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"I think it’s best if Corine rents the flat It’s likely to be small, but I’ll happily sleep on the couch That way, she has companyand backup, should she require it"

BookeI could stand roo with hi Ti bomb, as if my relationship with Chance had an expiration date--and that was to say nothing of other dangers: an open dispute with deel" who intended to recruit meor murder me Either way Ferocious certainty hardened my spine There was no way that crazy bastard would ever hurt my baby

"That’s fine," I said into the silence

Before they could pose objections, I got on the phone, reached the owner on the first try "I’m interested in the apartment you have for rent"

The wo "Did you want to see it? I’ll need a es"

"To be honest, I just need a place for a little while So I don’t really care what it looks like, as long as it’s clean"

"It is that" Froured it was a duave me the address over the phone, and I turned to Chuch with an inquiring look "Can I buy the Pinto?"

"Three hundred bucks," he said

Eva swatted hi her for that piece of shit"

Oh, gods Another arguetcharity," he protested

"He’s right," I said "And stop talking aboutaway froood intentions, plus I needed space--and ti maimed by a hellhound hadn’t been in ress But I’d handle this, as I’d navigated every other obstacle

I always knew a relationship with Chance wouldn’t be easy But even I didn’t guess it would end up being this hard

The drive to San Antonio felt like it got longer each tihway in between At the et snacks, and use the restroos After pricing them, I decided I needed one, and added that to the fuel and food I paid our shot, then used the walking stick toButch a drink For somebody who had spent soI slid into the front seat again and nodded off before I realized what had happened

When I woke, Booke had turned down a side street I couldn’t tell what side of San Antone ere in, but it appeared to be inner city, near to the jail, judging from the bars on the s and the nuhborhood Our building was a run-down adobe duplex, divided neatly in the ured the landlady lived next door

With a whispered admonition for Butch, I knocked on her door with cash in hand The woreen sweat suit and a tired look She didn’t ask questions, just took my money and handed over the keys

"If you plan to stay over," she told me, "then I need another five hundred this time next month"

"I’ll let you know"

"And keep it down over there I don’t like a noisy neighbor"

"We’ll be model tenants," Booke proot a second look Then she s business with you"

I limped over to our side of the house and unlocked the front door The apartment was a dump But then, what did I expect for five hundred a month, furnished? It looked like a crash pad for a desperate college kid whose rooh at the last minute, but as the landlady had promised, the place was clean, albeit furnished in ed in the h in places Each end table ca; someone had hammered a different one into place so it sat faintly lopsided There were no paintings on the walls, and no TV, not even an old one The bedroole mattress on a metal frame and an ornate crucifix on the wall A battered chest of drawers sat to one side of the narro

None of those things botheredTo ht’ve had so as I was putting my stuff away

"Corine Solo froative on the animal that attacked you There’s no need for the rabies vaccine"

My knees eak, dropping me onto the narrow bed Best news I’d had all day Maybe demonic possession rendered an animal ied to say, "Thanks for letting me know"

"You’ve made an appointment for your first physical therapy?"

"Yes, ged me, then said, "You realize I won’t let you shirk your le-minded pursuit of Chance is off the table" I collapsed on the couchy this way? I didn’t knoomen survived nine months of this, and froet worse

"Home sweet holanced at the tired furnishings and the scarred veneer on the shelves It was, unquestionably, a depressing base of operations But not for long, I proet this sorted Then Booke can traveland you can go back to Mexico

"You didn’t have to come with me"

"I know I chose to"

Butch wandered around the apart I wondered how many different tenants he could still detect Now and then he paused to growl Booke watched in apparent fascination as the dog asserted his doled to my feet to show him where I’d put his food and water dish in the kitchen He licked led the bowl, so I stroked his head Poor little dude had really gone through a lot in the past months