"Not a great intro, dude," Jake said softly, looking up from his puddle of mortification. Rhett shrugged.

  "Figured she'd appreciate full disclosure off the bat."

  "She does like that, it's true." Jake sat all the way up and folded his arms. "But be careful."

  "If you guys are finished talking about me like I'm not here, I'd love to hear this idea I'm going to hate," Dania said, throwing a pointed look at Jake before turning her attention to Rhett.

  "Three Fires Arena," he said. "You know it?"

  Dania snorted. "You mean the arena that is the entire reason Noimoire exists? Yeah, I'm familiar. Never been there, though. Tickets are spendy on a nurse's salary."

  "Yeah, well, every deckbearer who gets a deck on Drop Night gets three free matches in an arena, and every deckbearer gets a match every year they survive. If you're in Noimoire, you pretty much take them in the Three Fires Arena. I'm due for mine, actually. The arena funds our program, so taking our matches and putting on a show is part of the job." Rhett drew his deck with a dramatic flourish, and then immediately dismissed it. Dania ignored the notification and stared steadily at him.

  "So?"

  "So, the arena was created by the gods, but it's administered by people. Only somehow they know who's entitled to a free match, and who has to pay for one."

  Dania waited.

  "There's a roster," Rhett said finally. "And every Drop Night it's updated with the names of the new deckbearers, and those who've survived a full year."

  "Well, that's disturbing," Amari said. "And anyone can just go look at this list?"

  "No," Rhett said. "Not anyone. It's actually kept in a card-warded safe that's part of the arena itself. Officially, only arena minions can access it… but no system is infallible. If someone got ahold of that roster, they'd have a pretty good starting point to check out all of the new deckbearers since Drop Night."

  "And then they could look to see who was 'vulnerable'," Dania finished for him. "Then send out hit squads to attack them."

  "Exactly."

  "So we need to find out who's got access to this roster," Dania said.

  "Or at least eliminate that as a possibility," Rhett put in. "It's a lead, a good one, but still only a lead."

  Nice of you to compliment your work there, Detective, Dania thought as she raised her mug for another sip and time to think—but not about the shadow of a beard along Rhett's chiseled jawline, or the way his t-shirt strained across his pectorals as he filled his plate with breakfast food…

  Really, Dania? Fuck, girl. Get a grip! Eyes on your own plate. This guy got Berto killed. Focus on the mission!

  Dania drained her mug and set it down, then forced her mind to focus on the conversation at the table once more.

  "—how we're going to get into the Arena, then?" Amari was asking.

  "Well, that's the thing," Rhett answered her. "I only know of one way to get admission without buying tickets, and that's to schedule a match. Like I said, I've got mine coming up, and Jake's got his three—"

  "No."

  "Dani—" Jake started.

  "No. I'm not taking you to fight a card match in a public arena while these guys are hunting you."

  "But—"

  "Jake. No. End of discussion."

  "Dani," Rhett said, "Look, I just mentioned Jake because he's got three free matches. But he doesn't have to come. Like I said, I've got my match coming up, and the match scheduler owes me a favor. I can get us jumped up the list."

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  "Us?"

  "You can come as my opponent." He smiled at her, the challenge clear in his ice-blue eyes, and something ignited deep in her gut. "I'll take it easy on you, I promise."

  Dania let herself smile a slow, lazy smile. Yeah, underestimate me, Rhett. That will be fun.

  "I don't mean to question you, Sister," Joe said then, drawing Dania's attention. "But I think you should consider taking the boy to the arena. Not for his own match, necessarily. But in case y'all need to make a quick escape. You can dive through his shadow and come back here."

  "That's a good point," Amari said, her tone thoughtful. "I can go, too, and keep an eye on him, if you want, Dani."

  "I'm not a baby!" Jake ground the words out between his teeth.

  "That's not what I meant," Amari said. "Just that I'd watch your back, you know?"

  "As will I, always." Machairi put in.

  "It could be helpful to have a quick means of egress, Dani," Rhett said. "Especially if we piss someone off poking around and asking questions they don't like."

  Dania looked around the table. Everyone but Kendra looked back at her, and Kendra was busy positioning her newborn daughter so she could nurse. Dania blew out her breath and closed her eyes.

  "I would say I'm outvoted, but this isn't a fucking democracy." She opened her eyes and pushed back her chair with sharp, staccato movements, and then stabbed her finger at Jake. "You can come to the arena," she said. "But you will stay with Amari and Machairi at all times, and at any hint of danger, you'll come directly back here, do you understand? I can take care of myself, but not if I don't know you're safe."

  "I'll be fine, Dani," Jake said, his tone soft, conciliatory.

  "I think that's a good decision—" Rhett started to say, but Dania shifted her gaze to him, her eyes narrowing as she pointed to him in turn. Rage built within her. She took a deep breath and forced a layer of ice over the inferno of anger in her mind.

  "Let's get one thing straight," she said quietly, her words sharp with icy intensity. "Jake's safety is my responsibility, and I will do anything I deem necessary to protect him. Anything. Understand? Everybody understand?"

  Dania looked around the assembled group, collecting their various nods and softly spoken affirmative answers.

  "Good." She spun on her heel and stalked toward the exit. "I'm going to go work out," she tossed over her shoulder as she yanked one of the dining hall's massive double doors open. "Don't bother me unless someone's fucking dying."

  She slipped through and let the door slam shut behind her.

  ***

  A little over an hour, five miles on the treadmill, and a killer shoulder and back set with free-weights later, Dania had taken the edge off her rage. The worry, however, remained like an icy stone in the bottom of her gut.

  Enough, she told herself as she stood under her shower's hottest spray, rotating her neck from side to side to loosen up the muscles she'd worked. It's done. He's going, you agreed. He won't step into the arena. Machairi and Amari will keep him safe and out of sight. It's done. He'll be fine. He's handled worse.

  Wishing she believed herself, Dania turned off the water with savage movements and stepped out of the shower. She grabbed a towel and started drying off, checking her phone for the time.

  Close to 5pm, sun should be going down. Guess I'd better get ready to go. What the hell does one wear to an arena battle, anyway?

  Dania settled on her usual: black cargo pants, boots, a black tank top with a jacket over the top to conceal her Beretta. I really ought to see about getting another Walther. Jake's gotten good with my usual, and I don't want to take it away from him. But this Beretta is a chonky bitch, and I miss my slim little PPS.

  She'd just finished braiding her hair in two Dutch braids when a knock sounded at her door.

  "Come in," she called, turning to see Jake opening the door.

  "Hey," he said. "You look…"

  "What?" she asked, smiling slowly.

  "Dangerous," he said, echoing her grin. "Sergeant Rhett better look out."

  Dania huffed a laugh. "He'll probably wipe the floor with me," she said. "He's been a card cop for how long? I'm sure he's some ridiculous level. But at least I can move in this."

  Jake nodded, his smile falling away. "Dani—" he said.

  "What, kid?"

  "I—nothing. I love you."

  Dania swallowed against the tightness in her throat and held her arms out to Jake, welcoming him into a tight hug. "I love you too, kiddo," she whispered. "So much."

  "Okay," Jake said after a long moment. He dropped his arms and stepped back, and as much as Dania didn't want to, she let him go. "Well, I think the others are gathering downstairs. Are you ready to go?"

  "Yeah," she said. "Kendra, Joe, and the kids are staying?"

  "They are," Jake said. "I told Elarienne to keep an eye on Kendra and her baby, and let Joe know if anything goes wrong. He'll text the group chat if we need to come back."

  "We have a group chat?" Dania asked. "And Joe is in it?"

  "You should look at your phone more often," Jake said with a grin.

  "I look at my phone plenty," Dania shot back, but she pulled the phone out of her pocket and opened up her messaging app. Sure enough, there was a new group chat labeled "Night Haven Crew".

  "Is Rhett in this?" she asked.

  Jake scrunched up his face. "No. He doesn't live here."

  "Fair, but I think we should add him for tonight. We can remove him later."

  "Ugh. Fine." He whipped out his own phone, and a moment later, Dania saw the notification that Rhett Walker had been added.

  "I don't like that guy," Jake muttered as he slid his phone into his back pocket.

  "Why not?" Dania asked. "He's a cop, but he seems all right."

  "He looks at you too much." Jake shrugged. "Ready?"

  "As I'll ever be," Dania replied, ignoring Jake's reason. She couldn't think about that right now. Instead, she walked over to sling her arm around Jake's shoulder. "Come on, kid. Let's go fuck some shit up."

  "Hell, yeah," Jake said. "Let's fucking go."

  Dania snorted a laugh and tousled his hair before letting her arm drop. Then she took a deep breath and followed Jake out into the hallway.

  Let's fucking go.

  Books 1 and 2 are now available in KU, and Please check it out and tell him I sent you!

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