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Chapter One

“I hope you’re happy, Brian,” Alicia Forkes whispered under her breath, eyeing the crowded nightclub This was so not her scene She preferred a glass of wine, her cat kneading her lap, and Netflix that played for so long it asked her whether she was still watching, while silently judging her when she clicked yes “I’ for dudes because of you and your stupid bucket list”

She fidgeted with her sequined clutch and stood at the side of the bar, feeling increasingly out of place with each passing hty bucket list her best friend had given her burning a whole through her pocket, she’d be out of here so fast there would be a faint blur as she busted through the crowd at Flash-like speeds She was at a hot nightclub in the tiny foreign country of Randovia, surrounded by people she didn’t knoho all earingshots like there was no tomorrow

And she was completely, utterly lost

When her con country to observe cultures and then report back to them, she’d been less than thrilled about it Baker, Inc wanted to create weapons and train officers for the Randovian Navy, and to do that, they needed information

And while she was here?

She was going to nail this bucket list Brian had challenged her, and she wasn’t a wo like that

At least, that hat she kept telling herself

“You can do this,” she whispered to the crowded barrooo”

Nodding to herself, she scanned the rooi their own masks, or they could be purchased at the front door It was all covered in anonymity Even the staff wore masks The couple next to herunder the woman’s short skirt Alicia turned her head so quickly she orried she had given herself whiplash

Yeah Nope She couldn’t do this

Tio

Glancing toward the side door, she mentally mapped out her route, because this was so obviously aby the bar wearing a Phantoht her attention before she could take a step forward

How could he not?