Page 20 of Sage Haven
But the truth was, I was already intrigued, and Sam made it hard to say no.
It was one of her talents.
“It does sound amazing,” I admitted.
Her grin widened. “Then it’s settled. I’m picking you up at eight.”
Then she got that look. The one that meant something was coming. Something I may or not be ready for.
“What?” I asked warily.
She tapped her fingers against the counter, feigning innocence. “So… you know that guy I’ve been seeing?”
I narrowed my eyes. “The one you’ve basically told me you’re in love with?”
She nodded, eyes bright. “He’s going to be there tonight. And I want you to meet him. You know, just to make sure he’s not secretly into… questionable things.”
I snorted. “You want me to vet him?”
“Exactly,” she said, grinning. “You’re my backup. Just in case he’s secretly into nipple clamps or something.”
I choked on a laugh. “Especially nipple clamps,” I agreed.
We laughed until tears pricked the corners of our eyes. And for the first time in a long time, something warm bloomed in my chest. Something I hadn’t realized I was missing until that exact moment.
A friend.
I swallowed hard, my voice quieter than usual. “Thank you, Sam.”
She tilted her head. “For what?”
“For being you,” I said honestly. “For saying hi to me in leasing area parking lot a month ago.”
Her expression softened, and without hesitation, she reached out and hooked her pinky through mine.
A silent promise.
A vow.
“I saw something in you,” she said, sincere and certain. “Something special, and I’m so glad I trusted my gut.”
I smiled, the smallest, realest thing. “Till the bitter end?”
Her grin widened. “Till the bitter end.”
6
REICH
The workload was crushing.
Over the past week, the assignments had tripled—more targets, more names, more blood. The directives from the ENA came faster than we could process them, stacking on top of one another like bodies in a shallow grave.
We didn’t ask why.
We never did.
But that didn’t make the weight of it any easier to bear.
