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Brandon

“Whatdoyouthinkabout this masquerade ball?” Sage asked.

I didn’t want to talk about Dante’s party. I wanted to talk about us and what’d happened before Shep had barged in. Sage’s venomous comments about saving her because I’d failed to help Janie had found their target. Maybe a part of it was true, or had been in the beginning.

Still, I couldn’t believe she’d said those things. That she’d even go there. It was savage, even for Sage, and I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t cut deep.

I supposed I had confronted her with some brutal truths. It was clear Sage had lashed out because she was scared, which meant her walls had come up and she’d weaponized her words to make me stand down.

Sensing I’d get absolutely fucking nowhere if I brought any of that up, I answered her question instead.

“I think it’s the perfect way to gain entry to Dante’s mansion.”

“I thought we decided against going in there. Or at least to wait until we know for sure there’s no other way.”

I took a step toward her, but she shifted to put more space between us. The small gesture was as harsh as a throat punch. “I won’t get another chance like this for easy access to his compound. The place will be a hive of activity, which will make it easier for me to look around.”

Sage lowered her chin. “Easier forusto look around, you mean.”

“No, you heard me right. I don’t want you anywhere near Dante’s.”

“I’m sorry.” She folded her arms and cocked a hip. “When did you decide you can tell me what to do? Or did spending five minutes with your buddy turn you into an asshole?”

“If wanting to keep you safe makes me an asshole, then yeah. I suppose I am.”

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t be there.”

“I can give you twenty. Will you listen to any of them?”

Sage propped her hands on her hips. “I’m not letting you go in there on your own. Besides, you’ll need me as your plus-one. Even if you’re dressed to the nines, you’ll still look like a badass in a fancy suit. If you’re on your own, it’ll draw suspicion. If you’re there with a partner, you’re just another guest at the ball.”

She made a valid point. Having Sage with me would be incredibly helpful. She was skilled with a weapon, smart, and could fight. It didn’t matter. I’d still rather do the mission on my own than put her at risk.

“Admit it,” she added. “I’m not useless. I’d be an asset to you in there.”

I scrubbed my hand over my face. “Yes, but you’d also be a weakness.”

She took measured strides to square off against me. “How can you say that? I took down the biggest guy in that brawl tonight. I’m not weak!”

Despite our chests being inches apart, the chasm between us might as well be a mile wide. I was desperate to build a bridge across it so I could bring her back to me. Would she let me? Were things too far gone between us to return to…whatever we’d been? The thought terrified the hell out of me.

“You’ve misunderstood me, Sage. I don’t mean you’re weak. I could never think that.” I ached to reach for her. To take her beautiful face in my palms and tell her exactly how strong she was and how much she meant to me. “I mean you’remyweakness.” I almost dropped to my knees with the realization.Fuck. If anything happened to her, I’d tear the world apart before setting it on fire. How was this possible? How had she come to mean so much to me in such a short time?

She froze with her mouth open. “What are you talking about?”

“When we started this, you said you wanted to keep the body count low. You saw what I did at Vixens. I won’t hesitate to do that again if you’re in danger.” I swallowed against the baseball lodged in my throat. I didn’t elaborate on why I felt so strongly about protecting her. She was already skittish about us.

Sage’s warm brown eyes softened. “If my memory serves me correctly, I did my fair share of damage at Vixens. I didn’t abandon you then, or at Joey’s, and I won’t abandon you now. So we can either work as a team and get the job done smoothly, or you can be a monumental pain in the ass and I’ll find my own damn way into the ball.”

I groaned for two reasons. One, she was right. I was being a pain in the ass. And two, she’d never back down.

She dropped her hands to her sides. “I need this, Brandon. For what happened to Kieran. For what happened to me.”

“And you’ll have your justice, Sage. I promise you.” I squeezed the bridge of my nose. “I won’t talk you out of this, will I?”

“Not a chance.”