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You have no idea what I’ve been through waiting for the fire depart to see what they’d find in there

She softened I’lance at Alec revealed that his T-shirt was stretched in places

Sighing inwardly, she waved Reed toward the door Take care of wacko out there and I’ll get back to you about the trust issue

He went, but with a clearly aggravated stride

When she was alone with Alec, she said, "We need answers Go to the source if you have to, just find them"

He leaned into one of the metal mailboxes built into the wall "You sound as if you know for a fact that Raguel will be back"

"Maybe I do"

"You need to talk to el"

"I can’t You’re connected to everyone in the firm in an unpredictable way We can’t risk a leak like that You’ll just have to hang on for the ride"

He exhaled harshly "I’ve been doing that since I met you"

"It’s not so bad, is it?"

"Can you at least tell me why you have this necklace?"

"To kill the Nix It, uh, apparently suppresses Infernal tendencies"

Alec grew very still

"Yes," she answered his silent question "So is in you that shouldn’t be But I think you knew that already"

"I didn’t knoas Infernal I thought it was justwith hers "Angel I have to tell you so"

"No, you don’t"

"Yeah, I do"

"No, really" She squeezed his hand "I know about Izzie I know that wasn’t you"

He looked shell-shocked, then relieved His entire frame visibly deflated from the release of tension "I don’t deserve you, you know? I never have"

"Well" The toe of her shoe followed a grout line in theto tell you, too"

"No, you don’t"

"Yeah, I do"

"I don’t want to hear it And when I saw the name of Sarakiel’s e-mail attachment, I didn’t want to see it either So I deleted it"

Her shoulders went back "Because you feel guilty over so you’re not responsible for You think this makes us even, but it doesn’t, Alec I knew da; you didn’t"

"I don’t care," he said stubbornly

She laid it all out there "I would do it again; you wouldn’t"

"I’htened "Let’s go check on o I need to hit the road"

"Fine" There was no point in talking to hi She’d revisit the subject later She had to Everything was different Ignoring those differences wasn’t going to help any of them "But I’ll need you back here before noon You and that necklace Got it?"

"Got it" Alec shifted them up to his apartment

Hisroom His father was apparently in one of the back bedrooms When Eve jerked her chin down the hall, Alec took the hint and joined his dad, leaving her alone with his mom

Ima looked up at her with reddened eyes and nose She looked years older than she had the night before, with deep grooves around her pretty mouth and slumped shoulders Eve took a seat beside her and offered her a co a hand on Eve’s knee, Iet the necklace?"

"Satan lent it to me"

"Why?"

"It wards off Infernals"

"Does it?" Irew distant "I didn’t know It didn’t do that forsure that Alec was still occupied with helping his father Then she leaned in and queried softly, "It’s yours, isn’t it?"

Nodding, Iave it towith twenty-three other pieces of jewelry"

Was the piece around Alec’s neck the only one that was charet his hands on it?"

"I gave it to hiive it to Cain"

A sentie delivered, as Satan had said

"You shouldn’t say any hts and memories Whatever I know, he eventually finds out about"