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He glanced at the door Daht

He frowned at the memory of her in his room Blood on a swollen lip, her cheek scraped and raw Whispering to hi him to wake up "Sorry…" Had she said she was sorry? For what?

"It should have been h his memories What the hell did that ood-bye Not See you later Not I’ll visit to took up residence in his gut Spotting a phone, he reached over, stifled a groan when he jarred his shoulder, then dialed Her nuer in service

He scowled, trying to think despite the fogginess from the pain meds Her phone… Ah, she’d probably received it for the decoy job He stiffened What about her apartrandfather stepped into the rooh scrutiny A smile creased his leathery face "You look better today"

"Thank you, sir" Marcus srand and kiss Her eyes teared up "We were so worried," she said, s at him "Your mama called"

"I hope you told them not to come Marissa needs thenancy and with two children under five, his sister needed all the help she could get

"They agreed only if we both call them daily"

"That’ll work"

"Since when do attorneys involve thee Atherton pulled up a chair, obviously preparing to show he hadn’t lost a jot of his cross-examination skills since retirement

"Complicated story" How to explain his relationship with Gabrielle? "A woman I…knoas kidnapped, and a friend and I assisted in locating her" Not a bad su, "A bullet is a srandmother’s eyes widened "Really? Is she the woman we met last June? Celine?"

Marcus smothered a s, his grandparents had been…polite Their reaction to her had added weight to his decision to step back He didn’t want a surface-sweet, manipulative woman; he wanted one who’d yell at him to his face, one who could keep him as fascinated as Grarandmother would be known as a brat "No, Nana, you haven’t met her"

"Are we likely to?" she asked bluntly

He s Gabi had an effect on others like the spring sun on flowers, and it wasn’t because she was a pushover, but because she liked people Despite her sassy mouth, she cared, and they could feel that The little brat would probably give his doh time, and Gramps would love it "I very much hope so, yes"

"Was she the woman in here yesterday?" Nana asked

"No one was in here with him," Gramps said

"Re lady came out of Marcus’s roo roorandfather frowned, his bushy brows forht "The one who kept the little teen froht red hair" He snorted "And a blue streak in it?"

"That’s her," Marcus said, s

"She looked like sorandfather’s face hardened "Did you get the bast--bad guy?"

"We did"

"All right then" Blue eyes the sairl too?"

"I am"

Chapter Twenty-Three

In her car, Gabi sat in the parking lot of the FBI Ta to have to end real soon, dammit She studied her hands Nice and steady Her face in thebruises on her cheek and jaw

Her insides felt like a pile of scooped-up Jell-O If Dickhead had told stories about her, well…she’d just have to deal with it At least she didn’t work in Taave her any trouble On the contrary, the ones who recognized her thanked her and pro looks at all

"Ms Renard"

Gabi stopped in the hallway and turned to see four worinned and held out her hand "I’ratulate you on the job you did Agent Kouros kept holding you up as a shining exaent"