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“Logan—” Lincoln started, but I cut him off.

“I’m serious,” I said, my voice steel. “If that’s the only way, then I’ll figure it out. I don’t care what it takes.”

There was a long silence, and then Lincoln’s voice softened, losing some of its usual edge. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“What?” I asked, thrown off by his tone.

“I’ve got you,” he said simply. “I know you don’t have the money. I do. We’ll figure it out.”

I exhaled slowly, some of the pressure in my chest easing just slightly. Lincoln didn’t offer things like that lightly. When he said he had you, he meant it.

“I’ll pay you back,” I murmured in a choked voice, my throat tight.

“It’s what family is for, Rookie,” he added, his voice teasing now. “You can repay me by not telling Lancaster I’m Batman. I don’t need him showing up at my door with a cape.”

Despite the weight of the situation, a small, broken laugh escaped me. “Deal.”

“I’ll get my PI to get the details of the auction, and I’ll wire money into your account. I need to move some money around to get what you’ll need, though. It’s going to take me some time.”

“Thanks,” I said, rubbing at the tightness in my chest again.

We hung up, and I stared at the counter for a second, pulling myself together so I could have a strong face in front of Sloane. Then I walked into the room where she was…packing.

“What are you doing?” I growled, stalking forward and grabbing the clothes out of her hand that she was about to throw in the suitcase.

“Protecting you,” she spit out. “These types of auctions…there’s no way to win. I’m going to leave and wait for the results on my own. I’m not going to let you get involved and get hurt when you try and stop what’s coming. What’sinevitable.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” I said firmly, moving closer.

Her eyes darted toward the door, and I knew exactly what was coming. “This isn’t your decision to make. Maybe I love you enough to do whatever it takes to protect you too.”

I took a deep breath and then pulled the handcuffs from my pocket and held them up, the metal glinting under the light.

Her eyes widened in disbelief, and then she snorted. “Okay…and what do you think you are going to do with those?”

“Making sure you don’t do something stupid,” I said calmly, stepping forward.

“Logan, you can’t seriously think?—”

Before she could finish, I grabbed her wrist, snapping one cuff around it. She gasped, her eyes flashing with fury, but I didn’t stop. I secured the other cuff to my own wrist, the cold metal biting into my skin.

“What the fuck, Logan?” she snapped, tugging at the cuff. “Take this off. Right. Now.”

“Not until I’m sure you won’t leave,” I said, my voice steady. “We don’t need self-sacrifice right now, Sloane.”

She yanked on the cuff, trying to pull away, but all it did was drag me closer. “This is insane! Let me go!”

I met her gaze, unflinching. “I’m going to save you. And you’re going to trust me to do it.”

Her chest heaved, her breaths coming fast and shallow. “You don’t get it, Logan. He’ll never stop. You can’t protect me from him.”

“Watch me,” I said, my voice low, my grip tightening just slightly. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Even if it means pissing you off.”

She glared at me, her eyes blazing. “You don’t get to make this choice for me. It’s my life, my?—”

“And I’m not letting you throw it away.” I cut her off, my voice sharp. “You think I’m going to just stand by and watch you walk back into that nightmare? Think again.”

The fire in her eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by something softer, more fragile. Fear. Pain. She looked down at the cuff on her wrist, her fingers brushing over the metal. “I’m scared,” she whispered.