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I grab his arm, forcing him to face me. “We're this close,” I hold my thumb and forefinger a hair's width apart, “and you're telling me to sit at home like some helpless princess waiting for her knights to return? Not happening.”

Alex studies me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he sighs, setting down the magazine he was holding.

“You think I don't understand?” His voice drops lower, more intimate somehow. “Vesper, if they see you, if they even suspect you're there, everything falls apart. This isn't about keeping you safe, though that's part of it. This is about getting Luca back.”

“I'll stay hidden,” I argue. “They’ll never know I'm there.”

“You can't promise that.” He steps closer, close enough that I can smell the coffee on his breath. “These people took everything from you once already. Don't give them the chance to do it again.”

“So I'm just supposed to what? Sit here and wait? While you and Talon risk your lives?”

“Yes.” His bluntness is infuriating. “That's exactly what you're supposed to do.”

I turn away, pacing the length of the basement, frustration building with each step. I hate that Alex is right.

I hate even more that I can't argue with his logic.

“I can't just do nothing,” I finally say, my voice softer but no less determined.

Alex returns to his preparations, methodically checking each weapon before placing it in a black duffel bag. “You won't be doing nothing. You'll be coordinating with us from here. Oscar's

setting up a command center in the living room.”

“That’s not the same, and you know it.” I lean against the workbench, eyes tracking the movements of his fingers. The same ones that held me as I slept just hours ago. “What if something goes wrong?”

“Something always goes wrong,” he replies without looking up. “That's why we plan for contingencies.”

I push off from the bench and move closer, deliberately invading his space. “And what's the contingency if they recognize Talon? What then?”

Alex finally stops what he's doing, setting down the knife he was inspecting. “Then we adapt,” he says simply. “Like we always do.”

“Not good enough.”

“It has to be.” His voice softens. “Vesper, I get it. I do. But this is the play we have to make.”

I shake my head, frustrated tears threatening to fall. I blink them back, refusing to show weakness.

“You need backup. Not just Talon, “I insist. “Z and Oscar?—”

“Are staying here with you,” Alex finishes firmly. “If this goes sideways, you'll need protection. The last thing we want is to leave you vulnerable.”

The truth of his words hits me like a physical blow. They're not just worried about me being recognized. They're worried about The Collector making a move against me while they'reaway. Using me as leverage if they discover who Charles Blackwood really is.

“I hate this,” I admit.

“I know you do,” he says. “But Luca needs you to be smart right now, not brave. There will be plenty of time for that after we get him home. He’s going to need you. You’re the only person who knows what he’s gone through.”

His words strike a chord deep within me. I've been so focused on doing something, anything, that I haven't considered what Luca would actually want. He wouldn't want me risking my safety, putting myself back in The Collector's crosshairs.

“Fine,” I concede, though the word tastes bitter. “Promise me something? Promise me you'll bring Talon back. If something goes wrong, he’ll be the first one to volunteer to try to fix it.”

“I will,” he answers flatly.

“The same goes for you. You seem to be more sensible than the rest of them, but I can’t lose you either. As much as I want my brother back, I refuse to sacrifice you or Talon in the process.”

I don't plan what happens next. One moment I'm standing there, begging Alex to come back to me, and the next, I'm pressing my lips against his. I deepen the kiss, drawing him closer. For once, I want to infiltrate that meticulous self-control he wears like armor. I want to see what lies beneath.

Alex responds by backing me against the weapons cabinet, the metal cool against my shoulder blades as his body presses against mine. One hand slides up to cradle my face, his thumb tracing my cheekbone with surprising gentleness, even as his kiss grows more demanding until he pulls away from me