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“Sophie, don’t forget the big picture. I need him not to release that video of me. I’m not sure hitting him is the right way to accomplish that.”

She walked across the room and put her hand on my shoulder. “I know what I’m doing. I promise. He won’t release the video.”

I looked into her hazel eyes that were so sure and finally nodded. “Okay. I trust you know what you’re doing.”

She squeezed my shoulder. “I do.”

We both turned as her phone rang, with a distinctive ringtone. “That’s Russell.” She went and picked up her phone.

“Hey,” she greeted him with a smile in her voice. “We’re on the top floor, last room on the left, 1430. I can’t wait to see you.”

I raised an eyebrow, as she hung up.

“What? It’s true. I can’t wait to see him.”

I looked at Sophie, really looked at her. Yeah, she seemed resolved, but she was also three inches shorter than me and twenty pounds lighter. She really didn’t have the physical strength to hurt a man, which was good. I needed Russell on my side, not pissed off.

I watched as she went over to the door and opened it. She stepped out, looked down the corridor, then stepped back inside. She pushed the security latch against the doorframe, then closed the door, forcing the door to hit it, so the door couldn’t close all the way.

“What are you doing? Anyone can just push the door open and walk right in,” I protested.

“Nobody is out there. Russell is coming right upstairs. He’s the one who’s going to push open the door, and I’ll be waiting.”

She positioned herself in the little hallway where the door would open and Russell would step in.

We waited.

I heard muffled footsteps on the carpet.

“Sophie?” The door pushed open, and for just a moment I saw a short man in a Star Wars t-shirt. “Where are⁠—”

Sophie already had her arm cocked, and she slammed her fist right into his nose.

Russell staggered backward, his hands coming up to cover his nose. Sophie grabbed a forearm, and jerked him forward, walked around him, opened the door, and moved the latch back where it belonged and firmly closed the door.

“Fucking A, Soph. I think you broke my nose.”

I rushed forward and yanked at the backpack he had slung over one shoulder. “Give me that.” I commanded.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His question came out muffled.

“Give Kit your backpack, or I’ll blacken your eye,” Sophie growled.

“Okay, okay, okay.” Russell took one hand away from his bleeding nose and shrugged the backpack off his shoulder, then thrust it at me.

I placed it carefully on my bed, tuning out Sophie and Russell’s reunion. Despite the punch, Russell was thrilled to see his baby sister.

I pulled out Russell’s laptop from his pack, then placed it on the desk. When I opened it, it fired up. Good, I didn’t need to find the cord.

“Tell me your password.” I called over my shoulder.

“You’re out of your mind.” Russell rushed over to my side. “Get away from there. That’s mine.”

Sophie grabbed his arm and pulled him back. I took that moment to really look at Russell. Despite the bloody nose, he looked like his driver’s license, but what I hadn’t expected was him being so small. No wonder Sophie was confident she could take him in a fight.

“Give Kit your password.”

“No.”