeared with black soot and a thin line of blood running from his temple.

He punched a code into the keypad, and the steel doors slid open with a low hum.

We stepped inside the small, utilitarian elevator.

The doors closed, sealing us in the cramped space as the lift began its rapid descent.

I leaned against the metal wall, trying to catch my breath.

My hands were shaking so violently I could barely hold onto the silk shirt.

Aries leaned his head against the opposite wall, his eyes closed.

His chest rose and fell in shallow, rapid breaths.

“Are you hit?” I asked, looking at the dark stains on his jacket.