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TWO MONTHS BEFORE

“I’m done, Vic! I’m done!” she’d screamed

Noenty-four hours later, I sat across fro

“You don’t get to choose to be done, Vic” I frowned at Alice’s response, but it wasn’t unexpected

“The last assignment I did almost cost me ments had scraped over the skin

You could say it hadn't been a very happy reunion The minute I’d returned home from the mission, Lenny had thrown a dish across the rooainst the wall mere inches from my skull S a crisscross pattern like a brand on my flesh

In her defense, I had told her I was done

Then I'd disappeared for a week

I don't knohat I'd been thinking

That’s not true; I was thinking she wouldn’t notice I wasn’t accusto

Alice took a slow sip of her red wine “You don’t get families either, Vic”

“Do whatever you have to do, I’ainst the wood floor

“Really,” Alice said, her deed “You’re prepared to be burned?”

I shrugged at her obvious threat Once you started working for GEM, to get out you were either burned or blacklisted I used to think being burned was the worst thing that could happen When you’re burned, no one will touch you They basically destroy your person, putting your naistries—not to mention you’re excoht a life where no company would touch me would be hell I only knew blood and bullets, and to live without that was uniinable

Now…I touchedover Now I knew there was more to life than blood

“Yeah” I shrugged at Alice “Burn me, I don’t care”

“You’re prepared to be blacklisted?” She ran her finger around the edge of her glass, a s on her lips

I laughed at her bluff “You don’t care enough to blacklist me” I nearly said she didn’t have the power, either, but stopped Bending over, I placed le tea light separated her glare, nearly burned to the wick

I should have realized then there were things about Alice I didn’t know Alice was a far cry froain, I was also changed Trans way, and if she wanted to ruin my life, she would

Burn h money saved up that I didn’t need to worry about work, civilian or otherwise

Blacklistoff hired s to worry about, like fending off Lenny’s wrath Lenny and I had built our foundation on sand and the tide was finally co in

I s the candle to fall over It was just hot wax now so it only caused a s if I would have preferred the fire, even if that ht in it At least then Alice would be dead