Page 37 of Masked Darling

Kade clenched his jaw, and stood beside the desk to lean down, hands splayed out on top of the papers so Jagger would stop and look at him. “But what if something happens to her? What then?”

The air left Kade’s lungs with the look Jagger gave him. Sometimes he forgot how scary his brother could be when it came down to protecting someone he loved. He’d seen a similar look when their mom died.

“I will rip every one of them apart with my goddamn teeth and spit their blood in your face,” Jagger growled and pushed his desk chair over with such a force that Kade moved backward to put some space between them. “So do not ever question my love and loyalty to you because the simple fact that I’m evensuggesting this causes me more torment than you could ever understand.”

It broke Kade’s heart to see him so anguished, wishing that there was anything else they could do.

“So you’re going to make sure nothing will happen to her. You’re going to keep her safe. And, she’s going to make sure you don’t get yourself killed in there. But, you have to promise me one thing, Kade.”

Kade tilted his head slightly, waiting for him to continue.

“You keep your hands to yourself.Nofucking around. You’re going in there to save Madison, so try to keep some distance from the group until you can access her. I’m not dumb enough to believe there won’t be some shit you’ll have to do to make it believable that she’s your play thing you’ve offered up, but do not offer her up tothem. Understood?”

Kade hesitated for a moment, the idea that he’d have to do anything with Sadie was rough but this was extreme circumstances and it was better that it was him than someone else if it came down to it.

“Understood,” Kade muttered finally.

Jagger nodded, the tension in his shoulders relaxing just slightly. “Good. Now, get the fuck out of here because this talk is probably not going to go over well.”

“She’s going to hate me,” Kade snapped as he walked to the door, hands sliding into the pockets of his jeans.

“That’s not it at all, K,” Jagger said as he made the few strides to meet him at the door. “Sadie is as impulsive as you. I’ll be talking her down from joining the fucking girls before Saturday if I’m not careful and then I’ll have both of you to save myself.”

Kade let out a laugh, but it was hoarse. “At least… tell her thank you from me. You got yourself a good one.”

There was a long pause as Kade started to open the door to the bar, the loud music hitting them now that it was cracked.Jagger squeezed Kade’s shoulder, which caused him to look over at his older brother.

“It sounds like you did, too,” Jagger smiled. “So let’s get her back.”

The bar was quieter now, the music still playing faintly in the background with the sounds ofDownby Marian Hill, but not nearly as loud as before. The neon lights buzzed around them, casting their pink and blue glow over the tables while the voices of the crowd could still be heard from the other side of the building as they started up their bikes and yelled for their Ubers.

Jagger sat on the edge of the pool table in the corner, his broad shoulders tense and his brow furrowed as he stared into his drink. The glass in his hand was mostly empty, the amber liquid swirling as he gently rotated the glass. He hadn’t been able to focus much on the crowd tonight—his mind kept drifting back to the shitty situation they’d found themselves in; The one that was his fault, at the end of the day.

And then there was the dangerous, calculated risk he was about to ask Sadie to take.

Sadie walked up to Jagger, her movements smooth, her blue eyes studying him as she sat beside him and crossed her bare legs peeking out from her cutoff jean shorts. She had just finished locking everything up after sending Camille and the dancers home, but even though her face carried the usual cool confidence, Jagger could see the worry in her eyes.

She knew something was up. His sweet girl always knew.

“You’ve been quiet all night,” Sadie said as she smiled, but there was no mistaking the firmness in it. “Care to share?”

Jagger took a long drink, savoring the burn before he set the glass down on the green felt surface behind him. He didn’t speak immediately, his eyes looking around the bar as if trying to find the right words, the right way to bring this up to her.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he met her gaze.

“Kade was able to find Madison.”

Sadie let out a long breath of relief. “Well, that’s good. I was worried when you said he thought Green Light took her.”

“That’s where she is.”

Sadie’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t say anything. She waited, sensing there was more to it than just those words were letting on.

Jagger turned to her and cradled her cheek in his hand as he brushed her blonde hair over her shoulder with the other. “Kade’s offered to join Green Light to get close to them so he can get close enough to Madison to act as a buffer until we can get her and the others out.” His eyes held hers as his thumb brushed soft circles against her cheek. “The main part of the initiation is that he’s expected to show up with a girl of his own to add to their collection. He needs to come to the party this weekend with a female offering.”

Sadie’s face remained unreadable, but Jagger saw the slight tension in her shoulders as she processed what he was saying. “So, you’re telling me you want me to go along with this—pretendto be Kade’s... ‘girl’ for this initiation?” Her voice was calm, but Jagger knew her too well. There was fire underneath that calmness, a strength he trusted, but there was also fear—fear that this could end badly if they didn’t play their cards right.

He nodded, his jaw tightening as he avoided her eyes for a moment and dropped his hands away from her. He didn’t want to tell her this part.

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