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“You’re not leaving.”

I blink once.

Then laugh softly because surely he hears himself right now.

“Interesting thing to say to another adult human being, Dagger.”

“For fuck’s sake, Blair.” He looks genuinely exhausted now, one hand braced against the counter while he stares at me. “Dante knows you’re back. One of his guys saw you right before you blacked out.”

“Okay?” I shrug lightly. “That was at a rave. Last night. It’s not like the man has security cameras hidden in palm trees monitoring my every move.”

His jaw tightens instantly.

“You don’t get it.”

“Then explain it better.”

“If Dante wants to find you, he will.” His voice drops flatter now. Colder. “And if one of his guys spotted you at that rave, there’s a good chance they already know where you’re staying. They’ll sit outside your motel for days if they have to.”

The teasing slips out of the room completely after that.

I hate that part.

The serious part always feels heavier with him somehow.

“Why do you have to make everything so fucking difficult for us?” he mutters, dragging a hand through his hair. “We’re just trying to keep you alive, Blair.”

Us again.

That word lands strangely every single time.

Like something pulling too tight beneath my ribs.

Before I can think too hard about it, I hook my fingers into the hem of his shirt and pull it over my head, tossing it directly at his chest.

“Well,” I say lightly, stepping around him toward the bathroom completely naked, “for two men allegedly dedicated to keeping me alive, you’d think one of you would eventually stop trying to fuck me long enough to focus on the assignment.”

His eyes darken immediately.

God.

Men really are simple creatures.

I turn and head toward the bathroom completely naked because honestly at this point modesty feels irrelevant.

The apartment goes suspiciously quiet behind me.

I make it three steps before smirking slightly to myself.

Yep.

He’s still watching.

Of course he is.

I glance back over my shoulder just long enough to catch his eyes dragging slowly down my spine before he looks away.

Caught.