Page 1 of Sacrifice
PROLOGUE
One Month Ago…
Emil
Control.
It's what separates men from animals.
What kept me alive through two tours in Afghanistan.
What makes me different from the hot-headed idiots who think with their dicks instead of their brains?
I've built my entire life on control.
Untilher.
I watch Saga laugh at something Meghan says, her head thrown back, that soft blue dress hugging curves I've memorized in the dark corners of my mind.
The bridesmaid dress shouldn't look that good on anyone.
But Saga makes it look like sin and salvation wrapped in silk.
"Emil, you're up for the toast," Rio says, clapping me on the shoulder.
Right.
Best man duties.
I tear my eyes away from her and grab my beer, tapping the side until the crowd quiets.
"Rio asked me to be his best man," I start, keeping my voice steady. "Said he needed someone who wouldn't let him fuck this up."
Laughter ripples through the crowd.
"What he really needed was someone who understood second chances. Who knew what it meant to be broken and find something worth fixing yourself for." My eyes find Saga again without my permission. She's looking anywhere but at me. "Rio found that with Dasha. Found a reason to be better. To build something real."
I raise my beer. "To Rio and Dasha. To second chances. And to having the balls to take them."
Everyone drinks while I sit down, trying not to notice how Saga's throat moves when she swallows her champagne.
Trying not to remember how that throat tastes.
Fuck.
The reception continues around me—laughter, music, kids running between tables.
I catalog escape routes, potential threats, weak points in our security.
Old habits from the military that I can't shake. Won't shake.
They keep me focused on something other than her.
"Stop brooding," Mom says, sliding into the seat next to me. "You're scaring the children."
"Not brooding."
"Right." She follows my gaze to where Saga's helping Cali fix her flower crown. "Just intensely observing."
