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I back away froe it sends Back all the way to the door while I keep the light shining on its glossy black barrel

Then I turn and run smack into his rock-hard chest

55

"CASSIE?" HE SAYS, grabbing ht back onto lances over ht I heard a noise" Duate But it’s the first thing that pops intoI really should work on--if I live past the next five ing

"You thought you…? Cassie, you shouldn’t coht"

I nod and force myself to look into his eyes Evan Walker is a noticer "I know, it was stupid But you’d been gone a long ti, Evan-shaped shadow in front of ainst the backdrop of a o inside, okay? I’ to death"

He doesn’tinto the barn

"I checked it out," I say, trying to keep my voice steady "Rats"

"Rats?"

"Yeah Rats"

"You heard rats? In the barn? From inside the house?"

"No How could I hear rats froht about now Not the nervous laugh that escapes instead "I came out on the porch for some fresh air"

"And you heard the rats" Flirty smile! I whip out what I hope passes for one of those, then I hook h his and pull hi to oes inside the barn and sees the exposed rifle, it’s over Why the hell didn’t I cover up the rifle?

"Evan, it’s nothing I got spooked, that’s all"

"Okay"

He shoves the barn door closed, and we head back to the farmhouse, his arm draped protectively over my shoulders He lets the arm fall e reach the door

Now, Cassie Quick side step to the right, Luger frohtly bent, squeeze, don’t pull Now

We step inside the warm kitchen The opportunity passes

"So I take it you didn’t bag any deer," I say casually

"No" He leans the rifle against the wall, shrugs out of his coat His cheeks are bright red fro else," I say "Maybe that’s what I heard"

He shakes his head "I didn’t shoot at anything" He blows on his hands I follow hireat room, where he bends in front of the fireplace to war behind the sofa a few feet away

My second chance to take hie Or it wouldn’t be if his head reseet I was used to

I pull the gun fro my rifle in his barn didn’t leaveunder that car on the highway: hide or face Doing nothing about it, pretending everything was fine between us, acco hi--it would kill him--but after the Crucifix Soldier, it had become one of my priorities never to kill another innocent person Better to show un

"There’s so "I lied about the rats"

"You found the rifle" Not a question

He turns With his back to the fire, his face is in shadow; I can’t read his expression, but his tone is casual "I found it a couple of days ago off the highway--remembered you said you dropped one when you ran--then I saw those initials and I figured it had to be yours"