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He snorted. “You think I’m that much of an asshole that I’d hurt her?”

“No, but I can’t make any guarantees she won’t try to put a bullet between your eyes.”

One side of his mouth twitched. “Think I like her. Tell her to come out. I wanna meet her.”

“What for?” I glared at him when the urge to keep Shep away from Sage stirred up an unusual level of possessiveness.

Shep raised his brows. “Christ, you went allpsycho boyfriendreal fast.”

“You would know.”

He took a step toward me. “What the fuck is that supposed to—”

The bathroom door opened, halting Shep and me in our tracks. “Unbelievable.” Sage stepped out with a shake of her head. “You two sound like bickering children.” Thankfully, she’d stowed the Glock in the waistband of her jeans. The hitman would get edgy if it were in her hands.

Shep and I eyed each other before we both backed down. He went to the minibar and grabbed himself a beer, then glanced between Sage and me. “Why are you two all hot and bothered? Did I interrupt something?” He popped the top and took a long swig.

“Yes,” I said at the same time Sage blurted, “No.”

Sage’s eyes met mine, and the determined look in them told me not only had she resurrected her wall, but she’d fortified it for good measure.Fucking great.

“Is it too soon to recommend relationship counseling?” Shep took another sip of beer to hide his smirk.

Asshole.Sage aimed a death stare at Shep, and I imagined she wanted to whip out the Glock and use it.

I folded my arms. “What do you want, Shep?”

He sat on the edge of the bed. “Do the cops have anything on us?”

“Nothing so far. I’m keeping close tabs on the investigation, and if any evidence comes up, I’ll make sure it disappears.”

He nodded. “Good. I’m taking care of my side of the bargain. It’s gonna take longer than I hoped because those spineless pricks have scattered.”

“I can get you intel to help with that.”

“Appreciate it. Where are you at with Dante?”

I blew out a long breath, some of the tension leaving my shoulders because Shep’s visit was about intel collection, not payback. “He’s holed up in his Newtown Square mansion, although he went out today to retrieve a hard drive from the club. Took it back to his place, and we suspect it’s Franky’s stash of blackmail material. Other than that, no sign he’s planning on going public yet. Though he’ll have to raise his head soon or else he’ll lose any chance of filling Franky’s shoes.”

“Haven’t you heard?” Shep glanced between Sage and me.

“Heard what?”

“Heisgoing public. This weekend he’s throwing some big party at his place. He’s invited all Franky’s minions so he can schmooze them and convince them he’s got everything under control. Gonna be one of those fancy-ass balls with masks and shit.”

“A masquerade?” asked Sage as she straddled the desk chair and rested her forearms on the back of it.

“That’s it.” Shep nodded. “I guess he doesn’t want the guests to identify each other since it’s pretty clear why they’re all there. Bunch of fucking lowlifes.”

“How’d you find out about this?” I asked.

“I was interrogating Lloyd Marchetti, and he coughed it up”—he shrugged—“along with a fair amount of blood. And why the fuck didn’t you know already? Thought you were the intelligence guru. What have you two been doing up in this room the whole time?”

“Other important things.” My teeth clenched so tight my jaw ached. But Shep was right. Sage and I going out tonight might’ve been unwise. If Dante had sent out correspondence, I should’ve been here to capture it.

“Don’t forget your primary target, Landers. You’re getting sloppy and making mistakes. And do you really think it’s a good idea to let her”—he glanced at Sage—“tag along? You should get her somewhere safe.”

Sage pinned Shep with dagger eyes. “I can keep myself safe. There’s no way I’d leave Brandon to do this on his own.”