SIENNA.

Darkness swirled around me, thick and heavy, like I was drowning in an abyss. My body felt weightless, but my mind clawed at fragments of memory. The world tilted, and suddenly I was back in that dimly lit office that had Thompson Baxter's cologne. Colorado.

His rough hands were on me, and I could feel his breath hot against my neck. My stomach churned with bile rising as I shoved against him. I wanted to scream, but my voice felt trapped in my throat. His laughter filled the room as his fingers dug into my arms.

He grabbed me, his hands pinning me against his desk. "You're not going anywhere," he growled, his body pressing against mine. I fought, my nails clawing at his arms, my knee aiming for his groin, but he was stronger and his weight was crushing me. Panic clawed at my throat. I screamed, but the office was soundproof, making it futile.

The door burst open, and Belinda was standing, holding a fire extinguisher in her hands. "Get off her!" she shouted, swinging it at his head without hesitating. That sent him staggering. He roared, turning toward her, but she didn't flinch, swinging again, this time catching him across the back of his leg. He collapsed, blood trickling from his leg. I scrambled free and I stumbled toward Belinda. She dropped the extinguisher, pulling me into her arms. "You're okay, SiSi. I've got you."

I clung to her, my sobs muffled against her shoulder, my legs barely holding me up. "How... how did you know?" I gasped.

"I was dropping off your jacket," she said, her arms tightening around me. "Saw his car, figured you were working late. Then I got to the door and heard you scream." Her voice broke, and I felt her tears against my hair. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here sooner. We're family, Sienna. Always."

I shook my head, pulling back to meet her eyes, "You saved me. Again."

A loud banging sound came from around me, and my memory suddenly shifted, and Belinda's face faded. A scream built in my lungs. "Belinda!" The name tore from my throat as my eyes snapped open. I was no longer in Thompson's office in Colorado.

My head throbbed with a faint ache. I blinked repeatedly, trying to make sense of where I was. Where was Belinda? Some voices murmured nearby and I turned my head, wincing as a dull ache pulsed behind my eyes. Zane sat at his desk, while his eyes flickered between his brothers. Damian, Liam and Ethan stood near a window. I was at the penthouse and in Zane's study. How did I get here?

My gaze darted back to Damian, and a spark of memory ignited and rage surged through me as I recalled he had drugged me. My best friend was out there, in the hands of those monsters, and he'd knocked me out like I was some nuisance to be silenced.

I lurched off the couch, my legs felt unsteady but was fueled by the rage I had coursing through me. "You bastard!" I screamed as I stumbled toward Damian. He raised an eyebrow, but I didn't care. I started to pound his shoulder repeatedly, "How dare you! You think you can just..."

"Enough!" Zane's voice cut through seconds before I felt him grab my raised fist, pulling me back. I spun to face him, surprised I hadn't even heard him walk that close.

"Let go of me!" I yanked my arm from his grip.

"You were out of control, Sienna," he said. "You were putting yourself and all of us at risk."

I laughed, "Risk? You want to talk about risk? My best friend is out there with the cartel, Zane and you..." I jabbed a finger at Damian, "You thought shooting me with a tranquilizer was the answer? You're all just sitting here, playing war games, while Belinda's probably..."

I paused to picture her terrified. I couldn't finish the sentence.

Zane's grip on my wrist loosened, but he didn't let go. "We're not just sitting here," he said, "We've got a plan."

I blinked, my anger faltering for a moment. "A plan?" My eyes darted between the brothers. Liam and Ethan had turned from the window to sit on the couch across from us.

"Yeah, princess," Damian said. "While you were napping, we did some actual work. We know where they're holding her."

My heart stuttered with hope. "Where? Is she okay? What do you know?" The questions spilled out as I stepped toward Damian, ignoring Zane's hand still hovering near my arm.

Liam spoke up, in his usual disarming voice. "It's a warehouse on the east side, near the docks. One way in, one way out. Heavily guarded, but we've got eyes on it. She's alive, Sienna."

"How do you know? What if they..."

Ethan stepped forward, "We've got a contact on the inside. They've seen her. She's... she's okay for now. They're keeping her as leverage, not..." He hesitated, his jaw tightening. "They're not hurting her. Not yet."

"Not yet?" I echoed. I turned to Zane, my hands dropping to my sides, "What does that mean, Zane? You know what they're capable of! You've seen it! And you're telling me we're just supposed to trust this 'plan' of yours?"

Zane's eyes darkened as he stepped closer. "We're not trusting blindly, Sienna. We mapped the warehouse, counted their men and their weapons. We know their patterns. But it's a choke point, one entrance, one exit. They'll see us coming a mile away. We have to be precise, or we're all dead. Including Belinda."

I shook my head, my chest tight with panic. "Precise? You think they care about precision? They've got my sister, Zane! What's the success rate of this plan? Tell me, honestly. What are the odds we get her out alive?"

Liam exchanged a glance with Ethan, then stepped forward, his hands raised in a calming gesture. "We've run the numbers, Sienna. We've got a solid chance, say seventy percent, maybe more. We're bringing in extra muscle, and we've got tech to jam their comms. It's not perfect, but it's the best shot we've got."

"Seventy percent? That's a thirty percent chance she dies, Liam! You think that's good enough?" My voice broke, and I turned away, my hands trembling.

The memory of Belinda saving me from Thompson flooded back, her fierce protectiveness and unwavering strength. She had always been there for me, and now, when she needed me most, I was stuck here, surrounded by men who thought in terms of percentages and plans.

Zane's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. "Sienna, look at me." I didn't want to, but his tone pulled my gaze back to him. His eyes were intense. "I know you're scared. I know you want to run in there and tear the place apart. But that's what they want. They're counting on us to be reckless. We do this right, we get her out. We do it wrong, we could lose her. And I'm not letting that happen. Then you need to trust us. Trust me."

"Trust you?" I stepped closer. "You drugged me, Zane. You let Damian shoot me with a tranq like I'm some animal. How am I supposed to trust you when you treat me like that?"

Damian snorted, breaking the tension. "Oh, come on, princess. You were losing it. Screaming, hitting the car. We did you a favor."

I spun on him. "A favor? You think knocking me out was a favor?"

"Sienna." Zane said as he moved between me and Damian, his broad frame blocking my view. "He's right. You were out of control. But that's done. We're here now, and we're working to get Belinda back. You want to be part of this? Then stop fighting us and start listening."

I stared at him. A part of me wanted to tear through every obstacle until I reached Belinda. But another part knew he was right. I couldn't save her alone. Not against the cartel. "What's the plan?" I asked finally.

Ethan stepped forward, pulling a tablet from the desk. He tapped the screen, pulling up a blueprint of the warehouse. "One entrance here," he said, pointing to a narrow door. "It's a bottleneck, but we can use that. We go in quietly, disable their cameras, and take out the outer guards before they know we're there. Our contact says Belinda's in a holding room here." He tapped another section, a small square in the center of the layout. "Two guards, maybe three. We move fast, we can get her out before they raise the alarm."

I stared at the blueprint, my stomach twisting. It looked so simple on the screen, just lines and shapes, but I knew what it meant. Blood and Bullets. "And if they see you coming?" I asked. "If your contact's wrong? If there are more than three guards?"

Ethan hesitated, his eyes meeting Liam's. "We've got contingencies," Liam said. "Smoke grenades, flash bangs. We'll have backup outside, ready to move if things go south."

"Contingencies," I repeated,

"It's what we've got," Zane said. "We're not going in blind, Sienna. We've done this before. We know what we're up against."

Zane's hand touched my shoulder, "Sienna," he said. "I promise you, we're going to do everything we can. I'm not letting them take her from you."

I nodded, trusting him to keep his word. I had lost too many people. I couldn't lose Belinda either. She was all I had got in my corner.

ZANE.

The driver pulled the car to a stop in front of the Atlas building. The same one they had bombed recently. "Guess where they are?" Damian said, pointing to the map of the building, which he spread over his lap.

"The roof?" I said, half believing my eyes as I fixed my eyes on the spot he was pointing at. My pulse pounded in a high rhythm as I lifted my eyes to Sienna's. She couldn't hide the way her hands trembled at her sides. The rooftop was such a tricky spot to fight. Damian leaned against the seat, his usual smirk replaced by a taut readiness, his fingers twitching toward his knife. Liam and Ethan were sitting across from us, their hands already on their guns.

"Remember, we are not engaging," I said, "We can only win if we take this fight to them on that rooftop."

Sienna's eyes searched mine, a flicker of hope warring with her fear. She nodded, but her hands still trembled. I hated seeing her like this and wanted it over already.

"Damian, back exit," I ordered, "Liam, Ethan, sweep the feeds. I need every angle."

They moved out of the car without a word, Damian slipping into the hall, Liam tapping a tablet for camera feeds, and Ethan checking his gear. I grabbed my jacket, sliding a second Glock into the holster at my ankle. Sienna followed me. I wanted to tell her to stay in the car in order to keep her safe, but I knew she would never listen. She was in this, whether I liked it or not.

We slipped out through a service exit and headed up the staircase. My mind was a battlefield, already trying to figure out how to find a way to save Belinda without losing anyone.

The cartel's method was psychological; they had chosen a rooftop because it was open and exposed, knowing my public life would shackle me. I couldn't call in an army without risking exposure. The world saw me only as Zane Calloway, the tech investor who brokered deals with a smile. They couldn't know the man who had spilled blood to keep The Atlas on top. So, it was just Damian, Liam, Ethan, and Sienna against a gang that thrived on breaking people.

Sienna's hand brushed mine, a fleeting touch that sent a jolt through me. I glanced at her, her face pale, and her eyes stared back distantly. She was thinking of Belinda. We moved silently up the stairs until we got to the door that led to the open roof.

Sienna stepped forward, pushing the door open. Belinda sat in the center, bound tightly to a wooden chair. Her mouth was sealed with duct tape, and her head slumped forward, eyes closed. I could tell she had been sedated heavily, seeing how her chest was rising and falling in shallow breaths.

Next to her was a desk, and on it were new rummy cards, pinned to the spot to keep them from flying out.

But what bothered me most was the silence. It felt wrong; there was no movement or gang members. Just Belinda and the desk.

Sienna gasped in front of me, "Belinda!" She started forward, but I grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Her eyes burned into me, wild with panic. She was trembling.

"Don't," I said in a whisper. "It is a setup."

Her lips trembled. "She's right there, Zane! We have to..."

"Quiet," I snapped, my eyes scanning the rooftop. Glints flickered at the edges, and I saw them, snipers, perched on the buildings around the rooftop.

My stomach twisted in disgust at the cartel's game to draw us in, make us vulnerable before they strike. My double life was their weapon. They knew I couldn't risk a full-scale war, so the world would see my true face. We were exposed, outmaneuvered, and every second we stood there, the noose tightened.

"Zane, what the hell is this?" Sienna's voice shook, her gaze locked on Belinda.

I didn't answer, my mind racing with questions. I needed to out-think them.

"Zane," Liam whispered. "Snipers, northeast and southwest. At least four. We're pinned."

"I see them," I muttered.

"We can't just stand here," Sienna said. "She's my sister, Zane! Do something!"

Her words cut deeply through me. She didn't understand the stakes and was too emotional to see the trap closing around us. The cartel wanted us to act, to make a mistake. I needed a way out, a way to save Belinda without losing everyone else.

"Zane, we're out of time," Ethan said. "We move, or they do."

"Move how?" Sienna snapped, yanking her arm free. "You're all just talking, planning, while Belinda's sitting there! What's your brilliant plan, Zane? Stand here and wait for them to kill her?"

"Sienna, I'm trying to keep her alive. You think I don't care? You think I'm not tearing myself apart over this? The cartel wants us to rush in. We do that, we're dead. She's dead."

Her eyes blazed, tears spilling over. "Then what? Zane. I'm not losing her because you're too scared to act!"

"Zane, she's got a point," Damian growled, his hand on his gun. "Screw the snipers. We rush the chair, grab the girl, and get out."

"Bad idea, brother," Liam cut in. "We move, they open fire. We need a play, not a suicide run."

"Then what's the play?" Sienna demanded.

"Sienna, I need you to trust me. I know what she means to you. I'm fighting for her and all of us. But we have to be smart."

Before she could respond, a voice cut through the silence, "Now let us play a game, Zane Calloway, your folks can stay back and watch you gamble away at Belinda's life."

Sienna's scream tore through the night, raw with fear, as she recognized the voice. " It is him," she said.

"Who?"

"The same guy at the warehouse. The scarred-faced man," she said as she started to run towards Belinda.

֍ ֍ ֍

"Sienna, don't," I tried to grab Sienna's arm, but she was already moving. She tore free and ran forward.

"Damn this girl," Damian yelled just as a sharp gunshot rent the air. I followed the direction it came from, Sienna. They had shot at her, intentionally missing her. That was a warning to stop her from walking closer.

Dust kicked up near Sienna's feet. She paused for a second, but then she took another step. Another shot rang out, closer this time, the bullet grazing the ground inches from her toes. I saw her body jerk with shock as she stumbled to a stop.

"Sienna, get back!" My voice was a growl cutting through the haze of her panic. My eyes flicked to the snipers perched on nearby buildings, their scopes trained on us. My brothers stood next to me, all tense, but had their weapons ready.

Sienna turned her gaze, locking it on Belinda. Tears streamed down her face, but she backed away to join us, getting the cue that the two shots fired at her meant.

"What's the game about?" I asked, screaming into the empty space.

The scarred-faced man stepped forward, his grin a twisted slash across his pockmarked face. His eyes gleamed with the expression of a predator savoring his prey.

"I changed my mind. Not you, Calloway," he said. "Her." He pointed at Sienna, his pistol dangling loosely in his hand. "Since she betrayed my trust. Now she gets to play the game. Now listen"

He paused, then continued, "You have three chances to pick the number three from those cards." He gestured to the desk, his grin widening. "Fail, and your sister gets a bullet in the heart."

"Please," she begged. "Don't do this. Let her go. I will do anything but this." Sienna wailed out in fear.

The man's laugh had a heartless tone, and it made me angry. He raised his pistol, and before I could react, he pointed it towards us, firing a shot.

"What the heck?"

The shot grazed Sienna's cheek, and a thin line of blood welled up. She gasped, letting her hand fly to her face in shock.

My blood boiled, my hands clenching, but I forced myself to only reach for Sienna. I held her until I felt her shocked shivers reduced to a few shakes.

"Sienna," I said. "You have to play. We will figure this out. Together."

Her eyes were wet with tears. "I can't," she whispered. "What if I choose wrong? I am not good at gambling. She will die, Zane."

"You won't," I said. I wasn't sure if I had made the right choice or if the game was rigged. "Go. Try."

She nodded and slowly stepped toward the desk. Damian's hand twitched toward his gun, his fingers tapping as he scanned for signals, for anything that could give us an edge. Ethan and Liam's gaze was fixed on the snipers' positions.

Sienna reached the desk, her hands trembling as she picked up the first card. Her breath caught, her fingers shaking as she turned it over. A five. Her face crumpled, a sob escaping her lips.

The scarred-faced man laughed hysterically. "Two chances left, princess. Better make them count."

My chest tightened, my mind racing for a way out. The cards were a distraction, a way to keep us focused while the snipers waited. I needed to turn this against them.

"Enough!" Damian snapped. "You want to cry about it, or do you want to save Belinda? Pick the damn card, princess."

"Damian, shut up," Liam hissed, his eyes still on his tablet. "Zane, we've got movement, northeast corner. They're repositioning."

"Snipers?" Ethan asked, his gaze fixed on the shadows.

"Likely," Liam replied. "We're running out of time."

Sienna picked up the second card as her tears started to fall onto the desk. She turned it over... "A four," she said through sobs. It was louder this time, as she dropped the card, her hands covering her face. "I can't do this," she whispered. "I can't."

"Tick-tock," the scarred-faced man taunted, pacing slowly while he swung his pistol. "One more try, or your sister's heart stops beating. You should have known better than to cross me, Sienna. You thought you could hide behind Calloway? You're nothing but a scared little girl."

Her head snapped up, her eyes blazing through her tears. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Just stop! There has to be another way!"

The man's grin vanished, his face twisting with rage. "Another way?" He raised his pistol, aiming at her chest. "Pick the damn card, or I'll shoot her now!"

She was about to pick one when I felt the weight of the moment crash over me. The cartel's game was rigged. I knew it in my bones. The cards, the snipers, the scarred-faced man's glee, it was all designed to break her. I couldn't let her make that choice for the weight of Belinda's life.

That was it. I couldn't watch the shit show anymore.

I stepped forward. "Wait!" My eyes locked on the man wanting to draw my Glock and empty it all on him, but I knew it would be suicide.

The scarred-faced man turned to face me. "Scared your little girl has no luck."

Sienna's hand hovered over the remaining cards with trembling fingers. I stepped forward, placing my hand on her shoulder, "No, I will pick up the last card."

SIENNA.

It wasn't the first time that Zane Calloway would be my timely knight in shining armor, yet it was the first time I doubted his ability to save the day. This situation was tricky, and a misplay could mean that this would be the last few minutes I spent with my best friend.

"Zane... No." I whispered, feeling his hand settle on my shoulder. His touch was firm, but it didn't calm the storm raging inside me.

My eyes stung with tears, blurring the sight of Belinda's pale face, her hair now a mess, brushing against her forehead. I had already failed her twice, and had just a chance left to save her. One card to pick the number three, or Belinda would die. My heart pounded in a frantic drumbeat as I stared at the remaining cards, knowing they held the key to my friend leaving the rooftop alive.

Zane's grip tightened. "I will pick up the last card, trust me."

I turned to him and felt a conflicting wave of awe and fear as I studied his face. His dark eyes burned with a confidence I couldn't fathom. How could he be so sure he would pick the right card? My stomach churned with doubt. What if he chose wrong?

Damian's voice cut through. "You sure about this, Zane?" He stood to my left, his hand hovering near his gun. "This whole thing's a setup. I don't trust these folks."

Liam joined them, "We all know this whole card thing is a distraction. We need to move, not gamble, Zane."

Zane's eyes didn't leave the desk. "We do not have a choice. We stand here, they shoot. We rush, they shoot. I pick, we buy time."

"Time for what?" I snapped, trying to follow up on their conversation.

His gaze snapped at mine. "Just give me the chance to try."

The scarred-faced man's laughter broke the moment. "Touching," he scowled, his pistol swinging as he paced around. "But the clock's ticking, Calloway. Pick, or I choose for you both."

As Zane stepped toward the desk, my heart lurched with fear, choking me. I wanted to believe in him, yet the scarred-faced man's grin made my legs go weak and give way. I had to hold onto the edge of the desk to balance quickly.

Zane was reaching for one of the cards when hell broke loose. It happened in a split second, and I almost didn't see it start. A gunshot went off, echoing across the rooftop, and men in dark gear rushed in, aiming their guns at us. Damian spun around with his gun drawn, firing at them.

A scream tore from my throat as Liam and Ethan dove for cover behind a rusted vent. Their shots rang out in defense.

I snapped out of my momentary shock and turned my attention to Belinda, still slumped in the chair, oblivious to the surrounding madness. The scarred-faced man vanished behind the men, and it hit me. He had never intended to let her go. The game was at a standstill until his men could trap us and outnumber us.

"Sienna, stay down!" Zane called out while he pulled a phone from his pocket. His fingers moved fast over the screen as he dialed, "Get here, now," he barked into the phone, then dropped it, sprinting toward Belinda. I wondered what that call meant, but didn't dwell on it. We needed to save Belinda before a flying bullet pierces her heart.

I stumbled forward to join him as bullets whizzed past, and one grazed the desk, splintering the wood. Zane reached Belinda, and he fished for a knife to cut the duct tape binding her wrists and ankles. When she was cut free, her body sagged forward, and he caught her before he turned to me. "Sienna, hold her and stay low."

I nodded at him and reached for Belinda with shaky hands, letting her body rest against mine. Tears burned my eyes as I cradled her cold, pale body and under-eye. I brushed my fingers through her hair. "I've got you," I whispered, "I've got you now, Belinda."

Zane had joined the fight, rescuing Damian, who was grappling with a cartel thug. Damian's knife found its mark on his arm, and Liam fired from behind cover. Ethan wrestled another thug. He shot him in the jaw, and the man went skittering across the rooftop.

My stomach revolted in fear at the rawness of the bloody fight. Zane and his brothers were putting up a good resistance, but the cartel's men kept increasing in numbers.

A bullet grazed the desk, and I tightened my grip on Belinda. I ducked lower, shielding her with my body. A mechanical thrum filled the air, it was so low that it shook the rooftop. I looked up to see a helicopter descend, its blades slicing through the chaos. I saw the pilot, and hope filled me at once.

Noah.

The chopper dipped low with its side door open, letting out a rope. The cartel thugs shot at it, firing wildly when they realized it was our ride out of their chaos.

Zane was back at my side, his face streaked with sweat. "Sienna, move!" he shouted, grabbing my arm, pulling me and Belinda toward the chopper. Damian appeared, blood dripping from a gash on his forehead, his grin feral. "Go, Zane! We'll cover you!"

Liam and Ethan were still fighting, holding back the thugs. I clung to Belinda as the chopper approached until Noah's face became visible in the cockpit. Zane pushed me forward, his hand on my back, "Climb, Sienna! Now!"

I grabbed the ladder but felt my hands slipping on the ropes. As bullets whizzed past, I became frightened when one grazed the ladder's rung. I was terrified we would never make it out alive.

The helicopter's rotor roared above me, drowning out the gunfire but not my fear. I gripped the rope tighter until the coarse fibers were biting into my palms. The ladder swayed wildly under our weight as I climbed rung by rung, each step a battle against the surrounding terror.

"Sienna, keep moving!" Zane said, and I felt his hand on my back as he climbed behind me. His breath was hot against my neck, but his presence kept me from doubting our escape.

Below, the rooftop was a blood-soaked nightmare as the brothers kept fighting back against the thugs. A bullet whizzed past, grazing the ladder's rung above me and the metal twang. I gasped as my grip slipped, causing my body to lurch backward. Zane's arm shot out, wrapping around my waist,

"I've got you," he said. His eyes met mine for a split second, and I saw it...fear, not for himself, but for me and Belinda. It was gone as fast as it came, replaced by that unshakable resolve that both awed and infuriated me.

"Climb, Sienna!" he shouted, his hand pushing me upward. The helicopter's spotlight swept over us. The ladder twisted, causing the wind from the rotors to whip my hair into my face, stinging my eyes.

Below, Damian roared; He buried his knife in a thug's shoulder as he shoved the man to the ground. Another cartel thug lunged, but Damian was faster. He sent him sprawling with a punch. Liam crouched behind a vent, firing shots at the thugs, yet the men kept coming.

Noah called out to us. "Don't stop, you're almost here."

Almost. The chopper's open door loomed above, a promising safety, but it felt a world away.

"Sienna, move!" Zane shouted as a cartel thug jumped on the rope too, clutching his leg. My muscles screamed with pain as I forced myself higher.

Noah leaned out the chopper's door, extending his arm. "Sienna, give her to me!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the rotors. With Zane's other arm holding me up, I pushed Belinda upward. Noah grabbed her, pulling her limp body into the chopper. Relief flooded me, but it was fleeting, as Zane and his brothers were still fighting below.

I scrambled into the chopper, collapsing onto the metal floor. I heaved a deep sigh. Noah secured Belinda to the seat. He checked her pulse carefully. "She's alive," he said, his eyes flicking to the chaos below. "But we need to move. Now."

"Come on, Zane, we have to go," Noah yelled.

I leaned out to watch Zane on the ladder as he covered his brothers while firing back at the man running after them.

"Zane!" I screamed, gripping the chopper's doorframe. "Get up here!"

He glanced up, "Not yet!" he shouted, firing again, dropping a thug who had aimed at Liam. He was protecting them.

Noah called out again. "Zane, we can't hold this position! Get your ass up here!"

Zane nodded and started climbing. Damian broke free from the thugs, sprinting for the ladder. Liam followed closely, still firing his gun to cover Ethan as he shoved off his opponent.

A scream tore from my throat as a bullet grazed Damian's shoulder, his body jerking, but he didn't stop, his grin feral as he hauled himself higher. Liam and Ethan climbed next. Zane reached the chopper, pulling himself inside. He turned around, grabbing Damian's arm to haul him in. Liam followed, collapsing beside me, his blood staining the floor. Ethan was last, his hands slipping on the ladder.

"Move," Zane called. Noah didn't wait to lurch the chopper upward while the ladder swung wildly as the cartel's gunfire chased us.

I clung to Belinda, my arms wrapped around her, my tears falling onto her hair.

Zane knelt beside me, his hand on my shoulder. "Sienna, she's safe. You did it."

I looked at Zane, his face streaked with blood and sweat. His eyes were tired. "No, you did. You promised to get us all out alive," I whispered. "Thank you, Zane," I managed to say just before the world went gray around me.