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19

Sage

Thelusciousscentofcoffee hit me when I exited the bathroom. Brandon smiled like he knew how happy it made me.

“Did we cut in line again?” I asked.

“Since you’ve come to expect that level of service, I can’t let a lady down.” He poured us each a cup of java and passed one to me. We nibbled pastries and fruit, standing while we ate.

I swallowed a mouthful of croissant. “I’ve made a decision.”

“All right.” Brandon took a cautious sip of coffee.

“I want us to take down Dante.”

His face lit up with a satisfied grin. “Good call.”

“But”—I held up one finger—“I don’t want him killed.”

That wide smile shifted into a confused frown.

“I know what you’re thinking,” I said. “And trust me, I’d be more than happy if Dante were six feet under, but there’s more than just fulfilling my darkest fantasies at stake here.”

“There aren’t any halfway options when dealing with the Mafia, Sage. If your plan is to put him behind bars, he can still cause serious damage from there.”

“Just hear me out. What if we take away his power before we let him rot in prison for the rest of his miserable life?”

“What are you suggesting?”

I took a sip of coffee and placed my cup on the desk. “The Mafia’s influence comes from the people they control. And since those jerks are complicit in the operation, they also deserve punishment. Do you remember the list I told you I’d been making?”

Brandon nodded.

“It wasn’t only mobsters coming and going from Vixens. Their supporters showed up, too. Some I could identify. Influential people like union bosses and big business owners. Even an official I recognized from the Justice Department. I know those dirtbags are guilty, but without hard evidence, my hands are tied. Here’s where you come in.” I tucked my hair behind my ears. “With your mega hacking skills, we uncover their weakness, be it cash bribes, blackmail material, favors, or whatever the Mafia has used to coerce them. One by one, we’ll expose them until Dante has no one left to support him. Even his billions of dollars won’t be able to help. And then, without judges, cops, or senators in his back pocket, we deliver Dante to the FBI with an open-and-shut case that’s impossible to ignore.”

Brandon gave me a pleading look. “Or I could just kill him, and this would be over much faster.”

“Killing for self-defense is one thing, but plotting a cold-blooded murder, even for someone as vile as Dante, still feels wrong. And besides, I don’t want the rest of them to get away with what they’ve done. The whole pyramid needs to come down. So”—I folded my arms—“I know your superpower is finding people. How good are you at gathering hard-to-find information?”

Brandon let out a choked laugh. “I’ll assume that’s a rhetorical question.”

“Then is what I’m proposing feasible?”

He rubbed the dark stubble on his jaw while he thought about it. “Maybe. It’s kind of brilliant, actually. More work than I anticipated, but the outcome would be profound. You just came up with that?”

“I guess I’ve been thinking about inflicting pain on these assholes for years now. I just never had the capabilities to make it happen.”

His eyes narrowed, and a mischievous smile appeared. “This intelligent, vengeful side of you is incredibly sexy.”

“Brandon,” I groaned. “Now isn’t the time to tease. I’m being serious, here.”

“So am I. I thought violent Sage was hot, but this…” He shook his head while scanning me from head to toe, his aquamarine eyes showering me with approval. “This isn’t at all what I expected when I first met you.”

“I thought you might be regretting that day.”

His brow creased. “Regretting meeting you? Why would you think that?”

“Please.” I snorted. “Haven’t I derailed your life enough already?”