“You need to get out of here.”

“Is that an order, Captain?”

“A strong suggestion.”

“And if I don’t comply?”

“Then I will help you to do that.” Trey’s eyes glittered in the darkness.

“You’re not army anymore.”

“No, ma’am. Just a carpenter, but I will see you to the exit, one way or another.”

“If I don’t cooperate, what do you intend to do about it?” Sage fired off the challenge, her gut tightening at the look that rose in his face.

He stood, feet slightly apart, hands loose at his sides. “Sage, you need to leave this theater for your own safety. If I have to carry you out kicking and screaming, I am prepared for that contingency.”

She heard the hardened resolution in his voice. Dimples and charming drawl aside, she knew he would not hesitate, and she was no match for his size and strength. She would lose this battle.

But not the war.