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“High factor-one traits,” Maisie corrects.

Jubilee points at her. “Nuance. She gets pissy if you skip the nuance. Anyway, you kidnapped her and threatened her family, which is basically her personal version of kicking a hornet nest. But murder wasps.”

Joshua’s mouth tightens. Jubilee’s finger swings toward me. “And that’s my boyfriend. Famous pastry chef. Cat dad. Excellent ass.”

“Princess.”

“Relevant characterization.” She turns back to Joshua. “He’s also a serial killer.” Silence. Jubilee beams, then does jazz hands. “Surprise.”

Joshua regards me. I smile. My girlfriend has arrived to rescue us. She appears to have chosen psychological warfare.

“He kills other serial killers, predators, and dangerous assholes,” she continues, rubbing her hands together. “So this entire scenario is kind of his professional wheelhouse.”

“You expect me to believe this?”

“No.” Another laugh bubbles out of her. “That’s actually what makes it funnier.” Then she points to herself. “And me? Serial killer’s daughter. Hacker. Occasional homicide enthusiast under very specific self-defense circumstances.”

“Jubilee.”

“Fun fact!” Her bow flicks in the air from her excitement. “Gage and I met after I stabbed a rapist to death twenty-seven times and he helped me bury the body.” Joshua stares, his jaw grinding. “Oh! And this is my favorite part.” She points at me again. “He killed Jacob.”

Everything in Joshua freezes.

“Yep.” Jubilee wipes another tear. “Your brother. My father. Gage killed him. I found out in his underground murder bunker, and we had a truly catastrophic relationship discussion about it, and then fucked like rabbits in said murder bunker.”

“Princess.”

“What?” She crosses her arms, blowing a lock of her hair out of her face. “He already thinks we’re insane.”

Joshua’s voice lowers. “You’re fucking deranged.”

Jubilee considers us. “Statistically, I’m likely the most psychologically ordinary person in this room.”

A faint metallic sound comes from behind Joshua. I don’t draw attention to it. Neither does Jubilee. Good girl.

Joshua raises the gun toward her. “Where is the ledger?”

Her features turn sweet enough to rot teeth. “Still not telling you.”

“Now, one of them dies.”

“See, Uncle Joshua, there’s one more funny thing.”

His jaw flexes. “What?”

Her eyes flick over his shoulder. “Maisie’s been out of those cuffs for about thirty seconds.”

Joshua moves. Too late. Maisie’s boot crashes into the back of his knee. The gunshot detonates through the warehouse. Jubilee ducks. Joshua folds. And Maisie hits him before the echo disappears, and the gun clatters across the concrete.

I surge against the cuffs. Jubilee is already moving. She snatches the keys from where Joshua dropped them, races behind my chair, and jams one into the lock.

“Hey, Princess.”

“Hey, hostage.”

The cuff springs open. “Little embarrassing.” I rub my wrist. “My sister beat me out.”

“She’s just more dedicated.”