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“The girl has pleasedto the United States, but I’ll miss her She should be rewarded Also, she needs a doctor She’s hurt”

The ht of the large pile of , clearly unworried about the bloody girl down the hall as he snakes out dark fingers to scrape the bills toward him

“She needs a doctor,” I tell hi the words from between my teeth “Now”

I slaht in the middle of the money

He looks up at me and wordlessly picks up the phone He s up

“It is done,” he says shortly, returning his attention to the papers on his desk

Without another word I slip out into the darkened streets of Kabul,my way back to my camp outside of town After I’s neatly into ainst my satellite phone, I pick it up, then punch numbers into it

“Colonel?” I say when he answers “You’re gonna need to send another XO out here I’ in”

The colonel doesn’t ask why He knowsin froood reason And of course there is This is the only life I’ve ever wanted Only so monumental would force me to walk away from it

The bad thing caught you

I’ve never retreated in ht and I’ve never cowered in fear Ever That’s not who I ah to know that when so you can do

You run

Chapter Two

Eight Months Later

Chicago

Madison

The music in this club is so loud that it literally thue What the hell do people see in places like this? I cough fro-maker’s smoke, then strainthe hundreds of sweaty people crammed in this room

The last I saw, she’d disappeared into a dark corner with her loser boyfriend

“Have you seen ht red shirt?” I yell to the rando rin and inches toward me

“No,” he yells back “But we don’t need her for what I have in mind”

Gross

“Not now, not ever,” I answer coldly, turning my back on him to search the crush of people on the dance floor I seriously just want to go home

How I let Jacey talkinto the city to celebrate her birthday is far, far beyond ht, but Jacey disappeared with her boyfriend over an hour ago and I haven’t seen the sixty hours this week and I need so to eat before I stab someone’s eye out

Knowing h the bar and onto the sidewalk out front I’ve got to get out of here I’et a ride home with Peter if she needs to Her boyfriend can’t hold down a job, but at least he can drive

I pullCan you catch a ride home with Peter?

As soon as I send the text, I realize that she’s not going to be able to hear it So who knohen she’ll see it? With a sigh, I decide I have to hunt for her At least for a few ht to just leave her here

“If I wanted to have public sex withto think like Jacey as I walk around to the side of the club Jacey is pathetically bad about PDA She doesn’t give a flying eff what people think about her It’s one thing that I both adet annoyed at

As I get farther and farther away from the sidewalk and into the shadows, it seeetting it on against the building But at the saed It lance around quickly

I’m in an alley now, a narroet street that is littered with trash and graffiti My heels click on the glistening asphalt and I take a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air as the inky darkness ss me

Thank God I’ht as I walk farther into the darkness, but even still, I reach into rip my little can of pepper-spray It doesn’t hurt to be prepared

There’s nobody here Thattrash bins and the e the shadows are empty, anyway They see on the one hand, it’s frustrating on the other

“Jacey, where the fk are you?” I mutter

Just as I’ive up and head back into the club, I catch sight of sos my attention and I stop

A guy is leaning against the building a little ways froht Norive me pause, especially since I’ues er on

I peer at him more closely

His long legs are crossed gracefully in front of hi He’s got to be a few inches over six feet tall with a broad chest and wide shoulders that narrow into a slender waist

It’s chilly outside, but he’s not wearing a jacket, only a snug black T-shirt and a pair of perfectly fitting jeans There isn’t a trace of fat on him He’s lean and muscled, with short darkish hair From the side his features are chiseled and froot just the barest hint of stubble along his strong jaw That’s an instant turn-on for ed

And this guy… he definitely seeth and power That’s an instant turn-on for ues me He’s like power personified He holds himself with purpose