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Sadie followed her, muttering, “Oh boy, do you have to tell her some things.”

“Not now,” Joan muttered back.

In the safety of their cozy bedroom, Sadie opened her mouth to ask if Joan thought this emergency meeting was about Big Quake. Only Joan pulled off her tank top and revealed the breasts that Sadie was now being denied. Her clit throbbed in agony.

“Please find a speedy resolution so we can pick up where we left off,” she said.

“Nothing I want more, sweetheart.”

Joan dressed in the same violet-and-navy plaid flannel and black pants she’d worn that day. They probably still smelled like Hot and Cold and its oils and proteins and general cookery. Wearing the clothes from one identity to deal with the other.

Poor Joanie. She was never going to get away from being Spark.

But what if Spark could be something more? Something better?

“I know it’s hard to work with the Supers,” Sadie said. “But I’m proud of you. You’re doing the right thing.”

“I’m doing the only thing I can. They own my ass.”

“Better them than these new Villains. And Big Quake.” Sadie hugged her arms. “Now I definitely don’t want people thinking you’re working with them. I’m pretty sure Big Quake is the reason my mom’s so afraid of the city.”

Joan pulled her hair back, grimacing when a chunk fell over one eye. She grabbed a dark hair tie from the small garnet-red ceramic bowl Sadie had given her as a Christmas present. “Greta loves tea. She’d like your chamomile concoction.”

“You don’t want her out and about gathering more intel?”

“She’ll look after you.”

Slight irritation needled at her neck. “I don’t need anyone to look after me.”

“You know what I mean. You’ll be together. I can account for everyone I care about.”

That wasn’t what she meant. Not entirely. Greta could kick anyone’s ass, so she’d be able to defend Sadie.

Why didn’t anyone think she could defend herself? Joan trusted Greta, but sometimes she didn’t trust Sadie in the same way.

Joan started for the doorway. Sadie held out a hand. “Can you redo my bra really quick?”

“Of course.” Joan moved her hands under Sadie’s blouse. Ooh, wow, they were hot. She was a lot more worried than she was letting on.

“Text me if you need anything,” Sadie said. “Be safe. I love you.”

“Love you, too.” Joan kissed her cheek before striding out of the bedroom.

Greta watched her old friend disarm the alarm. Then she looked between Joan and Sadie. “The domestic life suits you.”

That would’ve made Sadie happy any other time. This was supposed to be their sanctuary, only it was getting more and more intruded upon.

“Have fun,” Joan said, although her faraway look told them she was focused on something un-fun.

Once the door closed, Sadie locked it. “Do you like chamomile tea?”

“Where’s she really going?” Greta asked.

Crap. “Trust me, you do not want to be around her and Mark when they’re?—”

“That wasn’t Mark who texted. Don’t make me hack her phone. Where’s she going?”

“Uhh…”

“If she didn’t tell me, it was someone she doesn’t want me to know about. The only people I don’t want to know about are our city’s Superheroes. So that must mean?—”

“It was Race,” Sadie blurted out. “They’re kind of friends now. Mark has a crush on them he’s totally denying. Race wanted to hang out with them both. Joanie doesn’t want you worrying.”

“You mean Zee,” Greta said. “I know their names.”

Her impassive face gave nothing away. Did she believe that story? It was mostly the truth.

“Why didn’t you go?”

“Uh, have you ever hung out with a bunch of superpowered people trying to out-power each other? It’s really boring. And I’m tired. I was just telling Joanie right before you got here I wanted to go to bed.” And do marvelously sexy things, damn it.

“You can stop.” Greta wandered over to Sadie’s mug of tea. “Word of advice. A lie works best when you don’t overexplain.”

“It’s mostly not a lie,” Sadie admitted.

“Then she is going to see Zee.”

“Well yeah, but…”

“About this Quake situation.”

“Probably.”

Greta pinned her with a steely glare. “She’s still working with the Supers?”

“Not still . There was a situation the other day. The Supers forced Joan and Mark and Perry to?—”

“Oh, I heard about that. They’re claiming to still be in the game. Absolutely no one believes that.”

“It wasn’t their idea,” Sadie said. “You know the Supers could arrest Joanie at any moment. She has to do what they want, even though she doesn’t want to.”

“She chose her side,” Greta said so quietly, Sadie almost missed it. She straightened and turned on her heel. “On second thought, I don’t feel safe here. If you’ll excuse me…”

“Joanie would never turn you in,” Sadie said.

“But her new friends would.”

“They’re not friend friends.”

“Semantics. If they’re watching her, they’re watching everyone around her.”

“I think you’d be safe here.”

Gesturing to herself, Greta said, “I don’t have a secret identity. I’ve never worn a mask, and I own my work. Proudly. If the Supers are anywhere around Joan, then I can’t be.”

Sadie started to ask why that was a problem now—Greta and Joan had been in scrapes with the Supers countless times. But that was before Joan stood beside the good guys. Still…

“Joanie would protect you,” Sadie said. “She’s beyond loyal and can fight fire with fire. Literally.”

“I know she’d try.”

“I hope you’re also protecting her.”

Greta snorted. “You have no idea how much I’ve protected her.”

Fidgeting with her shirttails, Sadie said, “She was really hurt when you disappeared after she saved me.”

“After she made a deal with the Supers to get rid of her own kind, you mean.”

“No, after she saved me . Everyone keeps focusing on that other part, which yes, was a big deal. But nobody remembers her rescuing me. She became a hero in my eyes that day.” Sadie stared at the floor and murmured, “I wish she was a hero in other people’s eyes.”

Greta walked to the front door, then paused. She glanced over her shoulder. “I like you, Sadie. And I like you for Joan. So I don’t mean this with malice, but you need to stay out of things you can’t possibly understand.”

Sadie crossed her arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she said with more confidence than she felt.

“Loyalty is not turning on your found family. Joan got what she wanted at a cost.”

“Yeah, she lost almost everyone from that time in her life. I was hoping that wouldn’t include you, too. You mean a lot to her.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Greta said, and slipped out of the apartment.

Well, this sucked. Greta didn’t trust Joan anymore. And Joanie put so much trust into so very few people. It would crush her to learn Greta might choose self-protection over friendship.

“What do you know about loyalty, Greta?” Sadie grumbled.

“You’re a thief. A norm who does it because you enjoy it.

Maybe Joanie would be better off without you.

She has new friends. Better friends. Sure, she feels a little weird hanging out with my friends, but that’s just because she has a hard time relating to them after all she’s been thr?—”

And that was exactly why Joanie needed her best friend. Greta did understand her. She’d been around for a long time, through good and bad.

It wasn’t that Sadie disliked Greta. She didn’t like that Greta was a tie to Joanie’s old life. But it was an essential tie for Joan to maintain. Because she was loyal—to the right people. To those who deserved it. No matter the cost.