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It could go bad fast, again.

“We’ll handle it,” Dagger says finally.

Mina snorts sharply. “That inspires absolutely zero confidence.”

We cut through the outer edge of the festival quickly after that, leaving behind the worst of the lights and bass as we hit the darker stretch of parking lots lining the beach.

The atmosphere changes instantly.

Less noise and people.

My eyes scan automatically while we move between rows of cars.

Every parked vehicle suddenly feels like a potential ambush.

Dante’s people know how we operate.

After what we did to get her back, they know exactly how much Blair matters to us.

“You think they followed us out here?” Dagger asks low enough only I hear.

“Don’t know yet.”

“Real fucking helpful.”

“Shut the fuck up and watch the lot. We wouldn’t even be in this situation if you didn’t let her sneak out of your apartment.”

Mina looks between both of us while wrapping her arms tightly around herself against the cold ocean wind sweeping through the parking area.

“You know,” she mutters, “Brynne used to say you two had the emotional communication skills of feral raccoons.”

Dagger snorts quietly.

“Now that I’m here, witnessing it myself, she wasn’t wrong.”

That hits harder than expected, because for half a second I can hear Brynne laughing again.

Can see her standing between us rolling her eyes while we argued over stupid bullshit like whose turn it was to drive.

Ghosts everywhere.

Always.

My car sits near the far edge of the lot beneath broken streetlights.

Blacked out windows, with untraceable plates. Prepared for situations exactly like this.

Dagger opens the back door immediately while I carefully lower Blair inside first.

She barely stirs.

Mina hesitates beside the car for a second before looking between me and Dagger again.

Then down at Blair sprawled unconscious across the backseat.

Then back at us.

“Okay so you two do know this whole thing is deeply fucked up, right?”