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I turned back to Shelton "So? Who is she?"

Shelton took a long time to answer, his face buried in his hands Finally he said, "I was in love with her"

My mouth dropped open Harry Shelton, romantic? Inconceivable

He continued "When I first started the bounty hunter business, I was pretty bad at it So I tailed other hunters, watching how they did things, and eventually fell into a partnership with an old-ti" Shelton sat up, his eyes filling with so like affection or respect "I spent two years with hiot a tip and a lead on a big fish The holy friggin grail of fugitives"

"Who?" Bella asked, leaning on the edge of her seat

"Vadaemos Slade"

My skin went cold at the name "I didn’t realize you ever went after hiht "Yeah We did" Shelton shook his head like a dog shedding water "We were as kneere co Some kind of demon spawn creatures sucked Hooch’s soul out of his ht in front of me I ran Holy hell, did I run Used every spell in the book to get myself out of there But when I looked back at it later--s should have been io"

"What makes you think that?" I asked

His eyes focused onfast, man Hooch was one of the trickiest Arcanes I have ever known He wasn’t thecrazy like a fox He alarded himself, and had a shield spell ready to turn on in a heartbeat His precautions saved our hides h his shield like it was thin air Poor bastard didn’t have a chance And there were enough of them to take us both down at the same time But they didn’t"

I pursed my lips "Sounds like the same creatures that ambushed the Templars and Daemos at Thunder Rock"

"They make hellhounds look like puppies" Shelton shuddered "Anyway, I took a break froood time for me And then I met Aerianas" An almost dreamy look overcame his face "She caitive who’d killed a little boy’s parents I didn’t usually do freelance for individuals, but she was so s hot I couldn’t resist So, I did the job, and my prize was her"

"Slut," Bella said under her breath

Shelton didn’t seem to hear her "She told me she knew people in the tribunal court, and could tell et a head start She told me I was the best, and it would be a shahed "That’s how I got Zagg’s girlfriend, and Morgana’s parents"

"I iets," I said

His forehead pinched "Are you kidding irlfriend, Kayla, so well it took ana’s parents, the Findelays, were hiding in the Swiss Alps They triggered an avalanche that nearly tookhow he’d survived "But Hooch taught ot s?" I asked "To find out why you were hunting people?"

Shelton showed a rueful grin "He tried Hooch was a different breed of bounty hunter He always deets, he’d question them like he was the sheriff He once told ly accused, and he never wanted to take in an innocent person"

"I guess those lessons didn’t stick with you," I said, and I couldn’t help the disapproving note in my voice

"Guess not I didn’t care about that stuff I just wanted the lory" He looked away

"What do you mean?" Bella asked

"One of the jobs Aerianas landed ic to noot uy’s house to recover supplies I’d dropped during the bust, I just happened to stumble across evidence that completely exonerated him I--" Shelton blinked "I decided it wasn’tabout it So I just let it lie"

"Harry!" Bella looked aghast

"I didn’t want Aerianas to get in trouble I was young and stupid I was so blindly in love with her, I would have--I did anything she asked"

"You kept doing jobs even though you had suspicions" I said in an accusing voice

He nodded "Butme"

I raised both eyebrows