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I pointed at him and glared. “You keep your damn hands to yourself.”

He nodded. “You have my word.”

I wiped my sweaty palms on the apron before untying it and tossing it to the floor. “I…I don’t know how to do this.”

What was the difference between a real lap dance and a fake one, anyway? This was a terrible idea.

“Just stand in front of me and move to the music.” Brandon lowered himself onto the seat, his solid-as-tree-trunk thighs spread wide to give me space to dance. When I hesitated to get started, his expression softened. “It’s not real, Sage. You don’t need to feel uncomfortable, all right? It’s just you and me in here.”

Except that was the problem. Being alone with Brandon, this close to him, was like jump-starting a long-dormant engine. I wasn’t used to feeling…anything for a man since Kieran. It was confusing as all hell, and I didn’t want it.

Slowly, I went to him, and after taking a steadying breath, swayed my hips to the seductive beat of the electronic music pulsing through the club. “Talk.Fast.” I emphasized my words with wide eyes.

But Brandon didn’t talk right away. Instead, his eyes lingered on my thigh. I guessed he hadn’t seen the scar before. His focus returned to my face before I had to call him out on it.

“I’ve found a way to get you out of the deal with Dante, and it’s going down tonight.”

I froze. “What? How?”

“Keep moving, Sage.”

Part of me wanted to tell him to stick it. That I didn’t need him saving me and I’d get out of the deal with Dante myself. But another part told me to quit being stubborn. If Brandon had a plan, I should at least listen.

I resumed my dance, if my awkward moves could be called that. “You’re serious? You can help me?”

“I won’t lie. There are risks. But I think it’s worth a shot, don’t you?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. Look, Brandon, there’s clearly a lot I don’t know about you. Please tell me your confidence in getting us out of here safely isn’t unfounded. I mean, you’re good with computers, but that hardly—”

“I’m good with other things, Sage,” he interrupted, and the look he gave me was one of pure certainty. “Very good. And I don’t have time to explain right now, so I need you to trust me when I say I’m not scared of these assholes, and I can handle this.”

The strange thing was, I did trust Brandon. And theseother thingshe was very good at? I had to wonder what they were because I suspected he was smarter than any man in this building, Dante included. And that broad, powerful body of his was no accident. Perhaps it served a purpose other than being mouthwatering to look at.

A thrill shot through me at the prospect of being free from Dante’s control. Even though I hadn’t learned the identity of Kieran’s killer, I was ready to get the hell out of here. Emboldened by this new hope, I relaxed into the dance, my movements flowing smoother as a mixture of excitement and anticipation surged through me.

“All right. I’m in,” I said. “What do you need me to do?”

“I’d hoped you wouldn’t have to do anything, but I’ve got a problem.”

I nodded and fisted my hands through my long hair, lifting the wavy tresses from my neck the way I’d seen the women on stage do. “I’m listening.”

Brandon’s eyes moved lower, but he caught himself and rushed them back to mine. “I had to make a new deal with Dante’s uncle to release you from yours. It involved tracking down someone wanted by the Mob.”

“The scruffy guy you dragged in?”

“Yeah. And they have good reason for wanting to talk to him, so don’t spend a moment feeling bad for that junkie.”

I frowned, not sure if anyone deserved to be handed over to Dante and friends.

“That’s not all,” said Brandon. “I had to give sensitive information about a colleague. Not my finest moment. I knew it would cause Shep trouble.”

“You screwed over a friend? For me?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call Shep a friend because… How do I explain this? He doesn’t really have any. We used to work together. And yes, I screwed him over, but he can handle the heat. Shep’s a hitman, and the most lethal bastard I know. You, on the other hand, are a delectable mouse tossed into a pit of ravenous vipers. I had to move fast.”

I ignored what Brandon said about his colleague being a hitman. We didn’t have time for the questions that raised. Instead, I pinned him with a death look. “I’m no mouse.”

“If you say so, but I’m still getting you out.”