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Chapter 1

Allison McFadden walked slowly in the cool night air, her arhtly wrapped around her sli at her Acoat The ently put his arh her

She laughed softly, slightly giddy froht He’d actually taken her to Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel; it was possibly the most romantic place she had ever been, complete with live piano music and a sophisticated, old-fashioned ambiance that had seduced her just as co, and he was good-looking and chivalrous almost to a fault He hadn’t even stolen a kiss yet

Allison smiled as she remembered how he’d taken her up to the murals that lined the walls of Bemelmans and told her about them; how some writer who had lived in the hotel had painted them and they’d been part of some children’s books She had tried to listen, but she had only been able to concentrate on his hand, resting just a little lower on her back than it had been earlier in the evening, and his lipsnext to her cheek as he spoke She only res were of ani And he had pointed out an ar its fellow bunnies with an automatic weapon in one of the cartoon-like hed at the hed

Now, he alking her hoentleman He had asked the cab driver to stop several blocks away fro so It was only their first date, and Allison couldn’t believe that she was going to do what she was planning

"Do you … would you … I mean, would you like to come up? For coffee, or …"

He smiled, and Allison was lost in the way it made his eyes warh her hair, watching the way the blond strands gliht of the street lamps

"Is your roo through the chilly wind and right into her

She licked her lips and nodded "But she won’t bother us," she insisted quickly, her words almost breathless as she reached out and se under the material

"Then lead the way," he murmured with a smile

It would have been the perfect tiht, as she took his hand and led hi It would have been just as ridiculously ro could be perfect

Hours later, as Allison struggled for her last breath, she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d never kissed her because it would leave his DNA behind

THE phone call could not have coent Ty Grady was still pissed off and cursing about its unfortunate ti room

Four weeks of undercover work--round-the-clock surveillance, phone taps, wires, bribing infor--all shot to shit because soot to leave his cell phone at ho to the tune of a Mozart orchestra, and unfortunately for the teaa, their target are of that particular bit of random information

He’d disappeared just as quickly as the rats on the New York sidewalks as Ty and his team had scraet was now in some other country where they had no jurisdiction, and all their evidence would be bagged, tagged, and stuffed in a box in a baseain

The fact that most of what they’d done had been under Ty’s direction and slightly irregular, depending on a high-profile collar in order to keep the their asses fired and thrown in jail, was not helping Ty’s mental state

He sprawled on his sofa, still covered in sweat from his atteye s on either side of the television He could see his own reflection in the black screen of the plasma TV on the opposite wall, and he looked even more exhausted than he felt He needed a shave; most of his handsome face was covered in three days’ worth of beard, and his dark hair could probably use a trie man, nearly three inches over six feet, and he usually carried his fraht, though, there was a slump to his broad shoulders as he sprawled He had no intention ofany tian to trill deh, he snapped it off his waistband and flipped it open "Grady," he answered curtly, his West Virginia drawl still pronounced after all the years he’d spent away froent Grady, Assistant Director Burns would like to see you," a clipped, professional voice informed him

"When?" Ty asked flatly

"Special Agent Grady, the Assistant Director of the Criations Branch does not call to make appointments He expects you in thirty minutes"

"Thirty minutes!" Ty blurted "Do you have any idea where I am?"

"In your dirty underwear, no doubt Be here in thirty," the voice answered in the sa up

Ty closed his eyes and oing to require the flashy blue lights Ty fucking hated the flashy blue lights

"GREAT job, Special Agent Garrett You are a credit to the Bureau," the Division Director said as he shook the o in your file for your work, of course"

"Thank you, sir," FBI Special Agent Zane Garrett answered curtly as the other agents ratulations

"And I get to reward you for your ell-done," the Director continued s proo," he said sorously

Zane shook his hand somberly, his face a mask of pure professionalishts he harbored beneath it "I’ve enjoyed working for you, sir But you knowto be where I can do the oodbye and get yourself upstairs Assistant Director Burns wants to see you in ten"