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"Monica, please"

She walked over and stood next to him He was so close she could feel his frustration It seeood enough?" she asked again

Chet’s hands were braced against the sill, his knuckles white A as being waged within him and the battle seemed to be a fierce one When he turned to face her, his eyes were dull with pain

"I murdered a man," he shouted "There, you kno leave" He pointed toward the door, his face growing red and angry "Get out of my life, understand, before I ruin yours too"

The force of his anger rocked her, but Monica stood her ground "I don’t know the circumstances," she said shakily, "but if you killed him, then he must have deserved to die"

Chet jerked back as if she’d slapped him

"It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, I’ll always love you"

"No," Chet cried, and then reached for her, hauling her into his arth of his embrace all but crushed her, but Monica didn’t care There wasn’t anyplace else she would rather be than with Chet He see in her softness, as if it were as vital to hien

After a short while, he released a harsh shudder and relaxed his hold enough for her to breathe comfortably He brushed the hair from her temple and kissed her there "I’ll always love you, too," he whispered brokenly

It felt like heaven to be in his arms For the first time in days Monica felt whole, as if the part of her that had been ht when you say he deserved to die He was a drug lord and brought misery to thousands all for the sake of ood for him He deserved to suffer"

"Are you wanted by the police?"

He shook his head and laughed shortly "No, I was too s the weasel he was, he’d go for his weapon He did, but I was ready After an investigation, it was decided that I acted in self-defense, but I knew the truth I murdered him just as if I’d waited in a dark alley and shot hiunshot wound," she said, flattening her hand over the scar on Chet’s shoulder She could feel it even through the material of his shirt "That hen you were shot, wasn’t it?"

"No," Chet told her "Not then"

"He scared you, though, didn’t he? Tell me what he did to you"

"None of that matters" He released her then abruptly as if he feared her touch, and backed away "You got the answer you wanted, now go"

"But, Chet--"

"Go"

Monica flinched "All right, but there’s so you should know"

"How much more of this is there?"

"Not much, I proth of her pride she ed to keep it under control "There’ll never be anyone who loves you roaned "Stop, please This isn’t necessary"

"It is forto look back on your life and regret thissooner Another twenty-four hours and I would have been out of here You couldn’t have waited one stinking day for this, could you?"

"No," she threw back at him She didn’t knohen the tears caainst her face and brushed them aside "I’ll haunt youor rather, my love will I swear that’s ill happen It doesn’t matter if you travel to the other side of the world, I’ll be there It’s my face you’ll see when you look at another woman Andand when you sleep, I’ll be there each and every night You won’t be able to close your eyes without thinking ofyou walked away from the one woman in all this world who loves you"

"Daht fists "Next you’re going to tellto sacrifice your life forthat soe my mind It’s over, understand? Over"

"Don’t worry," she whispered and her shoulders quivered "That’s what I ca for you, I can’t, Chet I’ve wasted too much of my life already"

"Good," he snapped "That’s just the way I want it"

Jody had dreaded the office Christmas party for days She never had been one who enjoyed these types of social gatherings, and generally didn’t stay beyond the first few ht the party the ideal tiement to their peers

He’d presented her with a lovely engageh to feel heavy and aard on her finger She’d re years earlier, not because of any desire to put that part of her life behind her, but to satisfy her parents Both orried about her and although she’d hated it, she’d placed the siold band in her jewelry box to appease the from the reception area that the party was underway There were enough goodies to feed a s Jody was guilty of overdoing it herself, bringing a large hoerbread cookies Tiht before

HerTimmy, and insisted Jody stay late and enjoy herself Because she ith Glen, she was obligated to re as her fiancé wanted

Glen caentle "You ready?" he asked

"Give ht?"

"Sure," he said agreeably