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"He picked her up at one thirty-three," she corrected him "Kidnappers like us take people Cabbies pick the intricacies of Aed him "But he does not lift her He takes her to her destination"

"To pick up canthe" He didn’t know the wo herself to anyone did not sit ith hie, pal," Rowan re a bunch of police reports You think she’s the one who’s been tipping off the feds?"

Her scent still lingered in his head and chest, a silent waterfall "I know she is"

Rowan’s tone changed "Then you should take her as soon as possible"

Chapter 2

Jonah Genaro rolled away from the thin, damp body of his mistress, left the bed they had shared for the last hour, and pulled on his trousers

Lorraine propped her head on her arm and watched him take a clean, pressed black shirt fro to stay awhile"

"I have another appointment" He picked up his wallet and watch froo he would have left a handful of bills behind, but today he preferred the convenience of a rechargeable credit card "The next feeeks will be busy for ain until the end of November"

"You can’t leave yet" Lorraine cli herself in a yellow silk robe before she shook out her hair She’d stopped bleaching six o, at Genaro’s request, and now had it dyed towe need to talk about"

Genaro knotted his tie "I’ll call you next week and then we’ll talk"

"This can’t wait that long" She caether like a reirl "Jonah, I’ve been to seeto have a baby"

Genaro’s hand went still for a second, and then slid the knot of his tie up under the edges of his collar "You’re telling nant?"

"I didn’t realize at first" She released a pretty, helpless laugh "I skip my periods all the time, and then I am on the pill, too, so it never occurred to me that I could be I never miss them, but the doctor said soirl quality of her confession didn’t diminish the relief Genaro felt Lorraine had been enthusiastic, and even occasionally entertaining, but his desire for her had begun to fade This extortion atteet rid of her without the usual tears, recriminations, and final lump-sum payoff "I presume you don’t want to have an abortion"

"I couldn’t do that, Jonah I’ave his arm a soft caress "Besides, I love you This is our baby"

"If your pregnancy is genuine," he told her as he removed her hand, "I’m not the father"

"Of course you are" The hopeful, beseeching quality of her expression faded into so harder "I haven’t been with anyone else"

As Genaro retrieved his jacket, he considered taking her to the lab to be tested If she had beconant by another man, her fetus could still prove useful But Lorraine had an active social life, and her father was a proht the sun rose and set on his only child She would be missed

"Well?" she demanded

"My dear, you’ve miscalculated Your baby--if one really exists--isn’t mine" He adjusted his sleeves "I’an to bluster "What are you talking about? You never told me you couldn’t have kids"

"You never asked" Genaro walked over to her "Our arrangement is over You have until the end of the s and move out" As she opened herher The blow proved hard enough to knock her to the ground, but not enough to inflict perht her chin, and made her look at him "The next time you resort to blackmail, first do the appropriate research"

He left Lorraine on the floor and walked out of the apartment