Outside, I found Zane waiting in the shadows of an alley, exactly where we'd agreed to meet.

His expression was unreadable.

"That took longer than expected," he said mildly.

"They invited me to dinner. I thought it would be suspicious to refuse."

"Darian Blackmere?"

Of course he'd seen. "He didn't recognize me. I don't think he even noticed me specifically."

"This time."

Zane started walking, I fell into step beside him.

"He'll be back, the more you fight, the more attention you'll attract. We need to discuss whether continuing this is wise."

"I'm not stopping," I said firmly. "Not when I'm finally making progress. Making money. Building something."

"Building a...