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Blood rushed to Khalani’s chest, and she felt her nose tingling.

“No, no. No crying or else you’ll ruin the makeup.” Serene fanned her face frantically. “I lied. You look like shit and we’re all gonna die.”

A burst of laughter escaped her, and she wiped her nose. “You know, most people would cry at that.”

“I know. But you’re not most people. You’re my best friend.” Serene gave her a conspiratorial wink. “Now, this is what you’re going to do. You’re going to walk through this door with your head held high because you’re a badass criminal. Got it?”

“Since when did you become so bossy?”

“Since no one would listen to me otherwise.”

***

When Khalani emerged upstairs, everyone was waiting for her.

Adan enveloped her in a long embrace, urging her to stay safe,not wanting to let her go. He even suggested dressing up like a girl and going in her place.

“I’ll be fine,” she reassured him, not mentioning how much she wanted to crawl in a hole and disappear.

After months together, the thought of leaving, even briefly, was more daunting than she’d anticipated. But Khalani tucked her emotions away until they were fleeting, masking her fear by pretending it didn’t exist.

Brock stood off to the side, his angry scowl deepening when she passed.

“Any words of wisdom?” she asked.

“Don’t be an embarrassment and die.”

Inspiring words, truly.

With a shake of her head, Khalani approached the front bar where Spade, Takeshi, and Raziel talked in low voices.

Her breath hitched when she got her first glimpse at Takeshi.

The black suit seemed custom-made for his body. The shiny fabric hugged his muscular frame and broad shoulders perfectly, and his slicked black hair was gelled to the side, though a few rebellious strands spilled across his forehead.

He looked like danger in its most irresistible form.

For the first time, she saw the sophisticated man who grew up in Genesis—the last surface city in Apollo that was reserved for the wealthy. But when he glanced her way, his muscles went utterly still, and it was the deadly Captain who stared back.

His magnetic eyes flared as they swept over her face, past her arms, and down her chest, toward the thin fabric clinging to her ribs and thighs.

His dark stare was a brand, a sword’s edge gliding over her skin.

For a moment, his jaw clenched, and Khalani caught a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze before he masked it again. A rush of heat spread to her cheeks as she felt the weight ofeveryone’s gaze on her.

“You’re a badass criminal. Got it?”

Serene’s words rang in her head like a resounding anthem, helping Khalani square her shoulders and lift her chin.

“I must say that you’re a vision.” Spade was the first to break the silence.

“You have oddly great taste in dresses,” she noted dryly.

“I usually prefer taking them off,” Spade shrugged, a sly grin forming on his face. “But you prove why some things should be appreciated first.”

By that point, Khalani was certain her face was as red as her dress.

“It’s time to go,” Takeshi said, his deep voice lower than usual, more animal than man, as his icy gaze drilled through Spade.